The first speech in French was delivered in the Israel Parliament last night by Eri Jabotinsky, son of the late founder of the Zionist Revisionist Party, during a debate on the need for a Constitution.
Mr. Jabotinsky spoke in French in order to show that in the absence of a Constitution, any language may be considered official. He insisted on early adoption of a Constitution, which has been in preparation for a long time. He also advocated that Arabic should not enjoy preferential treatment in Israel.
After speaking for three minutes in French, during which he attempted to review the international situation, he was called to order by the Speaker following protests from the House. Whereupon, Mr. Jabotinsky continued his speech in Hebrew. He predicted that West Germany will join Russia in the event a now world war breaks out.
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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.
