Peron Receives Israel’s Finance Minister; Lauds Jewish Unity

President Juan Peron follows “with great interest” what Argentine Jews who have settled in Israel are doing, he told Israel Finance Minister Levi Eshkol in the course of a 45-minute audience here today. He added that he was “certain” that what these Jews were doing was of great value to the Middle East.”

The President made these remarks after Mr. Eshkol had presented him with a large map of Israel on which miniature Argentine flags marked the location of settlements inhabited by Argentine Jews. Speaking of the Gaza situation, Gen. Person expressed regret that no understanding had been reached by the peoples of the two countries involved. He also remarked that he was “constantly telling Argentinians that they should accept the Jews as an example of a people who had maintained their solidarity, despite 2,000 years “without even a country.”

When Mr. Eshkol described the irrigation work done in Israel and expressed admiration for agricultural and colonization training being given recent Italian immigrants to Argentina, the President replied: “I am afraid that the Jews cannot learn much from us, considering what you have already done.”

After the audience, Mr. Eshkol conferred at length with four Argentine Ministers responsible for Finance, Economics, Industry and Commerce. He will meet later with Foreign Ministry officials.

In a statement on Israel, the DAIA, central representative organization of Argentine Jews, called on all Jews to fly Israel and Argentine flags side-by-side over their homes. It noted that the Argentine authorities had given permission for such a demonstration. All the major Jewish women’s groups in this city jointly sponsored a reception for Mrs. Eshkol, who accompanied her husband here.