Lessening of tensions between the East and the West, as a result of the partial ban on nuclear testing agreed to in Moscow last week by the Soviet Union, the United States and Britain, will undoubtedly prove to be a decisive factor in the relations between the Arab states and Israel, Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, declared in a radio broadcast here last night. Israel announced yesterday that it would adhere to the nuclear test-ban treaty.
An understanding between the Eastern and Western blocs, said Mrs. Meir, opens up the possibility of achieving an understanding and peace between the Arab states and Israel.
Asked whether Israel’s adherence to the treaty would not affect Israel’s friendly relations with France, which has announced that it would shun the pact, Mrs. Meir replied that Franco-Israeli friendship is so deep that it contains even the “negative” element, whereby each State acts on its own when its interests dictate such action. France, she declared, has never tried to influence Israel’s attitude on an issue which Israel’s Government deems to be right for Israel.
Commenting on the fact that Egypt promptly announced its willingness to adhere to the East-West pact, while Israel apparently hesitated for a couple of days, Mrs. Meir said: “I wish Egypt would enjoy another scoop — to be known as the first to desire a general disarmament agreement with Israel.”
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