Foreign Minister Yigal Allon criticized today the Madrid conference of the European Executive of the World Jewish Congress as “an unfortunate one, at the wrong place and at the wrong time–from both Israeli and Jewish points of view.” He also told the Knesset that the WJC delegates had not consulted the Israeli government nor sought its views before they decided on the Madrid meeting.
Allon argued that while the WJC is an independent body which did not have to accept Israeli advice, the delegates should have, at the least, consulted the Israeli government on matters which might bring repercussions against Israel. Had that been done, he said, the WJC delegates would have been told in clear terms not to meet in Madrid.
Asserting that Spain surrendered to Arab blackmail in cancelling the scheduled appearance at the conference’s opening session last Saturday night of Spanish Deputy Justice Minister Rafael Mendizabal, Allon said that even in the new Spanish regime there were still elements which would have to depart before the new regime could be considered as one of the enlightened democracies.
Allon also said that in addition to the “insult” which the Madrid conference had brought on its organizers and to some extent on the entire Jewish people, the results might jeopardize the creation of normal relations between Israel, Spain and the Jewish people.
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.
