Pompidou Under Pressure from Independent Republicans on French Policy Toward Israel

Former Premier Georges Pompidou, leading candidate for the French Presidency, was under increasing pressure today on French policy towards Israel. M. Pompidou, who has Gaullist support, had been expected to pursue the general policies in the Middle East initiated by Gen. Charles de Gaulle, which included a pro-Arab orientation and an embargo on arms to Israel.

M. Pompidou is also counting strongly on the support of Independent Republicans. His candidacy has been endorsed by Valery Giscard d’Estaing, the Independent Republican leader, but M. Giscard d’Estaing said in a radio interview last night that his group did not see eye-to-eye with the Gaullists on several issues, including Israel, and that their views had been made known to M. Pompidou. He stressed that “I have never concealed my views on de Gaulle’s policy toward Israel which we did not approve.” It was understood that other Independent Republican leaders, including M. Giscard d’Estaing’s deputy, Michel Poniatowsky, had also raised the Israel issue with the Gaullist leaders.

Acting President Alain Poher, who is being urged to declare his candidacy and who many believe to be the only candidate who would be able to defeat M. Pompidou, received Gen. Pierre Koenig, president of the France-Israel Alliance and a leader of the Centrist group. The President was reported to have expressed to Gen. Koenig his warm feelings of friendship and understanding for Israel. He also indicated that if he should decide to seek the Presidency, he would publicly clarify his position on Israel.

M. Poher, prior to his assumption of the Presidency, had been a sharp critic of Gen. de Gaulle’s anti-Israel policies. He was one of the guests at the dinner tendered by the France-Israel Alliance in honor of Gen. Koenig’s 75th birthday. The event was generally regarded as a protest against the embargo on arms to Israel imposed by former President de Gaulle.

The Conference on Soviet Jewry announced today that a number of French personalities from the academic and intellectual world had agreed to serve on a mission to study the situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union. Preparations for the tour were being made by Jacques Madaule, secretary-general of the Conference, which had a widely-attended session here last week.

European anti-Israeli organizations, including some Jewish groups, concluded a three-day Paris parley today on how to combat “Israeli imperialism.” One of the Jewish groups present described itself as the “Association of anti-Zionist German Jews.” The other Jewish participants refused to identify themselves.