The West German Cabinet officially “expressed its regret” today about the riotous demonstration staged in Jerusalem last week against Dr. Rolf Pauls, when he presented his credentials as first West German Ambassador to Israel.
It was learned reliably that West German Chancellor Ludwig Erhard would discuss the demonstrations, in which more than 1,000 Jews clashed with police, when he holds his first meeting early next week with Asher Ben-Nathan, the Israeli Ambassador to West Germany. The Chancellor is currently out of town on an election tour.
The report on the Jerusalem melee was presented to the Cabinet, with a review of general Bonn-Jerusalem relations, by Dr. Karl Carstens, State Secretary in the Foreign Ministry, in the absence of Foreign Minister Gerhard Schroeder.
Karl-Guenther von Hase, the Government’s official spokesman, said that the Cabinet also discussed the Middle East situation as a whole, and West Germany’s relations with the Arab countries. He mentioned West Germany’s desire to renew diplomatic ties with the 13 Arab states which suspended such relations in reprisal for Bonn’s recognition of Israel. However, Mr. von Hase declined to give any further details on grounds that this might prejudice a successful conclusion of the problem.
A number of Arab countries, including Syria, Algeria, Jordan, Lebanon and Saudi Arabia have informally indicated a wish to resume relations with West Germany. Even Egypt has hinted such a possibility if West Germany was ready to consider an in crease in economic and technical aid to the Nasser regime. Chancellor Erhard himself said, in an election speech, that the Arabs should remember that “Germany is their friend” and renew ties with it.
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