President of Israel Welcomes Rumanian Jews Upon Landing at Haifa

A group of newcomers from Rumania were welcomed today personally by Israel President Ben Zvi when they landed at the Haifa port.

“You are here among brothers and friends, ” the President declared. “The Government and the Jewish Agency as well as Israelis as a whole will help you, but you must also help yourselves. You must immediately start to learn Hebrew.”

The President addressed the 353 immigrants in Yiddish, and his talk was relayed by loud-speakers in the hall where the newcomers waited for transportation to various parts of Israel. Before his brief welcome. President Ben Zvi mingled among the newcomers, accompanied by Mrs. Ben Zvi. They asked the newcomers various questions, and sought to bolster their morale in their new effort to rebuilding their lives in Israel.

Egyptian morning papers received in Israel today carry a statement issued by Abdel Khalek Hassouna, Secretary General of the Arab League, revealing that “the Arab communities are showing small interest in the danger of the immigration into Israel. ” The Cairo newspapers also report Hassouna’s “disappointment” because the meeting of the Arab League Council, convened in Cairo yesterday to react on Jewish emigration to Israel was attended only by the Arab Ambassadors. Hassouna had called the meeting an “emergency” session, and had demanded that all Arab governments send to the session their Prime Ministers or, at least, their Foreign Ministers.

Miffed by the slur that Hassouna feels he received, the League official met yesterday with the Rumanian and Hungarian Ambassadors at Cairo, complaining to them about mass emigration to Israel, according to the Cairo press. Both envoys denied that there is a mass emigration to Israel from Eastern Europe, the Cairo newspapers stated.