West German governmental circles this week-end repeated assurances that the German Parliament would be asked to ratify the German-Israel reparations pact, despite renewed Arab protests against the agreement.
German spokesmen pointed out to Arab representatives here, who have met recently with several officials, that it is “too late” to change the pact’s commitments and that German prestige and goodwill abroad depend upon honoring the pledges made to Israel. The Arabs were also told that Bonn sees no gain in referring the treaty to the United Nations Palestine Conciliation Commission, as suggested by Arab spokesmen, because the pact pertains to matters between Israel and Germany alone.
Arab representatives here have several times threatened a boycott of German goods and services in the Arab countries if Bonn goes through with the Israel pact which the Arabs claim will aid an “enemy state.” The Germans have stressed the fact that none of the goods shipped to Israel as reparations will be military items.
(In London it was reported that the Egyptian Cabinet had decided to call for a meeting of the Arab League political committee to consider German refusal to accede to Arab demands on the reparations pact. It was also reported that a German trade mission in Saudi Arabia has been ordered by the Arab government to cease operations until the issue has been settled between the Arab states and Bonn.)
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