Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, evidently reacting to one of the proposals of Tunisia’s President Habib Bourguiba, who said he wants Israel to readmit all of the Arab refugees, said today that the best place for the refugees to resettle is “midst their brethren in Arab countries.”
He was addressing a colorful, annual ceremony conducted by the Druzes in this country, celebrating the Feast of the Prophet Nebi Shueb, at Hittin, near Tiberias. Among the Israeli Government leaders present were Dr. Zorach Warhaftig, Israel’s Minister for Religious Affairs, and Bechor Shitreet, Israel’s Minister of Police. “It is time,” Mr. Eshkol stated, “that the Arab leaders discontinue using the refugees as a tool in their own ambitious policies. It is not the good of the refugees that they seek.”
Noting that Israel has shown examples of successful settlement and integration of hundreds of thousands of refugees from Arab states, the Premier told his Druze audience: “Arab leaders should understand that war solves nothing, but adds suffering and destruction. When the Arab leaders understand that fact, both Israel and the Arab nations would be able to develop their abilities to the fullest.”
Notables of the Druze community in Israel attended the religious rites, while a Druze unit of the Israeli army formed a guard of honor. In his address, Mr. Eshkol did not mention Mr. Bourguiba’s proposals which include not only readmission to the Arab refugees but also a “return” to the United Nations Palestine partition plan of 1947.
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