Arab League plans for resumption of diplomatic relations with West Germany have foundered on three points involving Bonn’s relations with Israel, political circles here revealed today. They said the German Government has thus far rejected Arab demands that 1) West Germany finance aid to the Arab refugees through direct payments; 2) issue a written declaration of Bonn’s policy toward Israel; and 3) declare its attitude toward Israel’s application for associate membership in the European Economic Community.
The sources summarized thus, the three days of talks, concluded here yesterday, between Chancellor Kurt Georg Kiesinger and Foreign Minister Willy Brandt, on the one hand, and the Arab League’s secretary-general, Abdel Halik Hassouna. All but three of the 13 member states of the Arab League had severed diplomatic relations with West Germany two years ago after Bonn had established diplomatic relations with Israel. The exceptions were Libya, Tunisia and Morocco. Jordan reestablished its diplomatic relations this year.
Mr. Hassouna carried on most of his talks with Foreign Minister Brandt. Mr. Brandt, it was revealed, had expressed German willingness to aid the Arab refugees, but only through the United Nations, fearing that direct financing of such help would subside the terrorist activities of the anti-Israeli sabotage groups under the banner of the El Fatah sabotage units. Mr. Hassouna wanted payments made to the Arab League on behalf of the refugees, Mr. Brandt was willing to pledge 50 million marks ($12.5 million) after the resumption of German-Arab diplomatic relations, to be paid over a period of several years through U.N. machinery.
Mr. Brandt was understood to have refused flatly to issue a declaration vis-a-vis Israeli-German relations, stating that it was not customary to issue a state declaration on German policy toward other states. Regarding Israel’s pending bid for Euromart associate membership, Mr. Brandt reportedly pointed out that the Israeli application is now pending before the top commission of the European Economic Community. West Germany is one of the six member states of the EEC.
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