Eban Confers with Sir Alec; Seen As ‘useful Link’ in Continuing Dialogue

Foreign Minister Abba Eban met for 45 minutes with Foreign Secretary Sir Alec Douglas-Home at the latter’s chambers in Parliament today. Sources close to the Israeli Embassy here said Eben gave “frank expression” to the concern felt in Israel over Sir Alec’s remarks at a Conservative Party meeting last month in which he said that Israel must return to its pre-June, 1967 frontiers. The source said the Foreign Minister indicated that the speech, and Britain’s vote on a pro-Arab resolution in the United Nations General Assembly, was interpreted by his government as estrangement from Israel and a lack of consideration by Britain for Israel’s vital interests. According to other sources here, Sir Alec made it clear that Britain continues to base its Middle East position on the Security Council’s Resolution 242 of Nov. 22, 1967, with special emphasis on resumption of the Jarring talks. The Israeli Embassy source said Eben made the point that a balance of power is necessary for fruitful Arab-Israeli negotiations, that the United States considered this sound doctrine, and that the U.S. should have the open support of other Western governments. Diplomatic sources told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that the Eben-Home talk was a “useful link” in the continuing dialogue between the two governments, one that is “obviously not yet finalized.”