Claude de Boisanger, head of the Palestine Conciliation Commission who arrived here last week with new proposals for peace negotiations between Israel and the Arab countries, was received yesterday by President Weizmann prior to his leaving for the Arab countries, it was announced here today.
The possibilities of the success of his mission are considered doubtful in the light of the fact that the Premiers of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon issued statements during the week-end recommending that the Conciliation Commission be dissolved. These statements were issued by the Arab statesmen while de Boisanger was still in Israel.
Israel Government circles today revealed that when de Boisanger called upon Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett last week to discuss his new peace plan, he was asked by Mr. Sharett whether he is certain that there is a desire for peace on the part of the Arab countries. To this the head of the Conciliation Commission replied that he would be in a position to give a more complete answer after he returns to Israel from a visit to the Arab capitals.
Semi-official circles here consider significant the fact that while the Premiers of Iraq, Syria and Lebanon rushed into print with statements urging the Commission to return to Lake Success rather than waste its time in this part of the world, no such statements were forthcoming from Egypt and Transjordan. The Arab Premiers’ statements were seen here as a contradiction of the assertion by a U.N. spokesman several days ago that the Conciliation Commission deadlock arose from the fact that Israel insisted on direct peace negotiations with the Arab states while the latter wanted the mediation of the Commission.
Speaking at a ceremony at the Tel Aviv port where the Henrietta Szold, latest large vessel to be added to the Israel merchant marine, docked at an Israel port for the first time, Mr. Sharett today declared that consolidation of the Israel merchant ?arine constituted the best answer to Arab threats of boycott or other economic ##nctions against the Jewish state.
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