The Communist Party of Israel, in a tone of dead seriousness, warned the Israeli people today against the “danger” that Premier David Ben Gurion, in conjunction with “imperialist” forces, will precipitate a war against Syria.
In a statement signed by the Israeli Communist Politburo, which has closely followed Moscow’s path in the past, the party called on Israel to “liberate herself from American imperialism” and held out the bait that if she does, “Israel can undoubtedly obtain from the Soviet Union the same economic assistance and political sympathy which has deservedly been earned by Syria.”
The politburo statement, published on the front page of the local Communist newspaper, Kol Haam, vigorously denounced the Eisenhower Doctrine and described it as a “failure.” It insisted that there is no longer any possibility of solving any Middle East problem without the consultation and against the interests of the USSR. The latest developments, it continued, “underscore the vital necessity for Israel to improve its relations with the Soviet Union.” “This is definitely possible,” the Israeli Communist Party promised, “it only depends on Israel.”
Premier Ben Gurion has “not learned from the failure of the Sinai campaign, ” the politburo said, and is again preparing Israeli public opinion for another aggression–this time against Syria. The Ben Gurion policy, which it characterized as part of the “war against world Communism,” is the same policy under which the Nazis exterminated six million Jews, the Communist Party asserted.
The lengthy statement, coupled with an editorial in Kol Haam several days ago which repeated earlier warnings to Israel by the since deposed Soviet Foreign Minister Dmitri Shepilov, were seen here as an indication that the Israeli Communist Party was presenting an “authoritative” position. It was also considered important that this warning was sounded at a moment when the United States had caused concern here by renewing its support for the anti-Israel Bagdad Pact.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
