United Nations truce chief in Palestine, Gen. William Riley, was reported here today as “seeking to mediate the dispute between Israel and Egypt and will put an Israel offer before Gen. Mohammed Naguib, the new Egyptian dictator”.
It is taken for granted here that the “Israel offer” to which the report refers deals with the peace offer made to Egypt publicly by Israel Premier David Ben Gurion during his address last week in the Israel Parliament. Observers here hold that the Egyptian Premier Aly Maher left the door open for a formal offer from Israel when, commenting in Cairo in Mr. Ben Gurion’s speech, he declared that no official overture had been received by the Egyptian Government from Tel Aviv.
The possibility that the U.N. truce chief may be the person to bring Israel’s offer officially to Cairo is not excluded here. It is pointed out that the new Egyptian government is trying to secure military aid from the United States, and that she can get such aid only if Egypt and Israel come to peace terms. It is also emphasized that Gen. Riley, as U.N. truce chief, is the best person to act as mediator between Israel and Egypt.
ARAB LEAGUE SECURITY PACT BECOMES EFFECTIVE; MAY AFFECT ISRAEL
Simultaneously, it was reported here today from Cyprus that after two years of negotiations, the Arab League security pact, which may affect Israel, came into force yesterday.
Chiefs-of-Staff of all the Arab countries will now be invited to Cairo to discuss the immediate establishment of a full-time military council which will implement the military cooperation between the member states of the Arab League agreed upon in the pact, the report said.
“Western diplomats throughout the Middle East,” the report continued, “are watching these developments with more than usual interest. They share the view that the Arab pact offers opportunities for eventual dovetailing of Arab forces into broader plans for the defense of the area west of the Persian Gulf and Kurdistan”.
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.
