“Israel is aware of the problems it faces and is confident it will find ways to solve them; it also knows that only a strong Israel will bring peace in the Middle East closer,” Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, declared here today.
Speaking as a guest of the Anglo-Israel Parliamentary group in the House of Commons, she made that point in commenting on the fact that visitors to Israel often are surprised at the optimism and even complacency they find among Israelis. She also said that Israel must find means to strengthen itself in all fields, including schooling and industry.
She discussed the relationship between the Israeli and British peoples, and spoke of Israel’s acquisition of loyal friends all over the world. She thanked the group for sympathetic interest in Israel’s affairs.
Mrs. Meir, who was accompanied by Ambassador Arthur Lourie, was introduced to the parliamentarians by Gilbert Longden, Member of Parliament, and Sir Frances Evans, president of the Anglo-Israel Association and a former British Ambassador to Israel. Earlier today, she met with members of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Conservative Party, at a luncheon given by Ambassador Lourie.
A three-hour meeting yesterday with British Foreign Secretary R.A. Butler, began with a luncheon given by Mr. Butler in Mrs. Meir’s honor. Foreign Officer sources said that, while no specific items had been set for the talks, the discussion touched on the Middle East, Africa and Cyprus. The talks were described as friendly.
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.
