A spokesman for the Spanish Embassy said today that the Arab viewpoint was a factor in Spain’s decision to bar Israel from the forthcoming Mediterranean Olympic Games at Barcelona.
The spokesman indicated that Spain felt the Arab countries might not wish to participate if Israel were admitted. He said that “the Spanish Government has looked at Israel with good eyes” but charged that Israel has failed to grant full diplomatic recognition to Spain and has otherwise indicated “unfriendliness.”
(In New York yesterday, Col. Harry D. Henschel, chairman of the United States Committee for Sports in Israel and chairman of the U.S. Olympic Basketball Committee, scored the International Olympic Committee’s rejection of Israel’s appeal against Spain’s ban on its participation in Barcelona games next month. Speaking of the IOC action in Paris last Monday, Col Henschel said it “makes a mockery of all the beautiful ideals that the Olympics represent.” He revealed that Avery Brundage, head of the IOC, had previously promised U.S. Olympic committee officials that he would aid Israel.)
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
