President Johnson Confers with Eban in White House on Israel

President Johnson received Abba Eban, the Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister, today at the White House, for a 35-minute conversation. The meeting was attended also by Avraham Harman, the Israeli Ambassador to the United States; Ephraim Evron, Minister at the Israeli Embassy; and Robert Komer, deputy special assistant to President Johnson.

An Israeli Embassy spokesman said that the President and Mr. Eban had a very friendly conversation which touched on a number of international questions of concern to the United States and Israel. Mr. Eban was also received this afternoon by Secretary of State Dean Rusk.

After completing a one-hour meeting with Mr. Rusk, Mr. Eban said that he was pleased by the series of talks he held in Washington at top levels of the United States Government, and that “all matters which concern Israel have been explained by me.”

Mr. Eban said that he was “happy” that, despite the preoccupation of Washington officials with other matters, they found time for “a wide-ranging discussion with me in keeping with the traditional friendship of the two countries.”

He said the talks involved a general exchange and survey of problems of mutual interest. It was his first opportunity, since taking office as Foreign Minister in the new Israeli Cabinet, to meet with leading U.S. authorities. He declined to comment on specific matters covered, indicating that he favored a return to “intimacy” in diplomatic exchanges.

Mr. Eban also met with Sen. J. W. Fulbright, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, at Mr. Fulbright’s office. He was a luncheon guest of Sen. Stuart Symington, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee. A group of Senators and Representatives attended the luncheon.