A plan to appoint a special “good offices” commission composed of past presidents of the General Assembly to attempt to conciliate the basic conflicts between Israel and the Arab states is being advanced here behind the scenes of the Security Council. The Security Council will meet tomorrow, at Israel’s request, for discussion of Egypt’s illegal blockade of the Suez Canal in the Bat Galim case. Egypt is expected to continue stalling tactics aimed at deferring Council consideration of the Israel complaint. Dr. Mahmoud Azmi, the Egyptian representative, is expected to tell the Council that his country is ready to return to the Israel-Egypt Mixed Armistice Commission to discuss the Bat Galim matter “substantively.”The Egyptian position is that Council consideration should await completion of the Armistice Commission’s handling of the issue.
The Colombian delegation is seeking an overall examination of all the Arab-Israel conflicts. A suggestion that the Council tackle the Israel-Arab issues “in depth” was made at the last meeting of the Council by Dr. Francisco Urrutia, head of the Colombian delegation. Colombia was reported to be ready to offer its good offices in this area when and if it is requested to do so by the parties concerned.
(In Washington, Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Hussein conferred today with Assistant Secretary of State Byroade but declined to reveal the subject of discussion. Diplomatic sources advanced the view that the visit concerned the Egyptian attempt to block Security Council consideration of the Bat Galim case.)
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