Security Council Plans on Israel-syrian Dispute Up in the Air

The Soviet veto in the Security Council of the three-power draft resolution for settlement of the Syrian-Israeli dispute has left the American and British delegations without plans for future procedure and spokesmen for both delegations said today that it might take ten days or two weeks before a new line of action could be adopted.

While opinion was divided here as to whether Israel now had a free hand to resume work on the Bnot Yaakov power project, the general expectation was that the Israel Government would first seek agreement of Gen. Vagn Bennike, United Nations truce chief. It was believed that Premier Moshe Sharett would have informal talks with Gen. Bennike aimed at overcoming his objections to the project and working out guaranties of the water and land rights of Arab landowners in the demilitarized zone before ordering resumption of work on the project. It was pointed out, though, that an aroused public opinion in Israel could compel the government to order work resumption forthwith.

(In Washington, Israel Ambassador Abba S. Eban was to meet with State Department officials to discuss the new situation arising from the Soviet veto of the American-backed resolution.)

United Nations circles agreed today that the issue could not be left in the air, but most observers were at a loss as to what could now be done. There was speculation whether new action would be initiated by the three powers, by the Arabs or by Leslie Munro, of New Zealand, who will be president of the Security Council in February.

A British spokesman said the only course open appeared to be adoption of a resolution like the second Lebanese resolution which simply referred the case to Gen. Bennike for reconciliation efforts and would have work on the project stayed until he reported back to the Security Council. The British, the spokesman said, did not like one paragraph of this resolution which implied that Syrian consent would be necessary.