Against stiff and vociferous Arab opposition, Yehudah Kazish, head of the Council of Youth Movements of Israel, was elected last night as a member of the executive board of the World Assembly of Youth, which concluded a 10-day session at Amherst College here. Mr. Kazish headed a seven-man Israeli delegation which, throughout the assembly, fought successfully against Arab attacks directed against Israel.
Prior to the election of the executive board, the head of the Tunisian delegation, who had throughout spearheaded the Arab drive, circulated a draft resolution dealing with the Arab refugee problem. Israel, in turn, circulated a draft resolution calling for direct Israeli-Arab negotiations for the achievement of Middle East peace. The Arabs then sent an emissary to the Israeli delegation, proposing that both drafts be withdrawn. The Israelis agreed to that compromise, and neither of the drafts came to a vote.
When it came to electing the members of the executive board, however, the Arabs voiced strenuous opposition to the inclusion of an Israeli on the ruling body. In the voting, in which only members of the outgoing board could participate, the Israeli was elected by a ballot of 44 to 5. Forty-nine countries, including not only Arabs and Israelis but also many Eastern European groups, participated in the Assembly. A total of 600 youth delegates attended the parley.
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.
