Beigin Opens Herut Convention; Advocates Cooperation with Britain

The national four-day conference of the right-wing Herut Party opened here today with an address by Menahem Beigin, leader of the movement, who outlined his stand towards Israel’s security problem. Speaking before an audience of 470 delegates and hundreds of guests, he said the Israel Government’s policy of retaliation to Arab border raids was too late.”

Israel faces three dangers, Mr. Beigin declared firstly, all war fronts are under a unite Arab command secondly, the Arabs have arms superiority, and finally, Israel is isolated politically.

Israel can overcome this isolation, he insisted, particularly when her interests coincide with that of France and the United States. Russian agents are training Egyptian troops in the use of arms which are directed at all the democracies, as well as at Israel.

If Britain is willing to “go along with Israel against the common enemy” then Israel should go with Britain despite the past history of strife between the British Government and the Israeli community, said the erstwhile leader of one of the more ferociously anti-British underground movements in Israel.

Mr. Beigin recommended to the conference that all negotiations for a merger with the General Zionists be dropped because the centrists will not agree to including in a common program the Herut demand for an Israel extending on both sides of the Jordan River, and because the General Zionists want a two-thirds majority on all operating bodies of the proposed united party. Mr. Beigin also called for an open door” policy on foreign investments and the elimination of foreign currency controls.