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Qaddafi; Halt Emigration of Jews from Europe to Israel, Return Jews to Origins

November 26, 1973
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President Muammar Qaddafi of Libya called today on all European states to halt the emigration of Jews from their territory to Israel “as their contribution to Middle East peace,” demanded the replacement of Israel by a “Jewish-Arab state and the return of foreign Jews to their countries of origin,” and warned that the Middle East war would break out anew unless Israel withdraws from all occupied territories. Qaddafi spoke at a press conference this morning prior to leaving France for Malta and Tripoli. The Libyan leader arrived here Friday and conferred yesterday for two hours with President Georges Pompidou at the Elysee Palace. His visit to Paris was marked by widespread Jewish protest demonstrations. Nearly 1000 demonstrators marched through the center of Paris last night protesting French arms sales to Libya.

Qaddafi’s remarks about fellow-Arab leaders were almost as bitter as his denunciations of Israel. He reiterated that he would not attend the Arab summit meeting which opens tomorrow in Algiers. “I know this sort of meeting for having attended them before,” he said. “They are not marked by either honesty or seriousness. I am determined not to attend this one.” He singled out Egyptian President Anwar Sadat as one of “these people who do not accept the truth” and hinted that it was time Egypt had a new leader to replace the late Gamal Abdel Nasser.

Qaddafi claimed that “the only just and lasting solution to the Middle East crisis is the creation of a Jewish-Arab state and the return of foreign Jews to their countries of origin.” He said Libya “is prepared to accept the return of its Jews and even a number of European ones as its contribution to peace.” He suggested the creation of a Paris-Belgrade-Tripoli axis to safeguard Mediterranean peace and stability. Qaddafi met with President Tito of Yugoslavia before coming to Paris. According to official French sources, Qaddafi did most of the talking at his meeting with Pompidou but did not raise the issue of additional French arms sales to Libya which had been believed to be one of the main purposes of his visit. French sources, however, expect that Libya will bring up the matter through diplomatic channels or that members of Qaddafi’s party who will remain here will raise the subject with French officials after he leaves.

French police took unprecedented security measures to protect the Libyan leader. Sources said they were tougher than when Soviet Communist Party Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev visited Paris. But police did not prevent Jewish and other demonstrators from marching through the city carrying placards reading “Qaddafi is a Killer” and “Freedom, not Oil.”

Hundreds of uniformed and plain-clothes policemen lined the route over which Qaddafi’s motorcade passed from the airport Friday. When the Libyan President’s car drove into the courtyard of the Elysee Palace yesterday, a group of youths unfurled a large Israeli flag and shouted hostile slogans. Qaddafi told the press. What took place in the street upon my arrival is not symbolic of the real France. French realisity is in here,” he said, pointing toward the Elysee Palace. Ten persons were detained by police last night when small groups of Jewish youths attempted to infiltrate the police cordon surrounding Qaddafi’s hotel.

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