Behind the Headlines West European Leftist Parties Appear to Sympathize with Israel

Knesseter Dov Zakin, a rising leader of Mapam, believes that the leftist political parties in Western Europe reject the UN resolutions equating Zionism with racism–even though they were supported by the Soviets and other “progressives” at the UN.

Zakin was one of the six-man Knesset delegation attending last week’s Council of Europe (“European Parliament”) session at Strasbourg. The delegation was headed by former Foreign Minister Abba Eban, and included Labor MKs David Koren, Sheikh Jaber Muadi, the Druze Deputy Minister of Communications, and Yitzhak Shamir and Akiva Nof of Likud.

Zakin feels that the attack on Zionism raised a wave of sympathy for Israel among all political circles in Western Europe, including the Communist parties. He met with leaders of Communist parties of Italy. Denmark and France, and was told that they totally rejected Moscow’s attitude towards Israel and the Zionist ideal. They added that in their view the Arab-Soviet coordinated attack against Israel was politically senseless as well as prejudicial to peace efforts already under way in the Middle East.

Zakin was told that the Communist parties in Western Europe support the idea of free emigration for Jews from the USSR. His conclusion is that the leftist camp in Western Europe is not ideologically dependent on the Soviet bloc.

ATTITUDE MUST BE CHANGED

However, Zakin warns, without changing its attitude towards the Palestinian problem Israel will rapidly lose its sympathy within those circles. Zakin told his hosts in Europe that he, personally, would like to see the Israel government adopt a new approach to the question of possible talks with the Palestinians.

Stressing that the expressed only his own views. Zakin favored a declaration of Israel’s readiness to negotiate with any Palestinian group which abandons terrorism and recognizes Israel. He said he was impressed by the effectiveness of this formula upon his listeners.

EEC, ISRAEL AND THE ARABS

On his return to Israel, Zakin called for a greater awareness of the burgeoning Arab-European dialogue. The Arab states are soon expected to sign a tariff agreement with the European Economic Community. The presidium of the Council of Europe advised the European Economic Community to ensure that economic agreements between the European Economic Community and Arab states specifically forbids boycott discrimination against Israel, but this is no more than a recommendation. Zakin pointed out that Palestinian representatives are already included in the Arab negotiating teams with the EEC.

The present favorable attitude of the Council of Europe towards Israel was shown by several of its resolutions. The Council called for the expansion of financial industrial and technological ties between Israel and the EEC, it encouraged member states to seek to narrow the gap between Israel’s imports from Europe ($1.3 billion a year) and its export to the EEC ($680 million a year.) The Council will send a delegation to Israel in May, 1976 and will also hold a meeting of the Joint Israel-EEC Commission on Cooperation in Israel.