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Ben-gurion Attacks Zionist Movement; Says It Hinders Aliyah from U.S.

December 5, 1960
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A renewed attack on the world Zionist movement was made here by Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, speaking at a luncheon of editors of the Israeli press. He claimed that increasing immigration from the United States into Israel could be expected if the “so-called Zionist Organization” would not interfere.

The “insistence” of the Zionist organization that Zionism need not necessarily entail settlement in Israel was to some extent disturbing to Aliyah, the Prime Minister said. He asserted that if the right methods were used, there were ways to reach Jewish youth in the United States which would, he said, readily come to Israel for permanent settlement. He insisted that Zionism meant settling in Israel, adding that “this is real Zionism.”

Replying to questions about the prospects of an Israeli-Arab accord and for mediation possibilities, Mr. Ben-Gurion said that as long as the United Arab Republic was not ready to negotiate with Israel, there was no use for mediation.

Recalling that previous attempts to mediate had been made by a “personality,” whom he did not name, the Prime Minister added that unless peace was made with the strongest Arab state, the United Arab Republic, “there can be no peace with the smaller Arab states.”

On the West German-Israeli relations question, he said that neither in his meeting in the United States with Chancellor Konrad Adenauer, nor in his recent meeting with Mayor Willy Brandt of West Berlin were such relations mentioned.

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