United States official sources said today that the withdrawal assumptions of Israel had not worked out like the United States hoped because of Egypt’s immediate insistence on restoring Egyptian administration in the Gaza Strip. But, these sources added the United States had never maintained that Egypt did not have a right to administer the Gaza Strip, if it insisted on doing so.
The views of United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold of the sanctity of the 1949 armistice were cited. It is therefore thought, in high official sources here, that Secretary of State John Foster Dulles will be unable to offer Israel Foreign Minister Golda Meir any assurances different from the general ideas already enunciated by this government. These sources recalled also that President Eisenhower pointed out that in the most recent instance Israel attacked Egypt and had no right to expect to benefit from this attack in arranging terms for withdrawal.
State Department sources suggested today that Israel would do better to consider a plan to station United Nations Emergency Forces on both sides of the Israel Gaza boundary than to dwell on confused assumptions regarding the administration of the Gaza Strip. Officials hinted that resumption of U. S. economic aid to Israel might be linked to Israel’s emerging attitude on the Gaza situation. A “constructive” attitude might create circumstances conducive to the stability required for early resumption of such aid, these sources said.
State Department circles confirmed that word has been received from Saudi Arabia that King Saud’s government has decided to take steps to bar Israel shipping from the Strait of Tiran. It was pointed out here that the Strait is in Saudi Arabia’s territorial waters. It was revealed that King Saud explained the Saudi position during his talks here with President Eisenhower.
The State Department consulte during the week-end with Britain, France, Norway, Italy, and the Netherlands on United Nations negotiations now under way to reopen the Suez Canal and to tranquilize the border of the Gaza Strip.
Sen. Mike Mansfield, assistant majority leader of the Senate, called today for a meeting of the General Assembly if Egypt moves into the Gaza Strip. Supporting Israel’s views of the Egyptian moves, he pointed out that Israel had complied with the wishes of the United States and the majority of the United Nations in withdrawing from the Gaza and Akaba areas
A Senate inquiry into what has been termed “foreign policy mistakes” in the Middle East will get underway tomorrow, Senator J. W. Fulbright (D. , Ark.) said today. He is chairman of a six-member group authorized by the Senate Foreign Relations and Armed Services Committees to look into U. S. Middle East policies from January, 1946 leading up to the British French and Iszel invasion of Egypt last Fall.
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