§ 3.45 p.m.
THE EARL OF HOMEMy Lords, my right honourable friend the Prime Minister is making a speech in another place to-day, but in view of the fact that we have a debate in your Lordships' House to-morrow I thought that I might take some of the facts which are in keeping with the Prime Minister's speech and give them to your Lordships in rather a short factual form, avoiding argument.
Our request to both sides—that is, Israel and Egypt—to cease fire and to withdraw expired at 4.30 a.m. this morn- 1240 ing. Israel declared her willingness to take practical steps to carry it out. The Egyptian Government rejected it. The situation is therefore that described in the last part of my statement yesterday when I said:
… if, at the expiration of that time, one or both have not undertaken to comply with these requirements, British and French forces will intervene in whatever strength may be necessary to secure compliance.Your Lordships may wish to have some information, so far as we know it, concerning the Israeli moves. The Press this morning reports that one column of Israeli troops yesterday morning reached El Quseima, one of the biggest Egyptian bases in North Sinai, in an outflanking movement from Nakhla. To the best of my knowledge this is true. The Press also reports that a column is now well along the highway built by Lord Allenby's force in the First World War. This highway leads through the desert to Ismailia. Other columns are reported to be nearer the Canal, and they may be on it.This seems to underline the need which I stressed yesterday on behalf of Her Majesty's Government, that the fighting should be stopped immediately. The threat to the Canal is as great as ever. I would emphasise the point which the Prime Minister made in another place yesterday: that we have no desire that such military action as we shall have to take should be more than temporary. A permanent settlement of the vexed problems between Israel and Egypt is Her Majesty's Government's one desire.
§ LORD SILKINMy Lords, we are grateful to the noble Earl for the information which he has given to the House. In view of the fact that we shall be debating this matter to-morrow at midday, I think it would be wiser to defer until then any comment on the statement which we have just had.