Israel’s Foreign Minister Moshe Sharett today told a press conference here that in view of the heightened tension in the world, Israel must make provision for all eventualities, while at the same time it must provide for the rapid development and growth of the country. He expressed the hope that American Jewry would realize the extreme necessity to Israel of its assistance.
The Foreign Minister also emphasized the fact that Israel must bring over Jewish immigrants from various parts of the world while this can be done. “We must also consolidate our trade relations while such possibilities exist,” he added. He expressed the hope that a world conflict can be averted.
Addressing the same news conference, Ambassador Abba Eban reviewed the activities of the Israel delegation at the U.N. General Assembly session. This is the first time, he said, that Israel played a full and active part in problems not directly affecting the interests of the Jewish state. At the same time, Israel continued to be the subject of discussion of its own affairs at the General Assembly, he pointed out, and came under sustained attacks by Arab delegates.
“The independence and freedom of Israel’s foreign policy was fully vindicated at this session of the Assembly,” Mr. Eban said. He stated that the interests of other delegations in Israel’s point of view was out of proportion with the territorial size of the Jewish state. He also emphasized the fact that Israel’s attitude at the Assembly coincided with the point of view of one delegation at one time and with another delegation at another time. “Israel’s action was always determined by its own judgment,” he said.
EBAN REVIEWS ISRAEL’S PART IN DELIBERATIONS ON KOREA
Reviewing the efforts Israel made to play an active part in the deliberations on Korea, Mr. Eban said that Foreign Minister Sharett had participated in the discussions with Ambassador Wu. “We have circulated a memorandum to a number of delegations with certain suggestions on Korea, and our Foreign Minister has presented these suggestions to the General Assembly,” Ambassador Eban declared.
The Ambassador explained the stand taken by the Israeli delegation at the United Nations with regard to the questions of Germany and Spain, Israel’s stand, he said, reflected not only a distinctly Israel approach but also the Jewish approach.
Analyzing the Arab campaign at the General Assembly, Mr. Eban said that the Arabs had tried to do three things at the session: firstly, they hoped to secure reaffirmation of the principle of the repatriation of Arab refugees; secondly, they tried to intensify support for the internationalization of Jerusalem; thirdly, in the Security Council they tried to brand Israel as a violater of the armistice agreements and the United Nations Charter.
“They failed in all three things,” the Israel Ambassador asserted. He expressed the hope that the Arabs will despair of waging political warfare in the U.N. and will realize the necessity for direct negotiation. “We had told the United Nations we were prepared to give one million pounds as a first contribution to the reintegration fund with the understanding that Israel will be released from the liability of paying compensation to individual Arabs. But this point is still to be clarified and the whole question is still open,” Mr. Eban said.
Asked about Israel’s conversation with Ambassador Wu, Mr. Sharett said that Ambassador Wu had expressed appreciation for Israel’s position favoring their representation in the U.N. It was understood for the time being that Israel would not be establishing a representation in Poiping, he added. In answer to another question, Israel’s Foreign Minister said that Ambassador Eban would serve as Israel’s representative on the 14-nation peace observation commission with one or two members of the permanent delegation as alternates.
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.
