Premier Yitzhak Rabin re-affirmed that Israel would not participates in any international forum to which the Palestine Liberation Organization is invited. The Premier’s statement, issued Friday at the conclusion of the three-day summit conference attended by 170 Jewish leaders from abroad and an equal number of Israeli officials, was seen as a reference to the UN Security Council resolution adopted Nov. 30 which called for the continuation of the Mideast debate next month and, in effect, invited the PLO to participate in the debate.
Rabin told the assembled leaders that Israel had no intention of changing its position toward the terrorist organization. The answer to the present challenge, he stated, was a positive policy that focussed on Israel’s readiness for peace. The principle he outlined was that Israel would expose the PLO for its commitment to destroy the State of Israel and Israel’s refusal to accept the arbitrariness of the UN’s automatic majority.
“There is a Palestinian issue,” Rabin affirmed “and it must be solved,” But the solution must be tied to negotiations with Jordan and to resist a third, “Arafat state” between Jordan and Israel. The Premier sounded determined, but somewhat apologetic, as be explained Israel’s position not to change its present political course.
At an earlier session, former Premier Golda Meir was warmly received by the delegates when she stated that unlike in the past, many Jews now regard the problem of Zionism on a more individual basis, “that instinctively, every Jew feels it means him.” She added that just as she expected every Jew to feel toward Israel and Zionism as if it related to him personally, so did she expect the Israelis to feel the same way toward the diaspora.
ISRAEL WILL FACE ITS ENEMIES
Mayor Teddy Kollek, who greeted the conference on behalf of Jerusalem, warned that the fight for the future of the city would take place very soon. For this battle, he said, the Jews must fortify themselves by greater immigration to Jerusalem and by having more institutions move to the city.
Sam Rothberg, general chairman of the Israel Bond Organization said; “The Arabs have declared total was against the Jewish people. The weapons against them are going to be both political and economic, to banish forever anti-Semitism and anti-Zionism from the world.” Nissim Gaon, president of the World Federation of Sephardi Jews, said: “I came here to convey our full-hearted and our unrestricted support for Israel and Zionism.”
David Blumberg, president of B’nai B’rith International, declared: “Zionism is beautiful, Only when we learn how our brethren in Israel hurt, then we can say we truly love Zionism,” Philip Klutznik, chairman of the governing board of the World Jewish Congress, stated: “After the establishment of Israel, Jews have no choice but to be Zionists. If they don’t want to be Zionists–they don’t want to be Jews.”
Max Fisher, chairman of the Jewish Agency Board of Governors, affirmed; “We should not delude ourselves for one moment. The pressures and attacks against Israel and Zionism have only begun. The Jewish people have to prepare for intensive enemy action for years to come. The question is–do we have the will and the capacity to transfer the enthusiasm here to our fellow Jews at home?”
President Ephraim Katzir pledged that Israel will face its enemies “in our own way–by building our country and society, by aliya…” All Jews had become Zionists during recent years: Jewishness, Judaism and Israel are one and indivisible, Katzir said. “We know it–and our enemies know it too.” He cited a PLO statement issued after the Zion Square blast last month which said that “a number of Zionists were killed.”
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.
