French Socialist Leader Backs Arabs

French Socialist Party leader Francois Mitterand said last night that he was on the side “of all the oppressed nations of the world, including the Palestinians.” Mitterand, who is due to leave Tuesday for Israel at the invitation of the government ruling party, made his statement at a press conference held at the Socialist Party’s headquarters here.

Mitterand, who had convened a press conference in order to rap the Czech government for the political arrests and trials which it is carrying out, said that “Socialists support victims of injustice all over the world,” adding that “we support the victims of Franco’s police in Spain, as well as the Russian Jews who are not allowed to leave the Soviet Union.” After the conference, Mitterand refused to further explain his words when approached by the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. A Socialist Party spokesman said, however, that in spite of Mitterand’s remarks “nothing is changed and he will leave for Israel on March 14.”

Observers here believe that Mitterand expressed support for the Palestinian problem in order to try and placate the Communist Party as he was about to take it to task over the Czech crisis. Mitterand, who hopes to lead a Socialist-Communist opposition coalition during the next presidential elections, would like to improve relations with the CP though he has to take a strong line over Czechoslovakia on behalf of his traditionally more moderate supporters. The Mideast is of no political importance to the Socialists but is of vital importance to the Communists because of their links with Moscow.

It is understood that Mitterand, the only serious opposition contender for power in France today, will deal with the Mideast issue at a press conference after his return from Israel on March 18.