For the third successive weekly meeting, the Israel Cabinet today discussed the United Arab Republic’s halting of the Danish freighter Inge Toft, which had attempted to pass through the Suez Canal with an Israeli cargo destined from Haifa to the Far East. Once again, no far-reaching decision on the issue was taken by the Cabinet.
It is believed here that the Western powers, particularly the United States, are strongly urging Israel against taking any drastic move on the matter, either by demanding a U. N. Security Council meeting on the issue, or by attempting to have a special session of the U. N. General Assembly summoned to consider the matter.
The Cabinet reportedly obtained information in regard to the attitude taken by Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold at his press conference at United Nations headquarters last Thursday. It is believed that the Cabinet has been informed that official United Nations circles asserted that Mr. Hammarskjold’s statements at the press conference are not to be interpreted as a recommendation that the Israel-UAR dispute regarding the Suez issue be taken to the International Court of Justice at The Hague.
United Nations officials have even reportedly asserted that the Secretary General is very actively engaged in pursuing a request to Cairo for the release of the Inge Toft’s cargo, and has every intention to follow through on this course in the future. However, informed Jerusalem circles privately expressed considerable doubts regarding reports that both Mr. Hammarskjold and the United States have sent strong notes to Cairo on this issue.
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