American officials abstained from any comment on the Cairo “summit conference” of Arab heads of state convened by Nasser to decide on joint action against Israel’s plans to divert the waters of the Jordan.
Officials withheld comment until the decisions of the conference became known but it is understood that there is cautious hope in Washington that no decision to resort to arms will be taken.
It was pointed out, however, that Nasser’s announcement that all the proceedings of the conference will be published might prompt those present to adopt more militant attitudes than they would otherwise. Still, it is believed that Egypt’s earlier pronouncement that the Arabs should not go to war with Israel until they are strong, united and prepared militarily to assure a victory, may have considerable influence on the conference.
Observers believe that the Arabs will submit a complaint against Israel’s water scheme to the United Nations Security Council, and will put strong pressure on the western powers to intervene against the project. Since, however, the amount of water Israel plans to withdraw from Lake Tiberias is within the limits determined by the so-called Johnston plan (which was accepted some years ago on a technical level–even by Arab experts), diplomatic circles in Washington feel that Israel has a very strong case and is assured of the support of the United States.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
