Spanish leaders have stressed their general approval of Arab aims and have rejected Israeli attempts to obtain Spanish mediation of Arab-Israeli differences, Ahmed Shukeiry, assistant secretary general of the Arab League, reported to the League’s political committee in Cairo.
According to the Arab official, he was informed recently by the Spanish Foreign Minister that Spain sought political, economic and cultural cooperation with the Arab world and had rejected approaches by Israel, Spain, he added, was seeking, in conjunction with the Holy See, to safeguard the Holy Places.
Mr. Shukeiry further quoted the Spanish Minister as asserting that Israel had made “strenuous efforts” to secure Spanish intervention through diplomatic missions in London, Rome and Paris and envoys sent to Madrid. He quoted the minister as saying that “Franco is the Arab’s Mend and Spain could be considered an Arab country so far as Israel is concerned.”
Spain farther informed Israel, according to the Arab report, that mediation was useless so long as Israel continued to ignore resolutions by the United Nations. Spain is not a member of the United Nations.
(In Jerusalem, a Foreign Ministry spokesman characterized as “completely unfounded,” the Cairo reports of alleged Israeli moves to secure Spanish intercession in the Middle East. The spokesman said the Israel Government neither made nor authorized approaches to the Spanish Government or to any Spanish missions abroad.)
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