Dr. Arieh Kubowi, the Israel Minister to Prague, is expected to arrive here tomorrow to report on the Prague trial and on developments in Czechoslovakia and other Eastern European countries.
Meanwhile, reports of continued arrests of Jews in various East European countries continue to be received here. Newspapers and radio stations in the Cominform nations have increased their attacks on Jews.
Both the Mapai and Herut Parties held mass meetings in this city last night on the background of the Prague trial and its outcome. Speakers at both meetings spent considerable time attacking the Mapam Party for its continued expressions of loyalty to the Communist line in Europe.
Premier Ben Gurion yesterday avoided direct comment on the trial. Addressing a luncheon of Israeli newspaper editors, he said that “the time has not yet come to comment. ” He told the editors to continue to publish their newspapers in free fashion and ” not under pressure” which , the Premier said, distinguishes the democratic from the totalitarian countries.
SHARETT OPPOSES BREAK WITH SOVIET SATELLITE COUNTRIES
Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, at a closed meeting of Mapai leaders, rejected a proposal that Israel break off relations with the Soviet satellite countries. Mr. Sharett pointed out that Israel is greatly interested in retaining the “small ties and relations that still exist with the East European countries. “The meeting decided to institute a Mapai-sponsored campaign against “praying and working for foreign gods.”
In an editorial taken in many quarters to forecast an eventual shift in the political orientation of the leftwing Mapam Party, its newspaper. Al Hamishmar, sharply replied to the Prague Communist daily. Rude Pravo, for its attacks on the Zionist movement, which the Communist organ described as a prime enemy of the working class.
The Tel Aviv daily commented that the language used by the Prague journal was far stronger than any used against Zionism even by Izvestia, Soviet Government organ. It said that “this can only be explained as an attempt to totally discredit the Jewish freedom movement, our national independence and our concentration in our historic motherland.
“For many years,” the paper said, “we fought against those who fought against our independence campaign. The Jewish Communists were against us, but they were strangers to their own nation. “The paper described the “great miracle of Israeli independence” and recalled experiments by the Soviet Union to establish a Jewish state in Birobidjan.
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