Chancellor Willy Brandt promised a visiting B’nai B’rith delegation from the United States that he would use his newly won contacts and influence in Moscow to help the cause of Soviet Jews. The West German leader said he fully understood the need for West Germany to participate in international efforts to help ease the plight of Jews in Eastern Europe, particularly those in the Soviet Union.
Brandt met for an hour last Friday with the delegation headed by Rabbi Benjamin Kahn, executive vice-president of B’nai B’rith and Herman Edelsberg, director of its international council. Brandt told the delegation that its fears that West Germany’s improved ties with the Arab states would be at the expense of its relations with Israel were unfounded.
He said his government intended to strengthen and broaden its ties with Israel and believes that German-Israel trade, German investments in Israel and joint German-Israel investments in third countries should be expanded, Brandt told the visitors that he hoped to accept Premier Golda Meir’s invitation to visit Israel after the parliamentary summer recess. He said he expected to discuss details of the visit with Mrs. Meir when they meet in June at the Socialist International convention in Vienna.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
