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United States Citizens in Israel Warned on Nationality Law

July 9, 1952
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The American Embassy in Israel today warned American citizens residing in this country that if they wish to retain their American citizenship after July 14 when the Israeli nationality bill goes into effect they must inform the Israeli authorities that they do not accept Israeli citizenship, which will automatically be conferred on all Jews in or arriving in this country. The Embassy’s warning was issued following Parliamentary adoption today of a passport law, a companion measure to the Nationality Act.

The Knesset Rules Committee today decided to ban from all Parliamentary debate and to expurgate from the official records of Knesset proceedings epithets aimed at the representatives in Israel of foreign nations. The action followed a remark by deputy Meir Wilner, a Communist, who called Bruce McDaniel, American technical aid coordinator in Israel, a “gauleiter.”

A debate on censorship of military news developed in Knesset this morning when Esther Wilenska, a Communist deputy, raised the question of the one-week suspension of the Communist newspaper Kol Haam for publishing military secrets. Miss Wilenska insisted that the newspaper was fulfilling its functions of serving the public by informing it that the “American Government and its agents are planning to use our airfields for atom bombers against peace-loving countries–the Soviet Union and the popular democracies.”

Minister of Justice Chaim Cohen justified the suspension, asserting that a committee of editors had concurred to the verdict against Kol Haam.

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