Axel Springer, the West German publishing magnate, reiterated yesterday, at a meeting here with Israeli officials that there were no conditions attached to his offer of a gift of $1,000,000 to the Israel Museum in Jerusalem. He also insisted that he had never asked that his name be commemorated in connection with the gift.
He met on the issue with Asher Ben-Nathan, the Israeli Ambassador to West Germany, M. Chouraki, Jerusalem Deputy Mayor, and Daniel Gelmond, the Museum’s administrative director. The money was offered for a new archives structure for the Museum. After the Museum board agreed to accept the gift, following a heated debate, the Israel Government suspended the acceptance, pending a Cabinet review of the matter.
During the meeting, the publisher gave Mr. Gelmond a letter of intent on his proposed gift. A public announcement regarding the donation will be made on October 6 when Herr Springer’s new editorial office building is opened in West Berlin. The Deputy Mayor presented the publisher with a 2,000-year-old urn, as a gift for the new Springer building.
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