The close ties between Israel and Britain were ever increasing, especially since the visit by Foreign Minister Golda Meir last year, Israel Ambassador Eliahu Elath told a press conference here. Ambassador Elath, who is leaving England on September 30 at the end of his tour of duty, stressed his satisfaction with the relations between the two countries and said that these close ties transcended party polities.
Asked about his future plans, Ambassador Elath said that he was approached by Mapai to be included in their list of candidates for the forthcoming elections to the Knesset and, if elected, to be their nominee for the post of Speaker. He said he declined to run for the Knesset “not because of a lack of appreciation for this honored and illustrious post,” but because it would interfere with his literary and academic activities in Israel.
The Ambassador said he was going to take up a post with the Israel Institute for Foreign Relations. He would remain, however, an advisor on matters of general policy in the Foreign Ministry. This was at the expressed, wish of Mrs. Meir.
After paying tribute to the Anglo-Israel Association for their important pioneering work and expressing appreciation to the Jewish press for the important role they played in the Jewish community, the Ambassador referred to his recent visit to East Africa where Britain and Israel had common interests in increased economic relations.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
