§ 21 and 22. Mr. Langford-Holtasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (1) what instructions were given to the British delegate to the United Nations prior to his vote being cast in favour of the United Nations Resolution calling upon the Government of Israel to evacuate the Gaza strip and the Gulf of Aqaba;
(2) what guarantees have been given by the United Nations to Israel that free navigation of the Gulf of Aqaba will be maintained for ships of all nations in the event of her troops being evacuated from the area, in accordance with the United Nations Resolution which was supported by the United Kingdom.
§ 37. Mr. Elwyn Jonesasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what are Her Majesty's Government's proposals for ensuring continuing freedom of navigation in the Gulf of Aqaba.
§ Mr. Selwyn LloydI cannot, of course, disclose details of instructions given to the leader of the British delegation at the United Nations, but I would refer my hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury (Mr. Langford-Holt) and other hon. Members, to the Answer which I gave to the hon. and learned Member for Aberdeen, North (Mr. Hector Hughes), my hon. Friend the Member for Blackley (Mr. E. Johnson) and the hon. Members for Dundee, East (Mr. G. M. Thomson) and Leicester, North-West (Mr. Janner) on 4th February.
My right hon. Friend the Minister of State made it clear, when voting for the Resolution of 19th January, that the withdrawal of Israeli forces would leave certain serious problems which demanded solution and that, by insisting on the withdrawal, the United Nations had inevitably assumed a responsibility for dealing with those problems. In voting for the Resolution of 2nd February, we made it clear that we did not regard withdrawal of Israeli troops as sufficient in itself. We said there had to be further action to settle some of the problems of the area in the interests of peace and stability, a matter of concern to all countries of the area. The Resolution of 2nd February was accompanied by another complementary Resolution which sought to focus attention on the need for constructive action. As I have said, I do not think 890 this Resolution was sufficiently precise, but it does give some indication of a constructive approach.
My hon. Friend the Member for Shrewsbury asked about guarantees given by the United Nations. Whether the word "guarantee" is appropriate or not, I believe that the United Nations should make clear that when Israeli troops have been withdrawn, the full authority of the United Nations will be exercised to see that there is freedom of navigation through these waters. The Secretary-General has been engaged in consultations with both Egypt and Israel about compliance with the two Resolutions of 2nd February, and we anxiously await the result of these consultations.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltMy right hon. and learned Friend has stated that the Minister of State has announced Her Majesty's Government's preparedness to support any plan to give Israel that sense of security which she desires and needs and has also called a Resolution of the United Nations insufficiently precise. Would my right hon. and learned Friend, therefore, take the matter one step further and instruct our delegation at the United Nations itself to take the initiative and put forward such a plan as Her Majesty's Government would consider both adequate and precise enough?
§ Mr. LloydThat is a matter which I have very much in mind at present. We have to consider the best means of attaining the objectives that we have in view. We want, if we can, to get a two-thirds majority in the United Nations for the objectives which we seek to achieve. As to exactly how that is to be done, that is a matter in which some freedom of action must be given to Her Majesty's Government and, indeed, to our representative on the spot.
§ Mr. JannerWould the Foreign Secretary clarify the position? Is he aware that what is really disturbing people is the possibility of the United Nations calling upon Israel to withdraw from these two places without the United Nations giving practical guarantees that Israeli ships would not be interfered with in their passage through the Gulf of Aqaba and that the Gaza Strip will not be utilised for the Fedayeen to attack people in Israel? Will the right hon. and learned Gentleman be good enough to say that 891 the Government will see to it that one Resolution is not passed without the other being passed at the same time?
§ Mr. JannerTo do his best to see to it.
§ Mr. LloydWe will certainly do that very thing, because we believe that it will be quite wrong to have a solution of one aspect of the matter without a solution of the other.
§ Viscount HinchingbrookeWould my right hon. and learned Friend not agree that the careful statement of policy which he has made today, in answer to earlier Questions, and the explanation of why we voted in the Assembly the other day, which he has just given, ought to have been given at the time of the vote, with suitable publicity? Would he not agree that a most unfortunate impression has been given throughout the world of the reasons for our vote and that in the Middle East we have at the moment no single ally over this issue? Would he not agree that an earlier statement on the lines of his most satisfactory remarks today would have been very much more fortunate?
§ Mr. LloydMy noble Friend has pointed out something which is a real difficulty. In fact, those reasons were given on the day but, owing to the time-lag, often what has been said in New York is not considered of publicity value here. I will certainly give further consideration to whether these views can be distributed more rapidly.
§ Mr. ShinwellLeaving aside the question of the free passage of Israeli ships through the Canal and the Gulf of Aqaba, is not the position that as regards British shipping—let us concern ourselves with British shipping at the moment—we have no assurance of any kind from the United Nations, from the Secretary-General or from the United States, that when the Canal is cleared British shipping will be allowed a free passage through the Canal? What are we going to do about that?
§ Mr. LloydThe right hon. Gentleman is wrong about that. We have a specific assurance from the Secretary-General of the United Nations, which he received from the Egyptian Government, that when 892 the Canal is cleared there will be no discrimination against British shipping.
§ Captain WaterhouseIn view of the sympathetic attitude displayed by my right hon. and learned Friend in his initial Answer, may I take it that our representative at the United Nations will have definite instructions not to support any imposition of sanctions on Israel unless the conditions which the Secretary-General has stated are first complied with?
§ Mr. LloydIn view of what has been said, it would be obviously wrong for the representative of Her Majesty's Government to support sanctions without the other part of the picture being covered. I hope myself that it will not come to sanctions.