U.S. and Israel Exchange Opinions; Eban Leaves for Jerusalem Talks

Neither the United States nor Israel seem to anticipate any unusual achievement in moving towards a settlement of the Arab-Israel dispute, it was indicated here today following a number of talks held during the last few days between high State Department officials and Israel Ambassador Abba Eban

Ambassador Eban, who is scheduled to fly tomorrow to Jerusalem for consultations with the top leaders of the Israel Government prior to the opening of the United Nations General Assembly session next month, met during the last few days separately with Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, Assistant Secretary of State on Near Eastern Affairs William A. Rountree, and Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs Francis Wilcox. These meetings served to make clear the Israel Government’s views on Near Eastern developments and the interpretation of these trends and events by the U.S. Government.

In the talks at the State Department mention was made of the activities of the Arab boycott committee and its effective pressure on Shell and British petroleum companies in compelling them to withdraw from marketing activities in Israel. It was understood that Mr. Eban elaborated on Prime Minister David Ben Gurion’s comment that it would be wise to expect neither Arab-Israel war nor peace in the wake of the relative tranquility that now prevails.

It was assumed that Mr. Eban drew the attention of the State Department officials to the influx of arms in both the pro-Western and anti-Western Arab countries Ambassador Eban has long taken the position that emphasis should be shifted by the West from the extension of large scale military to the pro-Western Arab states to assistance which would make for solution of economic, social and political problems