The crisis which has developed over the requests presented by the U.S. State Department to Israel for the admission of Arab refugees and for territorial adjustments will soon pass, as did four similar crises which developed since the victory of the Israeli Army.
This opinion was expressed In the Knesset last night by Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett at the conclusion of the general debate on Israel’s foreign policy. He refuted claims made by opposition speakers that the government’s foreign policy had failed repeatedly.
He also criticized the conviction by a Hungarian court of six Zionist leaders on charges of aiding illegal emigration of Israel-bound Jews from Hungarian territory. Pointing out that Israel cannot interfere in the internal affairs of another sovereign state. Mr. Sharett said this particular problem was worldwide in scope. He added that this is but one of many obstructions to Jewish immigration which exist in the world today. He insisted that any obstruction to Jewish migration constitutes a contravention of the right of Jews to self-determination.
He declared that it was a mistake to separate Israel from Zionism because Zionism was the “lifeblood” of Israel and immigration was its “heart.” The Foreign Minister told Parliament that he was shocked by the statement of the Hungarian court that the migration of Jews from Hungary to Israel constituted assistance to “Anglo-American imperialism.”
ISRAEL FAVORS PLEBISCITE ON FUTURE OF PALESTINE ARAB STATE
Turning to the issue of an independent Arab state in Palestine, the Foreign Minister said that although Israel favored the establishment of such a state it was unprepared to go to war to guarantee it, and that, he insisted, was the only way to force the establishment of the Arab state. Be revealed that Israel intended to suggest to the U.N. Conciliation Commission that a plebiscite be held to permit the residents of the area to determine their own political future.
Mr. Sharett also denied that Dr. Walter Eytan, head of the Israeli delegation to the Lausanne peace talks, had proposed the establishment of Haifa as a free port. He expressed regret that the Conciliation Commission, which is currently conducting the Lausanne parley, was “one-sided” in its composition–without a Soviet representative–but revealed that Israel had been informed that the Soviet Union would not be represented only hours before the announcement of the appointment of the three members.
He rejected a demand by Menahem Beigin, head of the Herut, that Israel refuse to recognize the Anglo-Transjordan Treaty. He rejected the plea of the two Arab members of the Knesset that Arab refugees be permitted to return to Israel, but promised that the process of admitting members of families who remained in Israel would be Speeded up.
Mr. Sharett attacked Shamuel Mikunis, Israel Communist leader, for the latter’s speech in Bucharest during which he opposed Jewish immigration to Israel under its present “undemocratic regime,” The Minister said that if Israel were ruled in the manner that Mr. Mikunis considers ideal, the Communist leader would not be allowed to make anti-government speeches in foreign lands.
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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.
