Anglo-Israeli trade and financial talks opened here today at the Treasury on a wide range of issues, including the release of $160,000,000 in blocked Israeli sterling credits in London for any trade arrangements that might be worked out. Officials present today described the talks as proceeding in a very friendly atmosphere.
The British delegation is headed by Norman Young, senior Treasury official. The Israeli delegation is led by David Horowitz, Under Secretary of the Ministry of finance. The first meeting this morning was opened with statements by both delegations, after which immediate discussion of practical points was begun.
Apart from the question of release of blocked Israeli funds in Britain, the parleys will also investigate the general obstacles in the way of Anglo-Israeli trade, estimates of the talks’ duration range from three days to three weeks, with the conference meeting several times daily. In the past, Palestine provided a good market for British products and Britain accounted for a substantial share of Palestine exports, particularly citrus products and chemicals.
The discussions here are considered the first stage in negotiations for an over-all financial agreement between Britain and Israel. The second stage will be talks in Tel Aviv on a more comprehensive basis.
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.
