Dr. Nahum Goldmann urged Israel today to enlist world Jewry in a joint effort to use “the breach in the wall of Arab policy” created by Tunisian President Habib Bourguiba’s “daring” statements urging the Arab states to recognize and negotiate with Israel for peace.
The World Zionist leader said the content of the Tunisia. President’s proposals were unimportant because the time had not yet arrived for concrete proposal. But, he added, the significance of the proposals was perhaps historical in that for the first time a recognized Arab leader had taken a stand envisaging a peaceful settlement of the Arab-Israel conflict.
In urging an Israel-world Jewry Joint effort, Dr. Goldmann said there was a widely organized Arab dispersion which the Arab states were trying to enlist in their anti-Israel campaign with which it might be possible to establish contacts. He also asserted that there were Arab personages who might be ready to meet Jewish leaders.
He suggested such a plan should be evolved to work in the direction set by Bourguiba’s appraoch and to create an atmosphere that might lead to direct Israel-Arab talks. Calling Bourguiba a western statesman, Dr. Goldrann said that in World Jewish Congress contacts involving Tunisian Jewry, President Bourguiba had always displayed understanding.
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