Mid-east tension grows «

The impact of the Israeli re-
gime’s military raid on the Bei-
rut airport was still being felt in
almost all world ‘capitals this

week.

In Paris, the French govern-
ment had banned the shipment
of parts for Israeli warplanes.

The Soviet Union was conti-
nuing its efforts to keep the
Israeli-created crisis from ex-
ploding, into a full-scale Middle
East war. ;

In Beirut, the pro-Washington
Lebanese regime was forced to
resign to be replaced by one
that would back the Arab states’
demands for liberation of the
territories illegally seized by
the Israeli regime in its June,
1967 aggression.

The French government has
coupled defense of its embargo
on arms for Israel with a new
demand on Tel Aviv to comply
with the United Nations Secur-
ity Council resolution of Nov.

Israel-Bonn relations have
been very complicated. Although
diplomatic relations were for-
mally established only in 1965,
there was a previous 15 year his-
tory of relations between the
governments of the two coun-
tries.

From 1949 former Chancellor
Adenhauer set out to establish
relations with Israel. In the first
years the main way was through
the establishment of compensa-
tion payments by the Federal
Republic of Germany for the
Nazi crimes against the Jewish
people.

This was set forth in a treaty
at Luxemberg in 1952 which pro-
vided for payment both of indivi-
dual claims and also compensa-
tion to the Government of Is-
rael itself. In a sense this initia-
ted the rapprochement and co-
operation of the two govern-
ments. :

Two years later when Israel
attacked the United Arab Repub-
lic the GFR gave its blessing and
deliveries to the Israel army were

22, 1967.

France acted Jan. 4 to em-
bargo arms to Israel, said Infor-
mation Minister Joel le Theule
in order to promote a “durable
peace” in the Middle East. “‘This
can only be founded- upon the
application of the unanimous
UN Security Council resolution,
that is to say, the evacuation of
conquered territories, the estab-
lishment of frontiers that would
be certain and _ recognizable,
freedom of navigation for all,
and a statute for refugees.”

Le Theule said the UN reso-
lution “would bring Israel
recognition, guarantees, and
freedom of navigation.” He ob-
served also that the French gov-
ernment supports a Soviet me-

morandum calling on the four .

big powers—France, Britain, the
U.S. and the U.S.S.R.—to work
together to bring about a per-
manent settlement of the Middle
East situation.

The French minister, taking
note that “Israeli influences
make themselves felt in certain
ways in circles close to the
press,” said it was incorrect to
say French policies have been
hostile to Israel for a long time.
He noted that France had sold
Israel jet fighters “for its de-
fense,” which became a ‘symbol
of aggression” in the June 1967
war, and that the helicopters
which France continued to sup-
ply to Israel were used in the
attack last month on the Beirut
airport.

The United States and Britain,
however, have rebuffed the
U.S.S.R. initiative for a big pow-
er conference to work out a
plan for Middle East security on
the ground that such a meeting
would be impractical.

Reports from London _attri-
buted to ‘Western diplomats”
the view that -such a plan
would impose a settlement on

reluctant Arabs and Israelis.

The Israelis were known to
have opposed any plan, that will
bring the Soviet Union into the
Middle East situation as a peace-
keeping force. Moreover, Israeli
foreign minister Abba Eban at-
tacked the demand for Israel to
comply with the United Nations
Security Council resolution of
Nov. 22, 1967 as an attempt to
strip Israel of the Arab lands it
has occupied since June 1967
while offering Israel no frontier
security.

But Arab leaders favored the
Soviet initiative. In Belgrade,
Egyptian foreign minister Mah-

-moud Riad arrived for talks

with Yugoslav leaders in an ef-
fort to gain support for Mos-
cow’s effort.

The Lebanese government of
Premier Abdullah Yafi resigned
last week, 10 days after an
Israel commando raid destroyed

13 airliners at Beirut airport and ~

ay ee Lh ee ale _

embarrassed the regime.
Lebanon Radio in Beirut!
Yafi’s cabinet sent its lellf
resignation to President Ol!
Helou. Immediate accéeP
could delay passage of a lal
dering compulsory militaty’
vice for all 18 year olf
Lebanon. :
At the same time Israéll!
fense Minister Moshe
was warning the Arab nat
that they would find Israel!
pared “both psychologically’
physically” if war was waé
the Middle East. He suge
that the Suez canal area
be a “principal arena” of
“We will not tolerate 4%
tion,” he said, “in which oe
las will be at liberty to mi
freely across the border wil
being able do likewise an
back at them also.”
Protesters in Tel Avi¥ \
at the French Embassy den”)
ing the embargo on arms:
the Israeli government Wa
dicating in every way thal
had no intention of abidill
the UN Security Council re
tion. j

Bonn-Tel Aviv relations

continued. Under the Luxemberg
treaty Israel received $862 mil-
lion of which 20 percent was in
military supplies.

Credits in this period from
the GFR enabled Israel to buy
49 vessels and thus establish a
modern merchant marine. Elec-
trical equipment was also ob-
tained which increased the pro-
duction of electricity from 1953
to 1964 sixfold.

From October 1964 to May
1965 when formal diplomatic re-
lations were established, the
GFR supplied $80 million worth
of modern weapons. The West
German government undertook
to pay the full cost of helicop-
ters, anti-aircraft guns, tanks
and submarines: under this pro-
gram. Britain supplied Israel out
of West German funds with two
submarines.

When in March of 1965 the
Knesset was voting its approval
of “complete and immediate”

establishment of diplomatic re-
ilations with the GFR, Levi Esh-
kol said, “We must utilize every
opportunity to reinforce our
position, and relations with Ger-
many should consolidate our
ties with the European conti-
nent.”

The decision of the Arab coun-
tries to break off diplomatic re-
lations with the GFR did not
change Bonn’s position. And in
May 1966 an economic agree-
ment was signed by which the
GFR gave Israel a long-term
credit of $40 million.

Cooperation in the sphere of
atomic energy holds a special
place in Bonn-Tel Aviv relations.
From 1960 to 1966 the FGR gave
Israel $6 million for atomic re-
search. According to an admis-

‘West German-Israeli

sion of Israeli Foreign Minister
Abba Eban, 52 atomic scientists
from the GFR are working at
the Weizmann Institute of Sci-
ence in Rehovoth.

West German aid in 1967
amounted to $45 million and in
the first half-of 1968 reached $35
million. Demonstrating solidarity
with Israeli expansionist policies
Federal Minister of the Interior
Ernst Benda, as president of the
Society
presented the Israeli ambassador
in Bonn with a cheque for pro-
jects in the occupied Arab part
of Jerusalem. This was a direct
challenge to world opinion and
the United Nations which op-
posed the annexation of the
Arab part of Jerusalem.

Since the June war there have

continued active relatiom)
tween Israel and the GFR. i;
former defence minister ) 4
visited Israel he was
around to air bases and a)
ed units, military supply %
and anti-aircraft sites. It #
surprising what the DIC)
Zeitung reported: “The d
pons which facilitated Is!
military victory were SY
by the Federal Republic #
many.” fi

An analysis of the rele
between Israel and the sy
Republic over the last 18!
during which the seeming)
natural alliance took
shows that two assault #
of imperialists have united
the blessing of internati®
actionary circles.

On the occasion of his visit to Israel last year, finance minister
of the German Federal Republic, Franz-Josef Strauss met with
leaders of the Israeli government. Above he is seen with Prime
Minister Levi Eshkol and to the right with Defense Minister Moshe
Dayan. :

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JANUARY 17, 1969—Page 6