Council

At a meeting in Cairo in June 1954, attended only by diplomatic representatives in Cairo of the League's member states, the Arab League Council approved a Pakistani proposal to hold an Arab-Islamic conference in Jerusalem. A number of appointments of League officials were made at the session, which also decided to contribute financially to the establishment of a religious institute in the Gaza Strip. The 22d session of the Council opened in Cairo on October 30, under the chairmanship of Shaykh Ibrahim al-Fadl (Saudi Arabia). A resolution was passed congratulating Egypt on the signing of the Anglo-Egyptian agreement on the Suez Canal Zone. According to press reports, it was decided at a further session of the Council to form an Arab mutual defense pact, to defend Arab states against “foreign aggression”. The pact would be a development of the present Arab collective security pact. It had also been decided, according to the press, to let Arab governments deal as they wished with United States offers of military and economic aid.