Israel’s Parliament rebuffed yesterday motions by the Herut and Liberal parties charging that the Government yielded to “external pressure” in shifting the annual Independence Day parade from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. Premier Levi Eshkol asserted there had not been any such pressure, and stressed that the matter had not been mentioned in his recent talks with W. Averell Harriman, President Johnson’s special envoy. The defeated motions also called for restoration of the Jerusalem site for the parade.
The Premier said reason for the Tel Aviv choice was to enable hundreds of thousands to watch the parade. He added that only a small part of Israel’s ground and air power would be displayed. He said a state ceremony would be held in Jerusalem which would include a military display. He added that “nothing can affect the status of Jerusalem as the Capital” where Independence Day parades have been held in the past, and will be held in the future.
He did not refer to a letter from former Premier David Ben-Gurion, addressed to Cabinet members. In that letter, Mr. Ben-Gurion reportedly voiced “disappointment and shame” over the decision not to hold the 1965 parade in Jerusalem.
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.
