Ben Gurion Outlines Israel’s Views on Big Three Arms Policy; Knesset Votes Approval

The views of the Israel Government on last week’s announcement by the Big Three Powers concerning their arms shipments policy for the Middle East were outlined here today in a formal statement by Premier David Ben Gurion in the Israel Parliament. The Premier’s statement was approved by 64 affirmative votes.

The Premier said that Israel was satisfied that the discrimination against it by the sale of arms to the Arabs and the refusal to permit the Jewish state to purchase weapons had been eliminated, but he pointed out that the tri-partite statement was a unilateral action. He emphasized that since Israel is and has always acted as a sovereign state, this announcement can only be accepted as information.

Continuing his presentation, Mr.Ben Gurion said that the Israel Government is particularly satisfied by the fact that the Allied Powers called for peace in the Middle East, took a stand against the use of force and pledged action against an aggressor in the area. He declared that as a member of the United Nations and as an interested party Israel feels that the U.N. should not be satified with the American-British-French statement, but should do everything in its power to encourage and speed up the process of stabilization in the Middle East through peace treaties between the Jewish state and the Arab countries. The Premier pledged his government to support any move in this direction launched by the U.N.

Returning to the three-nation announcement, he said that although the policy statement promised peace to the Middle East, no guarantee accompanied this promise. He welcomed the Big Powors’ acknowledgement of the threat to Israel’s security inherent in Arab rearmaent and referred to the fact that the Jewish state drew the attention of the U.N. to the situation last February.

The Mapai and General Zionist deputies were among those who received the Premier’s statement of policy favorably. Jacob Riftin, speaking for Mapam, the left-wing opposition, demanded that the government issue an explicit statement–and the Knesset endorse it — to the effect that Israel insists upon its unrestricted right to purchase arms in every part of the world, under conditions beat for it and without being subject to, nor enslaved by, anybody.

EXTREME RIGHT GROUP AND COMMUNISTS OBJECT TO PREMIER’S STATEMENT

Jacob Meridor, rightwing Herut deputy, charged that the three power statement was a cloak for Britian’s return to the Near East “through the back door.” He specifically opposed the section of the policy statement calling for regional defense plans because his party rejects any agreements with the Arab states as long as some of them retain Palestine territory; he cited Egypt’s presence in Gaza and Transjordan’s control of the Old City of Jerusalem and the “triangle” area of central Palestine. He called for Israel to “stand up against the aggressors” in the future as it had done in the past.

Nathan Friedmann-Yellia, head of the Fighters Party, charged that the trip-partite policy “converts Israel into a protectorate of the Big Powers and compels the Jewish state to participate in the cold war.” Communist deputy Meir Wilner said that the Premier’s statement was a sign that Israel was joining the Western Bloc and surrendering its freedom and sovereignty. He called on the Knesset to proclaim that Israel will not be converted into a springboard for the anti-Eastern European Bloc.

Replying to his critics, Mr. Ben Gurion rejected all allegations that Israel would become a protectorate of any power. “We are grateful to those who helped us, whether they are Eastern or Western powers and we have no reason for severing our relations with any side,” he insisted. “The government’s announcement is based not upon what benefits the Big Three or the Cominform, but on the Israel Government’s established policy. There is nothing in the tri-partite statement which affects our position.”