Ben Gurion Makes Public Minutes of Cabinet Discussions on Arms Deal

Prime Minister David Ben Gurion, in his capacity of Defense Minister, sought the Cabinet’s authorization as far back as last December to sell Israeli arms abroad under a 1949 law. This was revealed today as the government made available to the press minutes of past Cabinet meetings, to back Mr. Ben Gurion’s stand in regard to the sale of grenade launchers to West Germany.

At that meeting of the Cabinet, in mid-December, Minister of Development Mordechai Bentov, a member of the left-wing Mapam Party, asked Mr. Ben Gurion: "Who is ordering the arms?" The minutes show that Mr. Ben Gurion replied: "From various countries in Europe."

Justice Minister Pinhas Rosen, of the Progressive Party, said: "We should know from which countries." Mr. Ben Gurion then said: "From a number of countries–Holland, Germany, perhaps also a third country." Mr. Ben Gurion then told the Cabinet: "I am asking for general approval."

A month later, the subject came up at another Cabinet meeting. Mr. Bentov and Israel Bar Yehuda, Minister of the Interior, representing the Abhdut Avodah, were absent that time. Mr. Ben Gurion asked the Cabinet to approve not only the sale of arms but also the manufacture of arms for that purpose. Approval was granted.

On March 29, the issue was brought before the Cabinet in another context. Finance Minister Levi Eshkol, a member of Mr. Ben Gurion’s Mapai Party, informed the Cabinet that some foreign currency income was expected from West Germany. Minister of Health Israel Barzilai, of the Mapam Party, raised the question about the sale of arms to Germany.

Mr. Ben Gurion replied by asking which of the Jewish laws forbids sale of arms to West Germany. "It is not written in the Bible," responded Mr. Barzilai, "but I think we should not sell arms to Germany. I ask for a discussion of the subject."

"Good," answered the Prime Minister, "next week. But do you object to sale of arms only to West Germany or to East Germany too?" Mr. Barzilai said he objects to such sale to East Germany as well.

"Why did you travel to East Germany?" asked Mr. Ben Gurion. "I even refused to write a letter to an East German professor in regard to a book about Spinoza–although this professor is a man of sterling character. I said that, had the inquiry come from a professor in Switzerland, I would have written willingly."

"In my opinion," said Mr. Barzilai, "it is possible and necessary to travel to every international gathering in Germany, Eastern or Western, Everyone goes."

Mr. Ben Gurion insisted: "It is permissible to travel to West Germany, but not to East Germany. The East Germans have murdered and robbed and have not returned the loot. Western Germany at least wants to make reparations, But East Germany has murdered and also taken the possessions. There is the difference."

"Nevertheless," responded Mr. Barzilai, "there is a difference between travel and the sale of arms." A note added by the government to the Cabinet minutes states: "No one returned to the question of Germany or submitted any motion at the next meeting or since."

Aside from the Cabinet meeting minutes, the government revealed an exchange of letters between Mr. Ben Gurion on the one hand, and the two Ahdut Avodah Cabinet members, Minister of Communications Moshe Carmel and Minister of the Interior Israel Bar Yehudah.

On April 14, they wrote the Premier and referred to the fact that there has been no meeting on the arms deal. They declared themselves "unequivocally opposed" to the sale of arms to Germany. Reserving their right to explain their stand at a Cabinet meeting, they expressed the hope that, pending discussion, the Defense Ministry would take no steps to implement the German arms deal.

Writing from his home st Sde Boker, and asking why their letter had reached him "so late," Mr. Ben Gurion replied he had examined the Cabinet decision regarding the sale of arms and found it applied to all countries "without exception."

"You have, however, "Mr. Ben Gurion wrote to Mr. Carmel and Mr. Bar Yehudah, "the right to propose cancellation of the decision. Until your proposals are adopted, the decision remains in force, and the Defense Ministry will act accordingly. On the merits of the matter, your attitude surprises me, but you are entitled to hold it, and I shall make no vain attempt to prove the absurdity of your proposal."

The two Ministers replied that they did not recall a government decision "that can be relied upon on the sale of arms to Germany by the Defense Ministry without prior consultation with the Government." They added that, even if it shows that such a decision exists, they request that the transaction should not be carried through without a discussion in the Cabinet.

Six days later, Mr. Ben Gurion reiterated the existence of the decision on this issue. He held that "arms may be sold to any country, if the Foreign Ministry does not object." He pointed out that neither of the Ministries headed by Mr. Bar Yehudah and Mr. Carmel could object.