Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden today told the House of Commons that although Britain is under obligation, under the Anglo-Jordanian treaty of 1948, to come to the aid of Jordan should the latter become engaged in a war, the commitments of this treaty “require no action by Her Majesty’s Government at present.”
Mr. Eden emphasized for a second time that the British Government would welcome a Security Council discussion of Israel-Jordan relations, as asked by Israel. He told the House that since his last statement on Monday the Mixed Armistice Commission had censured Israel for the Nahalin raid. He said that otherwise he had nothing new to add to his earlier statement.
Up to tonight the British Government had given no indication that it was proceeding here to implement Mr. Eden’s statement in the House of Commons Monday that Britain would seek a Council session on the Israel-Jordan situation. Under the present circumstances it was not at all clear that it would be to Israel’s advantage for the British to proceed, since the outcome could only be another setback for the Jewish State in view of the Soviet policy.
Israel Ambassador Eliahu Elath last night called at the Foreign Office, it was learned here today. It is understood that during this visit, his second in two weeks, the Ambassador raised the question of the Israel-Jordan border situation as well as the situation raised by the Soviet veto of the New Zealand resolution on the Suez Canal blockade in the Security Council.
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