Israel Ambassador Eliahu Elath last night re?ealed to newsmen that in the course of his talk yesterday with Secretary of State ?ean Acheson he expressed confidence that the United States will continue to back the Israel Government in its efforts to achieve peace with the Arabs. At the same time, ##he told Secretary Acheson that Israel is certain that the Government of the United ##tates will render to the Jewish state “friendly assistance” in keeping Israel prepared “to meet a renewed Arab aggression, if it is launched.”
The Israel diplomat said that he discussed with the Secretary of State “the impact of the last session of the Arab League on the general situation in the Middle last.” He explained to Mr. Acheson that the Arab League, “which proved entirely fu##cile in settling any of the internal Arab problems, and which, in the six years of its existence did not do anything to contribute to the social and economic walfare of the Arab masses,” constantly torpedeed every attempt of Israel to reach peace with its Arab neighbors.
“Encouraged by reaching armistice agreements with the Arab states through ?irect negotiations,” Mr. Elath told the newsmen, “Israel has made continuous efforts to follow this method for the achievement of a just and stable peace with the Arab states. This method of direct negotiations was encouraged by countries friendly both to Jews and Arabs who are interested that peace and stability should prevail in the middle East.”
“The Arab League, however, has done everything possible to obstruct and sabo?age every attempt in the direction of peace between its individual members and Israel, without making any constructive proposals on its own,” he continued. “The in?ransigeance of the Arab League regarding peace with Israel was demonstrated by its pringing into the picture again the notorious former Mufti of Jerusalem, the collaborator of Hitler and Mussolini, who for years did everything possible to destroy the chance of Jewish-Arab understanding and who participated actively in the exter?ination of the Jews in Europe by Hitler’s Hordes during the last war. The Arab League invited the representatives of the Mufti to sit at the meetings of the League and thus demonstrated its support of the Mufti’s policies which have only one meaning–renewed war and aggression.”
Mr. Elath said that the last Arab League session cannot be separated from the Arab arms race, “which is becoming a threat to peace and security in the entire area.” ?e pointed out that “the bellicose campaign of the Arab leaders, the aggressive tone of the deliberations of the Arab League, the significant role played by the Mufti’s representatives in these deliberations, and the supply of arms to the Arab states by the British Government–all these remain of serious concern to my government.” He emphasized that the British, who supply arms freely to the Arabs, deny the same rights to Israel, and thus encourage the Arabs in their aggressive tendencies.
“Israel has no desire for aggrandizement or expansion and is striving for a ##st and stable peace with the Arabs,” he stated. “My government feels, however, that its first duty is to protect our state against a new Arab aggression. It is, therefore, making offorts to obtain the defensive arms necessary for the preservasion of the security of Israel. We are confident that if the Arabs know that Israel is fully prepared to meet a new aggression if launched against her, they will think twice before starting on a new adventure, remembering their defeat by the Israel Army to the campaign of 1948,” he declared.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
