Bonn Sets Ben-nathan Ceremony; Israel Anthem Not to Be Played

Israel’s first Ambassador-designate to West Germany, Asher Ben-Nathan, will present his letters of credence next Tuesday in a ceremony devoid of military guards or playing of national anthems. Foreign Ministry officials said today.

Mr. Ben-Nathan will present his credentials to Dr. Georg Zinn, president of the Parliament’s upper house, the Bundesrat, in the absence of Federal President Heinrich Luebke, who is away on a holiday. There will be no military guard, nor will the national anthems of Israel and Germany be played, in line with West German protocol.

The envoy and members of his staff will be taken to the presidential palace, the Villa Hammer Schmidt, in a cavalcade of official West German Government automobiles, escorted by police. Mr. Ben-Nathan will read his credentials in Hebrew, and a German translation will be read by Ehrenfried von Holleben, head of the Foreign Ministry protocol division. The Israeli envoy will then deliver the customary Ambassador’s speech to which President Zinn will reply.

Completion of this ceremony will officially make Mr. Ben-Nathan Israel’s first Ambassador. In preparation for the event, a 20-foot high flagpole has already been erected in front of the Israeli Mission building in Cologne, which will be the temporary site of the Israel Embassy.

Mr. Ben-Nathan said today that political meetings probably will come later next week, when he confers with Chancellor Ludwig Erhard. While no date has been set for that meeting, informed sources here reported that the Chancellor was anxious to meet Mr. Ben-Nathan “at the earliest” possible time. Mr. Ben-Nathan also will confer then with Foreign Minister Gerhard Schroeder, who is expected back in Bonn next week.