The World Jewish Congress here Issued a statement Friday in reply to Israeli Foreign Minister Yigal Allon’s declaration in the Knesset last week that the conference of the European Executive of the WJC in Madrid was “an unfortunate one, at the wrong place and the wrong time–from both Israeli and Jewish points of view.” The WJC response stated:
“When the Jewish community of Spain invited the European branch of the WJC to hold its meeting in Madrid–a fact which had been widely publicized in the whole Jewish and non-Jewish world–the Spanish government had agreed to welcome the delegates and the King had expressed his willingness to receive a Congress delegation.
“Under these circumstances, there was every reason to assume that the holding of the meeting in Madrid would be helpful to the normalization of relations between Spain and the Jewish people and thereby the State of Israel.
“Due apparently to Arab pressure, the participation of the Deputy Minister of Justice and President of the Inter-Ministerial Commission on Religious Liberty at the meeting was cancelled a few hours before the opening. The World Jewish Congress thereupon withdrew its request for an audience with King Juan Carlos I, in order to spare him embarrassment.
“On principle, the various regional branches of the World Jewish Congress are free to decide on their meeting places, whereas Mr. Allon’s statement seems to imply that the WJC has to get agreement by the government of Israel for any such decision. The WJC–as practically all other Jewish organization–supports unswervingly the interests of Israel and will continue to help the State in all its struggles without limitations, as it has always done, but at the same time, it must maintain its autonomy and independence.”
(Meanwhile in Israel. Yosef Almogi, chairman of the Jewish Agency and World Zionist Organization Executives, disagreed with Allon’s view. He said the Jewish Agency knew of the Madrid meeting in advance and he would have voted to hold it in Spain. He said it is easy to second-guess after the event. However. Almogi said he would have consulted with the Israel Foreign Ministry before holding the meeting.)
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