Israel this week-end climaxed one of its greatest diplomatic campaigns at the United Nations in preparation for Security Council consideration tomorrow of the Israeli complaint against Egypt for blockading the Suez Canal and the Gulf of Eilath against Israel-bound shipping.
The powerful Israeli diplomatic offensive involved the Great Powers and the maritime nations and the issue this weekend assumed the overtones of a complaint by the maritime world against attempts by a single power to control passage through an international waterway.
During the past week, it was learned, Israel has received pledges that the United States, Britain and France would stick to the position they took in September, 1951, when the Security Council instructed Egypt to abandon its seizure of Israeli-bounding shipping in the Suez.
EBAN SEES VISHINSKY; MARITIME POWERS CONSULTED
Israel’s youthful chief delegate to the UN, Abba Eban, also had a lengthy session with Soviet delegate Andrei Vishinsky on the significance of the principle of free passage of waterways–an issue in which the USSR has evinced more than passing interest in the past. Mr. Vishinsky gave no indication of the way he intends to vote, but in UN circles it is thought inconceivable that the USSR would follow the precedent it set in the veto of the Big Three resolution in the Israel-Syrian case and thus compromise its own position and direct interests in free passage of waterways.
Besides contacting other members of the Security Council, the Israel delegation at the UN called a meeting of eight maritime states which are not members of the Council. At that session the importance of free waterways was stressed. In addition, the Israelis have also been concentrating on seeking support among Mediterranean and African powers to whom an open Suez Canal is a lifeline economically and militarily.
It is believed fairly certain that the Western Powers will back the Israeli complaint with some action, but Israel wants more than another resolution condemning the Egyptians. It wants a resolution with teeth in it–not necessarily sanctions–but some sort of control and regular reporting to ensure actual compliance with Council instructions. The Israelis are pressing for complete lifting of the blockade and for reaffirmation of the principle of unhampered passage through such international waterways as the Suez Canal.
UN circles describe Egypt as nervous over the current situation, far more so than in 1951 when it was rebuked by the Council for the same type of action. This time, UN circles believe, the Anglo-Egyptian dispute has made the Egyptians more aware of the possibilities of world reaction to its aggressive role against Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
