Israeli Cabinet Votes Overwhelmingly in Favor of German Ties

Israel’s Cabinet voted at its regular weekly meeting here today to accept the proposal made by West Germany’s Chancellor Ludwig Erhard for the establishment of full diplomatic relations between the Bonn Government and Israel.

All of the members of the Cabinet except the two Ministers representing Ahdut Avoda, which is a member of the Government coalition, voted in favor of accepting Dr. Erhard’s offer. The two Andut Avoda members, Minister of Labor Yigal Allon and Israel Bar-Yenuda, Minister of Transport, said they would notify Prime Minister Levi Eshkol of their party’s stand on the issue after the matter had been discussed by their party’s central committee tomorrow.

Mr. Eshkol told the Cabinet he had grounds to assume that agreement will be reached between Israel and West Germany on all the controversial questions still at issue. He reported fully on his five days of conversations here with Dr. Kurt Birrenbach, Chancellor Erhard’s special emissary. Mr. Eshkol is scheduled to make a statement on the entire German-Israeli issue before the Knesset, Parliament, on Tuesday. The Cabinet’s decision is expected to be approved by the Knesset with a substantial majority.

(A London dispatch to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, today reported that Israel’s Deputy Defense Minister Shimon Peres made an urgent flight yesterday to Paris, where he conferred with a representative of Germany’s Chancellor Erhard, returning to Israel today in time for the Cabinet meeting. London also predicted that an agreement on diplomatic relations is expected to be announced Tuesday night simultaneously in Jerusalem and at Bonn.)

REPORTS ON REQUEST FOR BONN GUARANTEE OF ISRAEL BORDERS DENIED

The Cabinet’s decision confirmed the general feeling held here the last few days, to the effect that reports from Bonn and elsewhere, about Israel’s supposed pre-conditions prior to accepting the Erhard offer for full diplomatic relations, had emanated from “interested parties” wishing to build hurdles in the path of German-Israel rapprochement. One report, declaring that Israel had asked West Germany for a guarantee of Israel’s borders, was denied here emphatically.

Officials said that no such guarantee had been sought as a pre-condition to the establishment of diplomatic relations, through the Eshkol-Birrenbach talks did seek to achieve understanding on a number of issues of concern prior to the Erhard offer, Among these were Bonn’s earlier agreement to supply military supplies to Israel, the question of the German scientists employed by Egypt for the development of weapons of mass destruction to be aimed at Israel, and the matter of West Germany’s extension of the statute of limitations on the prosecution of Nazi war criminals beyond the present expiration date of May 8.

Meanwhile, Israel was watching with equanimity the deliberations of the Arab foreign ministers today, in Cairo, where Egypt’s President Nasser had brought together the top foreign affairs officials of the 13 Arab states to act on his proposals for total Arab severance of diplomatic relations with Bonn, in reprisal for Dr. Erhard’s willingness to cement full diplomatic relations with Israel.

Interpreters of the Arab scene here saw considerable disunity on that issue among the Arab states. It was believed that some of the Arab Governments, especially Tunisia, Morocco and Lebanon, would hesitate offending West Germany because they would fear Bonn might veto their relations with the European Economic Community, in which West Germany is a powerful member.