Simcha Dinitz, Israel’s fifth Ambassador to the United States in its 25 years, presented his diplomatic credentials today to President Nixon at the White House and formally became the accredited envoy of the Jewish State in Washington.
The 44-year-old envoy’s wife and two children Tamar and Michael, were present at the presentation. Ambassador Dinitz had served previously at the Israeli Embassy as a clerk while attending Georgetown University here more than 20 years ago, and later as counsellor for information.
Receiving the Israeli envoy. President Nixon remarked that “as Israel prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary we rejoice with the Israeli people” who he described as “free and democratic.”
Three other Ambassadors for the governments of Iran, Dahomey and Costa Rica also presented their credentials during ceremonies that lasted less than one-half hour. Dinitz was the last to appear and the last to leave the White House. President Nixon escorted each of the ambassadors to their cars waiting in front of the White House doorway. In a parting comment to Dinitz as he stepped into his car, Nixon called out “I am an old friend, I was a friend of Mr. Johnson for 30 years.”
The context of this remark was not heard but it was understood that the President was referring to the fact that Dinitz’s predecessor Gen. Yitzhak Rabin, who left here March 8 after five years as Ambassador, was the last Israeli Ambassador to present his credentials and he gave them to the late President Lyndon B. Johnson.
Mrs. Dinitz was dressed in a bright green jumper over a colorful long-sleeved blouse. She wore no hat. Ambassador Dinitz and the other, Ambassadors were welcomed to the White House by the Army’s 33-member old guard fife and drum corps of the third infantry battalion which is responsible for all ceremonies involving the military and the President. Detachments of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard stood at attention as the Ambassadors arrived and departed.
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