Cabinet ministers have denounced Israel’s Moscow-oriented New Communist Party whose delegates, attending the world Communist leaders’ conference in the Soviet capital, proposed a resolution condemning Israel for alleged “imperialism” and voiced support of the Arab states. It was not known whether any legal action was contemplated against the Communist delegates who include several members of the Knesset. Such action would be unusual inasmuch as Israel permits its citizens free speech at home and abroad. It was learned that the Rumanian Communist delegation at the Moscow parley did not vote for the Israeli Communists’ resolution.
Israel’s other Communist Party faction (Maki) meanwhile has dissociated itself from the Moscow conference on grounds that the gathering does not represent the entire Communist movement “as long as the Soviet Army of occupation remains in Czechoslovakia.”
(The Kremlin parley called on progressive forces around the world to support actively Arab peoples “in their struggle against Israeli occupation of Arab lands.” It was reported that Rumania urged that the resolution include wording from the UN Mideast resolution saying that all countries in the region have a right to exist, but the proposal was disregarded.)
At today’s meeting, the Cabinet heard reports from Foreign Minister Abba Eban, Defense Minister Moshe Dayan and Minister of Police Eliahu Sasson. No details were released but it was believed that Mr. Eban devoted his report to the Big Four Mideast talks in New York and the concurrent U.S.-Soviet talks in Washington.
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.
