Israel's Right
As Israel's demand for guarantees before with- drawing from Gaza and the Gulf of Aqaba is one of those rare cases in international affairs when right is all on one side, it is disappointing to find almost all the governments of the world on the other side. There has been a good deal of talk about coming to 'equity with clean hands' and 'not gaining rewards from aggression.' But the UN is anything but a court of equity (Mr. Hammarskjold's attitude might be described as one of barren legalism were there not some doubt as to its legality); and if a state of war exists (as Egypt has always maintained), there can be no aggression. If Egypt intends to resume belligerent acts in the Gulf of Aqaba and from Gaza, Israel would obviously be unwise to withdraw. If, on the other hand, Egypt thinks the war is over, there can be no harm in asking her to say so. In demanding guarantees Israel not only has right on her side, she has might as well. It is a bizarre situation whereby the victor is thought to be unreasonable in refusing to with- draw from the territory of the vanquished before the vanquished has agreed to live in peace.
The policy of the United States, as Mr. Rovere points out, is hard to understand. In the UN she seems to be behaving more like a party whip than a party leader; to be intent on preserving a major- ity rather than on concocting a sensible and coherent policy.
The behaviour of the British Government is even more puzzling and its votes in the UN on this point have been contemptible. Public opinion in this country (as in America) seems now to be pushing the 'Government in a more honourable direction, but Mr. Selwyn Lloyd's remarks on Monday, though an improvement, left much to be desired. An unequivocal declaration that this country will not join in sanctions against Israel and unequivocal support for Israel's refusal to withdraw until she has received guarantees, would do far more to demonstrate that Britain is not a satellite of America than any number of Ministerial protestations of this truth.
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