The leaders of virtually all parties in the Israel Parliament today approved the statement on Israel’s foreign policy presented yesterday by Premier and Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett in which he took sharp issue with U. S. Assistant Secretary of State Henry A. Byroade’s “advice” to Israel and criticized the Soviet Union for its anti-Israel vetoes at the United Nations Security Council.
Following an eight-hour debate on Mr. Sharett’s speech, in which leaders of all parties represented in the Parliament participated, the deputies voted overwhelmingly to “take note” of the government’s position. The debate was preceeded by a speech by Pinchas Lavon, the Minister for Defense, who told the House that Israel will be able to withstand any Arab attack, even if the Arabs are armed by the United States.
Mr. Lavon declared that there was a “positive” aspect to the recent speeches of Assistant Secretary of State Henry Byroade–“we know exactly where we stand.” He added that Israel “will not allow Jewish blood to be oil on propaganda machinery of any kind, whether Socialist, anti-Communist or any other. We are a democratic state and regime in the sense that we will fight for our freedom.”
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