Bonn Expresses ‘satisfaction’ with Israel’s Decision on Diplomatic Ties

State Secretary Karl-Gunther von Hase, official spokesman for the Bonn Government, expressed the Government’s official “satisfaction” here today with the Israel Cabinet’s decision to establish diplomatic relations with West Germany. He said Israel’s purchasing mission, at Cologne, has notified the Government formally of the Cabinet’s decision, adopted in Jerusalem yesterday.

Mr. von Hase said that Dr. Kurt Birrenbach, Chancellor Ludwig Erhard’s personal emissary, who spent five days in Israel last week, conferring there with the Israel Government’s highest officials, would go to Israel again before the end of his week to continue negotiations about problems of current interest to the two governments. He said also the Government is satisfied with the reactions of the three main political parties in Parliament, and with German public opinion, regarding the move to formalize the diplomatic ties with Israel.

As to the threat by Arab countries to break diplomatic relations with Bonn, in reprisal against the Israeli move, he said Bonn would regret any such severance or any other “irreparable acts.” He said he would remind the Arab countries of Germany’s “good will” and of the fact that Bonn has decided not to deliver arms to “areas of tension.” The Government, he said, will do all in its power “to convince the Arabs of its policy.”

(Dispatches from Cairo, received today in London, reported that only five of the 13 Arab Foreign Ministers, conferring there on the Israel-German question, have agreed so far to join Egypt’s President Nasser in recognizing Communist East Germany in reprisal against the latest Bonn offer to Israel. At least three of the Arab participants–representing Tunisia, Libya and Morocco–had serious reservations about severing ties with West Germany. In general, it was reported, the Cairo meeting was in confusion on the various issues on its agenda.)

Mr. von Hase’s reference to the attitudes of the three political parties in the Bundestag, West Germany’s lower house of Parliament, reflected statements made by the various party leaders. The Christian Democratic Party’s endorsement of Dr. Erhard’s moves was taken for granted, since he is a leading member of that party.

A spokesman for the opposition Social Democrats warned the Arabs that any economic counter-measures they may take against West Germany “would harm them more than us.” He called the Israeli decision on diplomatic ties “logical and good.” A leader of the third grouping, the Free Democratic Party, also expressed his satisfaction with the latest Jerusalem-Bonn developments.