Doclaring that “the survival of Israel is dependent upon its rapid growth,” Eliezer Liebenstein, vice-chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Israel Parliament, said today “that good relations with all countries of the world, especially with the countries which are important as sources of immigration and capital investment, make necessary the foreign policy which some people call ‘Israel’s policy of neutrality.'” Mr. Liebenstein spoke under the auspices of the George Friedland Foundation at Dropsie College’s Institute on Israel and the Middle East.
Pointing out that the fundamental needs of the new state influence its foreign policy, Mr. Liebenstein said: “The principal requirements of the state are large-scale immigration, high industrial and scientific capacity, and sufficient space for settlement. Peace is a condition for a steady flow of immigration and capital into Israel and for its rapid economic development.”
Although Israel strives, as far as possible, to stay out of any global war and to avoid entangling alliances, its government realizes that from every cultural, social and economic point of view, Israel is closely connected with the West, Mr. Liebenstein stated. “The future of Israel’s foreign policy depends to some extent on America’s role in the Middle East and on her contribution to the reconstruction, peace and defense of that area,” he emphasized.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
