Members of the Israeli delegation here who participated in the German-Israeli reparations talks at The Hague were approached this week with an offer by Dr. Hermann Abs, representative of the West German Government, for the Bonn Government to pay Israel during the coming year the sum of 100,000,000 marks–approximately $28,000,000. Dr. Abs added that the Bonn Government was not prepared to give an indication of the total amount of reparations it could pay.
A report to this effect was published today in the Jewish Observer, a leading Jewish publication here. The report says that Dr. Abs was informed by the Israelis that his proposal was an insult to both Israel and world Jewry.
British Foreign Minister Anthony Eden was later informed of this meeting. He has also been informed that the reply given by the Israelis was conveyed directly to the German Chancellor Konrad Adenauer. Mr. Eden was also told that Dr. Nahum Goldmann had sent a warning to Chancellor Adenauer that there would be violent reaction from Israel and world Jewry if Dr. Abs’ offer was Germany’s last word on reparations.
The London Times today carries an editorial stating that as a result of the latest reparations moves by Germany, “a very awkward position has arisen in Israel which affects the prestige of the Ben Gurion coalition government and may even threaten its stability.”
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