Elath Leaves for Israel; Expresses Optimism over Future United States-israel Relations

Eliahu Elath, Minister-elect of Israel to the Court of St. James, left here tonight by air for Paris on his way to the Jewish state where he will remain for several weeks prior to assuming his new post in the British capital. In a statement issued on the eve of his departure, the former Israel Ambassador to Washington voiced his thanks for the “eloquent and noble” support extended to the new state by the American press, including the Yiddish and English-Jewish press.

Mr. Elath said that he was optimistic over the future of Israel-American relations and noted that despite the marring of relations between Israel and Britain, “it is impossible to forget that the Balfour Declaration was largely responsible” for creation of the Jewish state. He asserted that ties between the United States and Israel have been “well-stabilized and that mutual understanding has been firmly established.”

The New York Herald Tribune declared in an editorial today that Mr. Elath “takes with him the consciousness that he has won many friends in America, for himself and for the state he represented here in a crucial stage of its development.” The newspaper said “Israel is fortunate to have a man of his charm and capability to represent her in Britain, especially since he is succeeded here by Aubrey Eban, who has proved his mettle and made so many American friends while serving as Israeli delegate to the United Nations.”