Gunther Von Hase, the West German Government press spokesman, said emphatically today that Dr. Rolf Pauls, the West German Ambassador to Israel, had expressed the opinions and policy of the federal government in his speech last week at the Tel Aviv Fair criticizing Israel.
Dr. Pauls’ address, in which he criticized Israel for its recent public support of the Oder-Neisse line as the permanent boundary between Germany and postwar Poland and in which he said Israel had failed to recognize its “debt of gratitude” to West Germany, has roiled Israeli opinion.
Von Hase made his comment in reply to a question from a correspondent about the West German Government’s reaction to criticism in Israel against Dr. Pauls’ address. The spokesman said that the federal government identified itself completely with Dr. Pauls’ remarks and that government officials felt that the formulation and content of the Pauls speech were well-balanced.
The hostile Israeli reaction to Ambassador Pauls’ speech has increased tension in Bonn and political sources here were reported as being very unhappy about the chill in Israeli-West German relations. Dr. Pauls left Israel last night for seven weeks of home leave.
(In Israel, a spokesman for the West German embassy told journalists today that Dr. Pauls did not wish to amend or discuss a speech he made last week at the Tel Aviv Fair criticizing Israel. Israeli sources said the home visit had been planned some weeks ago and it was not the result of widespread criticism in Israel of Dr. Pauls’ speech. The Israel Government has decided to refrain from issuing any formal reply to the speech.)
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