Egypt’s President Gamal Abdel Nasser and Algerian Prime Minister Ahmed Ben Bella issued a Joint communique in Algiers last night, pledging the two countries to “liberate” Palestine from the hands of “imperialism” and “colonialism. ” The statement, released Just before the Egyptian ruler had completed his five-day state visit to the capital of Algeria, called also for the recovery of “all the rights of the Palestinian Arab Republic. “
It was noted here that the wording of that part of the communique dealing with “Palestine” was similar to the clauses against Israel adopted last month in Cairo, when Egypt, Iraq and Syria agreed to form a new United Arab Republic Federation.
The French Foreign Ministry today minimized the significance of the Egyptian Algerian communique, which, it was agreed, read like a “declaration of war” against Israel. French sources contended that the fact that the only unity reached between Algeria and Egypt in connection with Nasser’s visit was “the vocal unity of an anti-Israel declaration” demonstrated that the two countries were still “far apart” and did not represent a serious danger.
The mass circulation French paper, L’Aurore, assailed the communique in an editorial and urged President de Gaulle “not even to consider visiting Algeria while a friendly country, Israel, is openly attacked. ” Under the signature of editor-in-chief Robert Bony, the newspaper called on the President’s office to “immediately” deny that any such visit was even being planned.
FRANCE WELCOMES KENNEDY’S STATEMENT ON SECURITY FOR ISRAEL
The French Foreign Office, although minimizing the possible dangers to Israel of the Arab unity drive, has at the same time warmly welcomed President Kennedy’s press conference declaration yesterday that the United States would protect Israel’s security. It called the statement “a most welcome repetition of a known truth which must not be forgotten, however. “
Zeev Shek, the Israeli Minister in Paris, handed to the French Foreign Ministry today a copy of Israel’s complaint to the United Nations Security Council, warning of Arab plans to attack Israel. Mr. Shek also gave the Foreign Ministry a copy of Prime Minister David Ben Gurion’s speech in Parliament on foreign policy and the Middle East. The Israeli Prime Minister said in that address that there was no question but that the Arab countries were planning such an attack.
Mr. Shek’s meeting with officials of the French Foreign Ministry’s North American and Levantine departments was described as “most cordial. ” It also covered a review of Col. Nasser’s visit this week to Algeria. It was generally believed that the Israeli approach to the French Foreign Office was prompted by Israel’s wish to convey to France the seriousness with which Israel regards the new developments.
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.
