Foreign Minister Abba Eban said today that Israel would not easily surrender its friendship with France and will strive to protect and enrich it. He told a delegation of the United Israel Appeal of France, headed by Baron Ely de Rothschild, that the Franco-Israeli relationship had developed to a point where both peoples had recognized its intrinsic value and he noted that French leaders had given many proofs of their friendship.
The Foreign Minister said that the embargo on sale of French arms to Israel, coupled with the withdrawal of French political support had been a double blow for Israel. He pointed out that since 1955 French arms for Israel had served to offset the Soviet deliveries of weapons to Egypt and he stressed that the Franco-Israeli understanding had long been regarded by both governments as a major factor in the avoidance of war. He expressed the belief that peace would provide the framework in which all other problems could be resolved.
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.
