Although Israel is under heavy pressure she will nevertheless not accept any United Nations resolution which is against Israelis interests, Premier David Ben Gurion declared this week-end. He stressed that Israel had no intention of conquest. Had such intentions existed, the Israeli Army could have marched through Egypt all the way to Khartum, he said.
Mr. Ben Gurion spoke at a conference of the Association of Collective settlements, which took place at Givat Haim. He called upon the leaders of the collective settlement movement to establish settlements in the Akaba and Elath areas. Without such settlements, he said, Elath could not be secure. He drew attention to the fact that Elath is the gate to Israel’s trade with Africa and Asia.
Israel will offer UN Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold, in the current discussions at the United Nations, concrete suggestions about maintaining freedom of passage for all shipping through the Strait of Tiran and the Gulf of Akaba, it was indicated here today. It is understood that Israel will also offer Mr. Hammarskjold a complete plan for the resettlement of Arab refugees in the Gaza Strip as well as plans for large-scale development projects aimed at raising the living standards of Gaza’s permanent population of about 90,000.
ISRAEL DOES NOT SEEK THE ANNEXATION OF GAZA, OFFICIALS SAY
Israel officials are making it clear that this country is not seeking the annexation of Gaza. But they see the possibility that “the present process of Gaza’s administration, which is in Israeli hands, might be “given a suitable United Nations relationship in such a way as to remove permanently the nightmare of belligerency that has been synonymous with Gaza.”
For the first time since Egypt occupied the Gaza area, Israel officials pointed out, there is a possibility of integrating Gaza development projects which have already been begun by Israel by the laying of irrigation pipelines. Now, the official pointed out, the 90,000 permanent inhabitants of the area can be helped toward freeing themselves from their permanent impoverishment.
As for the refugees, who are now “freed of Egyptian intimidation, they have the opportunity “to think constructively of permanent resettlement, and such plans can be worked out without frustration by Egyptian incitement.”
A four-partite Israel-Arab agreement on mutual non-interference in the Strait of Tiran and Gulf of Akaba, or control of the strait by a Users Association were alternatives seen here for the waterway, after the Akaba area is occupied by the United Nations Emergency Force. Israel circles stated categorically that Israel has no intention of keeping its armed forces at Sharm el Sheikh after arrangements have been made for freedom of shipping. The four-partite agreement suggested we would be between Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan, the countries whose snores are touched by the straits and the gulf.
While government officials were projecting these settlement plans Israel’s central economic organizations today called on all governments and world public opinion to start steps immediately for ending the Arab economic boycott of Israel, Failure to step the blockade and boycott, declared a manifesto issued by the organizations, ‘will compel Israel economic organizations to resort to counter-measures which may result in serious political consequences.”
Among the signers of the manifesto were the Chambers of Commerce, the Manufacturers Association, Farmers Federation, the Citrus Marketing Board, organized labor, and the General Cooperatives.
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