Spain Reported to Offer to Mediate Mideast Crisis; Offer Said to Have Been Made to Eban

The Spanish government has offered to mediate the Middle East conflict, according to a report from Madrid in yesterday’s London Times. According to the Times, the Spanish national newspaper “ABC” reported that Foreign Minister Lopez Bravo apparently made the offer to Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban in Luxembourg on Monday. The Israeli Embassy here professed no knowledge of the report. “ABC” quoted Senor Bravo as telling Mr. Eban: “Spain has never had nor does it have now any anti-Jewish feelings, and with the fundamental aim of bringing about a peace that would respect the decisions of the UN, Spain would be willing to serve as a bridge between both parties.” It was recently reported that the Spanish government is seeking to establish diplomatic relations with Israel.