The extreme secrecy maintained over Premier David Ben Gurion’s recent vacation in southern France prevented the Israeli leader from accepting a luncheon invitation from Sir Winston Churchill, it was disclosed today.
Britain’s wartime leader was vacationing on the Riviera, and was informed that Mr. Ben Gurion was staying in the vicinity, the newspaper Haaretz said today. Sir Winston telegraphed an invitation, but Israeli security officials, covering up Mr. Ben Gurion’s movements, did not reveal that the Premier was already on the way to Mr.Seilles to board a ship for the return trip home, and the invitation was not delivered to him until he was aboard.
Mr. Ben Gurion, the paper said, sent a message to Sir Winston expressing regrets that he had been unable to be his guest.
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.
