Official French sources indicated today that France had been under severe Anglo-American pressure to vote for Security Council resolution condemning Israel for its raid on Syrian gun positions in the Lake Tiberias area. The sources said that because of the pressure and the forthcoming resumption of diplomatic ties with Syria, France could not veto the Anglo-American resolution.
In another phase of the reaction in France to the Security Council resolution, General Billotte, a close personal friend of President Charles de Gaulle, criticized the French Government for abstaining on the resolution vote. Speaking at a dinner sponsored by the French branch of the Keren Hayesod, Gen. Billotte said that France “should “should have used its right of veto to protect its Israeli friends.”
On the other hand, Walter Eytan, the Israel Ambassador to France, said at the dinner that he regarded France’s abstention as a concrete example of continued French Israeli friendship. The solid ties of the two countries were hailed by a number of key French leaders at the dinner which was attended by 400 guests.
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