An Israel Foreign Ministry spokesman said today that “the Israel Government and people and the entire world cannot acquiesce in the lack of action by the West German Government” on removal of West German scientists from Egypt working on advanced weapons systems for the regime of President Nasser.
The statement was the first official reaction to a statement by Chancellor Ludwig Erhard last week that his Government had no legal means of halting the work of the scientists. Recalling that it was the West German Bundestag which proposed taking legislative measures on the problem, the spokesman said that “Israel’s demand was and is that Bonn take all necessary steps available to the Government to stop this culpable activity forthwith.”
The spokesman also referred to a statement by the Chancellor that he favored extending the statute of limitations for persecution of Nazi war criminals beyond next May. The spokesman said it was expected that the West German Government would “find ways to ensure that Nazi war criminals will not evade punishment.” He stressed that such crimes could not be measured by the criteria applied to customary crimes.
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