The question of the emigration of the Rumanian Jews to Israel, and the Arab steps to halt it, was raised today in the Parliament by Herut deputies who accused Prime Minister David Ben Gurion of making statements which led to sensational reports in the press.
Haim Landau, leader of the Herut party, charged that these statements had brought about concerted pressure action by the Arab states on the Soviet Union and Rumania to halt the emigration. He also asserted that a speech by Shimon Peress, Director General of Israel’s Ministry of Defense–later broadcast over the Israel radio–disclosed security information and “gave the enemy cause for protesting against Jewish immigration into Israel on military grounds.”
Premier Ben Gurion, replying to the charges, expressed regret over the fact that official statements and broadcasts had been made in Israel which were likely to endanger the immigration from Rumania. He admitted that there had been official lapses. However, he said, most of the disclosures were made by the overseas press over which Israel has no control. He said some efforts had been made to induce the foreign press to restrict its reports on the emigration from Rumania, but they were not always successful.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
