Fighting broke out in a Frankfurt University hall yesterday when Arab students and a group of left-wing Jewish youths who support them interrupted a speech by Israel’s Ambassador to West Germany. Asher Ben Natan, and demanded the right to speak. Ambassador Ben Natan was addressing a meeting on Middle East peace attended by over 1,500 persons.
The Arab students are adherents of El Fatah. The Jewish group which supports Arab terrorist activities against Israel is called “Matzpen.” Both are centered in Frankfurt. They entered the hall carrying placards reading “Arab and Jewish Socialists against Zionism” and “Nazi Kiesinger and Ben Natan are in league with Dayan.” Kurt Georg Kiesinger is the Chancellor of West Germany and Gen. Moshe Dayan is Israel’s Defense Minister.
The Arabs attempted to shout down the Israeli Ambassador who declared, “What a pity after 34 years there are disturbances when an Israeli speaks at a German university.” Dani Diener. chairman of the Federation of Jewish Students in Germany, which sponsored the meeting, agreed to allow a member of “Matzpen” to speak. But fist fights broke out when a Palestinian Arab tried to mount the platform. Ambassador Ben Natan resumed his address afterwards, Mr. Diener said it was the first time a speaker had managed to hold the floor at all against “this anarchist element.”
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.
