Against the opposition of the Arab League, and with the support of several Asian countries as well as a favorable vote by Czechoslovakia, Israel today was granted temporary membership in GATT, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. Moshe Bartur, assistant director-general of the Israel Foreign Ministry, hailed Israel’s admission as “an important stepping stone in the evolution of Israel’s economic policy, which will lead to the extension of Israeli trade and economic relations with the world.”
The report of a GATT subcommittee which considered Israel’s admission, and recommended admission of Israel as of today with full rights, received 32 votes in favor. Israel’s admission to GATT, which has been called the United Nations for International Trade, puts her on an equal footing with other members as far as economic non-discrimination is concerned.
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.
