Middle East Defense Pacts Weak Without Israel, Eden Indicates

Unless and until there is a settlement between Israel and the Arab states there will be no “substance” in any agreement for regional defense of the Middle East, Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden told Commons today, announcing that the British Government had today initialed an agreement under which it would adhere to the Turco-Iraqi defense pact.

In reply to a specific request by Laborite MP Wedgewood Benn that he make a statement reassuring Israel that Britain’s adherence to the pact was not aimed at Israel, Sir Anthony said “no aspects of the treaty can be said to be directed towards Israel.” He added that the British Government had not associated itself with the exchange of letters between the Iraq and Turkish Governments–which were attached to the pact–pledging these two states to work for implementation of the United Nations resolutions pertaining to Palestine.

After Sir Anthony’s announcement of British adherence to the Turco-Iraqi pact, Herbert Morrison, Foreign Secretary in the last Labor Cabinet, asked whether the government was considering entering a similar agreement with Israel.

Sir Anthony, asserting that the position of Israel in relation to the treaty was important, declared: “I, myself, take the view that when this agreement comes to be studied it will be seen, from the point of view of Israel, that it is truly, as I believe it to be, a desirable development because this is the first time an Arab state is looking in directions other than simply toward Israel.”

TELLS COMMONS ARAB-ISRAEL SETTLEMENT IS MOST IMPORTANT

“It does seem to me,” he continued, “that it is a development of very real importance. This is, as it were, a northern line of defense arrangement which has been made. As to whether later arrangements could be made covering other Arab countries and Israel, it would be rather difficult for us to go into that now.

“The most important objective we must have in the Middle East surely is to bring about some settlement, by any means we can, between Israel and the Arab states. Unless and until we can do that, although we have a good northern tier defense arrangement, there will never be real substance to the agreement between these countries to give it lasting solidarity.”

In the House of Lords, where Lord Reading made a similar announcement on behalf of the government, Lord Jowitt, leading Laborite, asked: “Was there some hope we might see a happier situation in the Middle East between the Arabs and the Israeli people? If so, its announcement would be one of utmost importance.”

Lord Reading replied that anything that deterred the possibility of aggression from out side the area must be equally to the advantage of Israel, as well as the Arab states. He added that the British Government would welcome any opportunity of making a more permanent settlement in the Middle East.

Britain will establish a radar warning network for Iraq, and British advisers and instructors will assist in training the Iraq Army in the most modern advanced arms and tactics under the new agreement, Sir Anthony revealed. He added that Britain would also build military warships and stockpile war materiel in Iraq.

(Commenting on the British announcement, a State Department spokesman said in Washington that “the United States considers it a logical development in view of the already existing close ties between Britain and Turkey through NATO, and Britain and Iraq through the treaty of 1930. Moreover, it will further strengthen the developing Middle Eastern defensive framework.”)