Israel’s Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett today told Parliament that there is no truth to press reports stating that the Israel Government discussed granting of military bases to the Western Powers with Gen. Sir Brian Robertson, British Commander-in-Chief in the Middle East, during his recent visit here.
Asked by a left-wing Socialist Mapam deputy whether the Israel Government would be ready to discuss the problem if it is raised by the Western Powers, the Foreign Minister replied that he was not prepared to answer such a hypothetical question now.
Mr. Sharett informed Parliament that not all the foreign consuls in Jerusalem are recognized by the Israeli Government. Their status, he explained, therefore differs from the status of the consuls accredited to Tel Aviv.
Large quantities of staple commodities have been obtained for Israel in the United States, covering the needs of the Jewish state for the coming six months, it was reported here today by Pinhas Lavon, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture, who just returned from the United States.
Addressing a press conference, the Minister revealed that during his stay in the United States he succeeded in securing wheat and fodder to last even longer than six months. He also reported that he promoted the formation of a Canadian-Israel company with a capital of $2,800,000 to finance wheat and fodder shipments to Israel.
Minister Lavon paid the highest tribute to the American authorities for their co-operation. He said that negotiations are underway for greater American help to Israel–the supplying of large quantities of cereals outside the framework of existing agreements. The impending arrival of these consignments of hundreds of thousand of tons confronts the Israeli authorities with storage problems, he stated, adding that an American group has been formed which will soon begin operations in Israel to solve these problems.
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