The contents of Premier David Ben Gurion’s reply to Soviet Premier Nikolai Bulganin’s note to Israel on the world peace issue were forecast in the press here today. The reply was approved by the Cabinet yesterday and will be handed to the Soviet Ambassador in Israel within the week.
According to reports in the Israeli press, the Ben Gurion reply will express its “constructive attitude” toward the Soviet Premier’s world peace suggestions and support of his lofty principles. It will, however, stress the wide difference between the principles of the USSR and Arab states friendly to it, and their actions in the past in the Middle East.
Among other points, the Ben Gurion letter will underline that while the USSR expresses support of the territorial integrity of all nations Israel’s Arab neighbors deny Israel’s very right of existence. While the Soviet Union calls for abandonment of force as an instrument for settling international disputes, the Israeli note will state, the Arab countries have for the past ten years been using force against Israel openly declaring that they intend to use the arms they receive to make war on Israel.
While the Soviets urge an end to international trade discriminations, the Arabs use the strongest discriminatory weapons against Israel boycott and blockade. The Ben Gurion reply will contrast the Soviet call for cessation of hostile propaganda with the Arab use of the most violent and constant propaganda against Israel–unfortunately often supported by Soviet propaganda organs.
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