WASHINGTON, Feb. 21, 1957 (UP) - Congressional leaders of both parties today generally supported President Eisenhower's call to "bring pressure" on Israel to withdraw its troops from Egypt. The congressmen indicated they appreciated the complexity of the crisis and said the President made a good case for the U.S. position.
Eisenhower discussed the Middle East crisis last night in a nationwide TV and radio address.
He reiterated his hope that "Israel will see that its best immediate and long-term interests" lie in complying with a UN order to pull out of the Gaza Strip and Gulf of Aqaba areas of Egypt.
But he said that if Israel continues to refuse, "I believe that in the interests of peace the United Nations has no choice but to exert pressure on Israel to comply."
There was, however, some highly placed criticism of the President's views, both from Democrats and Republicans.
Former President Harry S. Truman said he sees no justification for sanctions against Israel as hinted by Eisenhower. He said he didn't hear all of the speech and could not offer lengthy comment on it.
But, he said, "I don't believe in sanctions against Israel. ... I believe the sanctions should have started when Russia went through the Black Sea's straits."
He called the Mideast situation "very delicate - and a fellow who has been President should not try to tell his successor what to do about it. The President has to decide for himself."
Senate Republican leader William F. Knowland said he still opposes reprisals against Israel unless the United Nations also applies sanctions against other countries which ignored its demands.
Commenting on President Eisenhower's declaration that the UN must "exert pressure" on Israel to withdraw its troops from Egyptian territory, Knowland said:
"Nothing the President said last night changes my position."
To give Israel a last chance to reconsider, the United Nations succeeded in gaining one more - and final - postponement of a UN showdown on applying sanctions against the Jewish nation. The UN session, originally scheduled for today, will be held tomorrow.
A proposal by African-Asian nations that tough sanctions be applied against Israel has raised an outcry from many members of Congress.
Here was some congressional reaction:
Sen. Mike Mansfield (D., Mont), a Foreign Relations Committee member, said "the President seems to have made his extremely difficult decision, and we will do our best to uphold him."
Sen. H. Alexander Smith (R., N.J.), another member of the committee, said he was impressed with the President's "strong statement that aggressors should have no reward." He said he shared the view, "we have got to support the UN."
Senate Democratic Leader Lyndon B. Johnson said he regrets Eisenhower's call to "bring pressure" on Israel alone to withdraw its troops from Egypt.
Johnson said Israel should withdraw its troops, but he said "the withdrawal should be accompanied by adequate UN action that will not leave Israel defenseless."
In discussing Israel's refusal to withdraw from Egypt, the President said that if the UN "does nothing, if it accepts the ignoring of its repeated resolutions calling for withdrawal of invading forces, then it will have admitted failure."
The President took note of the fact that members of Congress generally opposed any punishment of Israel so long as Russia goes unpunished for its intervention in the Hungarian revolt.
He said two wrongs do not make a right and said there can be no comparison between Israel and "atheistic" Russia.
Eisenhower said it has been suggested that UN action against Israel should not be pressed because Egypt has violated the armistice agreement and international law.
But he said Egypt, by accepting six principles adopted by the UN Security Council last October for operation of the Suez Canal, bound itself to let ships of all nations through the canal without discrimination.
