Israel had a promise today from President Charles De Gaulle of France of active French support if Israel again faced danger. The promise was conveyed by Guy Mollet, who was Premier of France at the time of the Suez campaign.
In a speech before a mass meeting sponsored by the Israel-French Friendship League, M. Mollet said President De Gaulle had asked him to convey to Israel a message of friendship from the French nation. Also that France would come to Israel’s aid if Israel was endangered.
The French President also said, according to M. Mollet, that Israel could rely on French help in its constructive efforts. “President De Gaulle wanted the people of Israel to know that though he had not been in power during 1956, he had supported fully the French decisions on aid to Israel and on French participation in the Suez campaign, ” M. Mollet stated.
Pierre Gilbert, French Ambassador to Israel, described M. Mollet as the “man who threw a life belt to Israel” during the decisive days of 1956. Mollet said that the only thing he regretted about the 1956 campaign was that his ally, an apparent reference to Britain, could not bring the operation to a conclusion. He compared the French decision to help Israel in 1956 with the then Premier Leon Blum’s decision to help the Spanish Republicans in the 30’s.
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