The Communist East German radio has charged collusion between Israel and West Germany and attacked both states, alleging they are aggravating Middle Eastern tension and plotting against peace.
The broadcast said the East German Foreign Affairs Ministry has for some time been in possession of “reliable information that West Germany, contrary to the terms of the so-called West German-Israeli Reparations Agreement of Sept. 10, 1952, has been supplying materials and equipment which directly or indirectly reinforces Israel’s military potential.” It was charged that this was done “by way of direct deliveries and by the payment of military supplies delivered by other countries, such as Turkey.”
An East German Foreign Ministry spokesman said: “As early as Dec, 13, 1957 a representative of Ben Gurion negotiated secretly with Adenauer about West German arms deliveries to Israel. The West German Government is known to be planning to double the payments made to Israel under the reparations agreement.”
Attacking Israel, the East German spokesman said: “The role played by Israel in conjunction with Britain and France as an aggressor against Egypt is still remembered Numerous actions and statements by leading Israeli politicians indicate that they have not learned the necessary lesson even after the failure of the aggression.”
The broadcast alleged that “Israel is working to aggravate tensions in the Near East. In view of this fact the proposed West German deliveries of particularly dangerous arms to Israel can only mean that the Bonn Federal Government is taking a still more active part in strengthening Israel’s war potential. ” The broadcast claimed that by its attitude toward Israel, the Bonn Government was not considering the interests of the Arabs but rather contributing to aggravation of regional tension.
“For the sake of preserving Middle East peace and of friendly relations of the whole German nation with the Arab peoples, the GDR (Communist) Government most sharply condemns the (Bonn) Federal Government’s attitude toward Israel and reiterates its demand to avoid anything that imperils peace in the Near East,” the official spokesman said in his broadcast.
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.
