Grave apprehension concerning the worsening condition of Zionism in Rumania was expressed hore today, by Dr. Shmuel. Friedman, head of the East European division of the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
The current trend in Rumania, Dr. Friedman told a press conference, has been highlighted by a recent statement by Rumanian Minister of the Interior Teohrari Georgescu that Zionism will shortly be outlawed as an illegal organization. This, the Israeli official pointed out, represents a reversed of the previous favorable Rumanian policy which resulted in the emigration of 13,000 Rumanian Jews to Israel between the conclusion of the war and the end of 1947.
Reviewing the situation regarding the arrest of seven Israeli citizens in Rumania, he said that no charges, except the vague one of plotting against the state, have been lodged against them. He revealed that the Israeli counsel at the Bucharest legation, Moshe Agami, has presented Rumanian Foreign Minister Anna Pauker with a note from Israeli Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett, expressing the Israeli Government’s position on the matter. Meanwhile, the names of the arrested Israelis were released yesterday. They are: S. Sklir, David Haimovitz, David Hershkovitz, Yitzhak Tessler, Leo Negro, Zindel Rabinovitz and Yishai Stussel.
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