Israeli Ambassador to West Germany, Eliashiv Ben-Horin, yesterday told a meeting of Bundestag members that Israel does not oppose a resumption of German-Arab diplomatic relations on the condition that this is not done at Israel’s expense. Ben-Horin said “Israel is not interested in having the Arab states remain isolated and outside international currents and trends forever.” He moreover hinted that should Bonn’s relations with the Arab states be resumed, the West German government could well use its influence in Cairo in a moderating sense.
Most of the Arab states broke off their diplomatic relations with Bonn in 1965 following the establishment of official ties between Israel and the Federal Republic. The Israeli ambassador said that he was “optimistic” about the future development of Israel-German relations and also condemned the Arab boycott which disrupts trade exchanges between Israel and the Federal Republic.
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.
