The Israel Government was pondering today over the concrete proposals of the financial aid offered yesterday by the West German Government at the Israeli-German talks in Bonn. Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, Foreign Minister Abba Eban and Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir held a meeting tonight to discuss the proposals.
State Secretary Rolf Lahr, head of the West German team, offered the Israeli negotiators yesterday a concrete sum within the framework of a long-term economic aid program. The aid program would succeed the expired reparations agreement between the two countries. The amount of the money offer was not disclosed. Israel Government experts spent an entire day today evaluating the offer. Their conclusions were not reported but the atmosphere was described as one of “moderate optimism.”
In addition to the differences of opinion between West Germany and Israel over the sum offered yesterday by the German negotiators, there is another principal point to be resolved. The Bonn Government wants an arrangement under which aid commitments would be made for one-year periods only, with renewal of negotiations each year thereafter. Israel reportedly was seeking a firm West German understanding as a basis for such future negotiations. Political sources here indicated they expected the talks would be completed next week. West Germany was reported also to want a quick conclusion of the negotiations.
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