Premier David Ben Gurion, in the second part of his opening address to the reconvened Knesset, declared last night that his government is determined to maintain cordial and friendly relations both with the United States and the Soviet Union. Asserting that a “close relationship has been welded with France,” the Premier noted that Anglo-Israel relations have “appreciably improved recently.”
In his review of his government’s foreign policy, Mr. Ben Gurion also stated that friendly negotiations were progressing with India’s representatives, while an agreement for an exchange of diplomatic missions has been reached with Turkey. Emphasizing his gratitude to the Istanbul Government for its attitude toward Israel, the Premier called Turkey the most progressive nation in the Middle East.
Free emigration of Israel-bound Jews is unhampered at present in most countries of the world, he declared. In this respect he singled out Poland, Czechoslovakia, Bulgaria and Yugoslavia. He added that although a final and satisfactory solution to the problem of emigration from Hungary was still remote there is an immediate possibility for a slight improvement in the situation. A serious controversy has arisen with regard to Jewish emigration from Rumania, Mr. Ben Gurion asserted, adding that to date negotiations to resolve this problem have been fruitless.
Concluding his remarks, the Israel Premier said that the policy of his government revolved around peace with both the East and West, as well as with “major and minor countries, both within and outside the United Nations.”
CABINET DISCUSSES IMMIGRATION AND SOCIAL INSURANCE PROBLEMS
At its regular weekly meeting today, the Israel Cabinet discussed the problems of absorption of more immigrants, social insurance and claims for indemnities by Jews who had been detained in German concentration camps. The Cabinet also approved the departure Monday of Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett to head the Israel delegation to the United Nations General Assembly at New York.
(The United Jewish Appeal announced in New York today that Mr. Sharett, who is flying to the United States, will address the forthcoming U.J.A. national contention, which will be held in Atlantic City from Nov. 25 to 27. Mr. Sharett is expected to speak on current international developments affecting Israel as well as report on the economic and immigration picture in the Jewish state.)
The Cabinet members approved Israel’s adherence to the Berne Convention of 1886 safeguarding the rights of authors. In another move, government officials and officers and men in the Israel Army were prohibited from accepting foreign decorations without the prior consent of the government–a decision which forbids acceptance of decorations awarded by the Allied Powers for military service in World War II.
The sum of one hundred thousand pounds ($280,000) has been allocated by the Finance Ministry to the Arab Department of the Agriculture Ministry. It provides for loans to cover the purchase of seeds, agricultural implements and oxen.
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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.
