With a stern "Be strong, have courage," the Premier sent Ambassador Eban back to Washington with new instructions. Then, pale and drawn from the effects of pneumonia, after a PT-boat ride two months ago in the Aqaba straits, Ben-Gurion went before his Cabinet to ask new flexibility in his terms. Less than a month before, the Knesset had put through a fire-eating resolution committing Israel never to give up either the gulf or Gaza. A Knesset debate had to be postponed one whole day while Ben-Gurion argued with politicians who insisted on all-out defiance. "The devil with this," growled B-G. "The devil with the coalition." He threatened to quit and form a new government. The Knesset debate that night was dogged ("The noose is tightening round our neck" cried one bearded, skullcapped orator), but Ben-Gurion's threat of resignation at last effected a compromise that gave the Prime Minister the leeway he needed.
Enter the French. Arriving in Washington, Eban informed Dulles that Ben-Gurion was now willing, "more or less," to go along with the U.S. proposal for Aqaba, but wanted some such arrangement for Gaza as Canada's Lester Pearson and Britain's Selwyn Lloyd were working on. This would install U.N. troops in Gaza while creating a U.N. administration of the strip from which both Israelis and Egyptians would be excluded. By this time the Arab-bloc nations had introduced a U.N. resolution calling for sanctions against Israel, and the U.S. had prepared a milder one to the same effect. Dulles suggested that the Israelis take their case to U.N. Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjold. Eban failed to make a sale: if Israel expected protection in Aqaba under the I 1949 armistice, then the armistice also applied in Gaza, which meant that Egypt had a right to be in Gaza.
At this point, France's Premier Guy MoDd and Foreign Minister Christian Pineau arrived in Washington. Out of its long hostilities against Arab rebels in North Africa, France has become Israel's one staunch supporter in the U.N. Pineau submitted to Dulles a draft resolution whereby 1) Israel would withdraw unconditionally, and 2) Israel's rights would be reserved under the Charter's selfdefense clause if Egypt should go back to raids and blockades against her.
"Stay Away from New York." Dulles accepted the French draft as an acceptable alternative to the U.S. resolution, and nest day Eban and Israeli Foreign Minister Golda Meir flew to Washington for emergency consultations with Dulles and Pineau. After a 3-hr.-l0min. conversation with Dulles, Eban informed Ben-Gurion that the U.S. now favored the idea of international administration for Gaza too. Eban turned up at a Washington diplomatic party, was asked why he was in Washington instead of in New York at the U.N. Cracked Eban: "The more you stay away from the*, the more you solve problems" Optimism filled the air. Mrs. Meir, the onetime Milwaukee schoolteacher, told a Manhattan "Labor-Israel" dinner: "This is a great evening, and [tomorrow] may be a great day. I wish I could tell you more."
In Jerusalem, on receipt of Eban's report, Ben-Gurion sent out motorcycle cops to catch his ministers on the highways and in their visage homes, even had a message flashed on a Jerusalem movie screen to summon one minister. When the Cabinet finally assembled, Ben-Gurion announced his decision: to evacuate Gaza "What guarantees have we got?"" cried a minister. "None," replied Ben-Gurion. Then he told of the support developing in Washington and New York for an international regime for Gaza. "They have shown their understanding of our problems," he said. "We must show understanding too." The argument raged till 2 a.m., when B-G forced the decisive vote. It was 11 to 4. Knowing that he faced a government crisis and public outcry, B-G imposed the strictest news blackout on the decision.
