Assis Chauteaubriand, one of Brazil’s wealthiest men, today donated a tract of land comprising 1,000 hectares (2,471 acres) to the State of Israel, naming the area “Nova Israel” (New Israel), and requesting that the land be used for “transplanting to Brazil Israel’s successful agricultural experiments” by founding a settlement on the land.
Mr. Chateaubriand, former Brazilian Ambassador to London, one of the largest land-owners in this country and the proprietor of a number of newspapers, radio and television stations, announced his gift in a letter to Aryeh Eshel, Israeli Ambassador here.
Mr. Eshel, thanking the magnate, said he would turn the land over to “the Brazilian people,” He informed Mr. Chateaubriand that Israel would be happy to provide experienced technical aid to help develop agro-technical experimentation at “Nova Israel.” Because such an offer of land to an embassy its without precedent, it is not yet known in whose name the deed will be registered.
The background of the offer was the work done by Yitzhak Levy, special envoy for agricultural matters in the embassy. Mr. Levy has been visiting several Brazilian states advising state officials on irrigation and land reclamation.
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