Arab pressure has resulted in the elimination of Israelis from the list of panel chairmen named by the White House for the First International Symposium on Water Desalination, opening here October 3, it was learned today from U.S. Government sources.
Although six prominent Israeli desalination authorities will deliver important research papers at the symposium and Israel, in direct cooperation with the United States, is a world leader in desalting technology, the State Department surrendered to Arab threats. Arab governments served notice that they would not participate in any symposium panel under chairmanship of an Israeli.
Egypt is far behind Israel in desalting research and is not submitting a single research paper to the symposium. But Dr. Moustafa Hafez, representing the Egyptian Ministry of Scientific Research, of Cairo, was named chairman of the session on conversion plant economics “to give the Arabs a sense of participation.” No Israeli was appointed to head any such panel session “to avoid offending Arab sensitivities.” Nineteen scientists from 11 nations, UNESCO, and the United Nations were announced by President Johnson as selected to act as panel chairmen for the various panels.
STATE DEPT. OFFICIALS ADMIT ISRAEL IS ENTITLED TO CHAIRMANSHIP
The White House appointed no Israeli panel chairman upon advice from the State Department although President Johnson personally conceived a vast program of Israel-American cooperation in desalting through use of nuclear power, it was reported here today. The State Department was aware that Israel has done much more to advance desalination than most other participants. However, Arab objections to any Israeli chairmanship — even of a single panel — was accepted when the Arabs stressed that they would not sit in a panel if an Israeli presided.
State Department sources explained that the Israelis were being given “recognition” of a sort by allowing them to submit research papers. A number of panel chairmen representing other countries are also submitting similar papers. The panel chairmen include scientists from Australia, Egypt, France, Soviet Union, Mexico, Italy, Canada, Greece, Japan, Austria, Venezuela, and the United States.
U. S. Government sources said the aim of the symposium, in which 63 nations will participate, is the diffusion of knowledge of water desalting technology. Officials acknowledged that Israel, “under normal circumstances,” would have been given the status of providing a panel chairman because Israel is more advanced in desalination than most other countries. But these officials suggested that Israelis should overlook “factors of prestige and emotion” in the interest of diffusion of knowledge to the water-hungry Arab states and other arid regions. The symposium, a major observance of the “International Cooperation Year,” is sponsored by the U.S. Department of the Interior with guidance from the State Department and the White House.
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