Chancellor Willy Brandt said today that 1972 will be a year in which the Federal Republic of West Germany will move toward “the total normalization of our relations with the Arab world.” He described those relations at present with the proverb, “nothing is so good that it cannot be better.” Brandt discussed West German-Arab relations at a press conference following yesterday’s announcement that Bonn has resumed diplomatic ties with Algeria.
(In Paris, sources close to the West German Foreign Ministry said last night that there was no need for an official statement on Algeria “as long as Israel’s interests remain unjeopardized by this step.” There was no official comment on its implications regarding the Middle East conflict.) Most of the Arab states severed diplomatic ties with West Germany in 1965 when Bonn recognized Israel.
(Israeli circles in Paris said yesterday that they “viewed with interest” assurances that the renewal of relations with Algeria would not affect Bonn-Israel relations. Even though the assurances were unofficial they were given repeatedly by persons connected with various official West German bodies. Those sources stated that the latest move implied no anti-Israel position on Bonn’s part and that the rapprochement with Algiers contained “no prior conditions of any sort.” This was understood to mean that the Germans undertook no political obligations related to the Middle East toward the Algerian government.)
West Germany, meanwhile, appeared to be moving to renew ties with Syria and other Arab states in the Middle East. Hans Juergen Wishnewski, a Social Democratic Bundestag member with good connections in the Arab world, flew today to Damascus for talks. It was not known whether he carried any official instructions. Political circles here said the purpose of his visit was to persuade the Syrian regime to renew diplomatic relations with Bonn. Before departing, Wishnewski said that Sudan and Cairo would probably re-establish diplomatic relations with West Germany soon.
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.
