Mohammed Ben Bella, Vice Premier of the Algerian Provisional Government, denied vehemently, in an interview at Tunis, yesterday, that he had stated that independent Algeria would provide 100, 000 soldiers to help the Arab people “liberate” Palestine from Israel rule.
Mr. Ben Bella was quoted to that effect nearly three weeks ago after he visited Cairo. The information Minister of the Algerian Provisional Government has already denied that Mr. Ben Bella could have made such a statement. Now Mr. Ben Bella himself, in an interview at the Tunis temporary headquarters of the Provisional Government, pinned down the statement as a falsehood.
Referring to the Cairo report of his alleged anti-Israeli statement, he said: “I never made the remarks that were attributed to me. I never gave that alleged interview. I want this made clear.” The Vice Premier added that the Arabs in Algeria regard the Jews as “compatriots who can find their place in the Algerian fatherland.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
