THE DET ROIT JEWIS H NEWS -- Friday, July 3, 1959 — 24

Knesset Approves German Arms Sale

57-45 Vote Brings New Alignment;
B-G to Resign, Form New Coalition

Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News

JERUSALEM—The Israel Parliament voted Wednes-
day in support of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion and
the sale of arms to West Germany,; 57 to 45, but the two
left-wing parties in the government coalition carried out
their threat to vote against the sale. There were six
abstentions.
Ben-Gurion was reportedly preparing to resign and
end the present coalition (.'
government in view of the France endorsed or favored
Mapam and Achdut Avodah the Israel arms deal.

&

vote for the sale of $3,000.- Continuing his attack, Beigin
000 worth of Israel-made arms argued that Israel's attitude
toward Germany could not be
to the West German Army.
The vote came as the climax the same as that of other
of more than a week and a countries, and that its attitude
half of arguments, inside and toward other countries could
outside of political circle s, not be the same as toward Ger-
since a report from a West many.
The Herut deputy said that
German newspaper disclosed
the Jewish nation, bereft of
the arms transaction.
arms for 70 generations, had
Ben-Gurion first won sup- finally obtained and 'sanctified
port on his demand that the arms for its War of Liberation,
coalition cabinet make the but by arming Germany, Israel
issue one of collective re- "would desecrate that which
sponsibility. A Communist
it sanctified."
motion of 'nonconfidence was
Peretz Bernstein. of the Gen-
beaten overwhelmingly Tues-
eral Zionists, said briefly that
day and the stage was set
his party did not want to open
for the critical vote in the
debate on the grounds of
Knesset Wednesday.
security, but that its position,
The Prime Minister's next as already outlined, was in sup-
step was expected to be the port of the arms agreement.
tender of his resignation to
Gen. Moshe Dayan, former
President Ben - Zvi, who in chief of staff of the Israel De-
turn. was expected to ask Ben- fense Force s, staunchly sup-
Gurion to preside over a care- ported ,B en-Gurion on the
taker government until the na- arms-to-Germany issue, in a
tional election in November.
broadcast over Kol Israel, the
The move to invoke the doc- Israel radio. Gen. Dayan de-
trine of collective responsibil- bated the issue with Dr. Yo-
ity against Mapam and Achdut hanan Bader, a member of
Avodah was approved in a Parliament representing Herut.
series of moves by the cabinet.
Dr. Bader, insisting that
Ben-Gurion did not attend the "moral aspect" of the
these meetings, although he issue was of utmost impor-
was kept posted on develop- tance, declared that the arms
ments by Finance Minister deal "desecrates the memory
Levi Eshkol. of 6,000,000 Jews" for the
The Cabinet resolution stated
sake of "several million dol-
lars." Gen. Dayan held that
that the two left-wing parties
were obligated to support in the Jews who perished at
the Knesset a government the hands of German Nazis
decision made last December during World War II would
which purportedly authorized endorse the arms deal.
the sale of $3,000,000 in gre- Those who perished. Gen.
nadg' throwers to West Ger- Dayan said, would tell the
present generation: "Don't let
many.
The resolution said that col- such things be repeated." Ac-
lective responsibility applied to cording to him, such an in-
the two parties "unless they junction would mean that
resign before the vote" (in the Israel must strengthen itself,
Knesset). "and, to this end, the present
By voting against the arms arms deal contributes greatly."
deal Wednesday, the two The f or m e r army head de-
g r o up s most assuredly will dared he saw no harm in send-
find themselves excluded from ing grenade launchers to West
any new coalition. Mapai rep- Germany, "just as Franc e,
resentatives already were seek- which is Israel's closest friend,
ing to establish the basis of is doing. and just as France is
existence f or a "caretaker" even cooperating with Germany
regime. in the armament field."
The entire issue flared up
The General Zionists were
reported willing to agree to when a newspaper here carried
passive support of the gov- a reprint of a report' on the
ernment on condition that a arms deal from a West Ger-
neutral non-party personality man publication. T h e right-
replace Israel Bar Yehuda in wing Herut Party immediately
the Ministry of Interior. The demanded debate.
According to the report, the
Religious Party conditioned
its agreement on a govern- West German Defense Ministry
ment pledge to freeze the had signed an agreement with
"who is a Jew" issue and to an Israel f a c t o r y in Haifa,
drop the present Minister of through the mediation of a
Religion, Rabbi Jacob Tole- Luxemburg company, to supply
grenade throwers to the West
dano.
In the Knesset debate, Yigal German Army.
The arms are special devices
Alon, of Achdut A v o d a h,
assailed the arms deal and de- that can be attached to a reg-
nounced Ben-Gurion for the ular rifle, transforming it into
self-assurned perogative to an anti-tank weapon. Israel
whitewash Germany. previously has sold arms and
Earlier, on Monday night, munitions, like the Uzzi ma-
the Communist motion was chine gun and explosives, to
introduced by Yaacov Mikunis, other European c o u n t r i e s,
who called the arms agreement including the Netherlands.
a disgrace, and accused Ben- Ben-Gurion, in his capacity
Gurion of aligning Israel with of Defense M i n i s t e r, h a d
"war mongers."
sought the Cabinet's authoriza-
Menachem B e i g i n, Herut tion as far back as last Decem-
Party lead e r, followed the ber to sell Israeli arms abroad
Communist deputy's line of under a 1949 law. This was re-
argument that West Germany vealed in minutes of past Cab-
was no different than Nazi inet meetings.
At a meeting of the Cabinet,
Germany. Beigin challenged
Ben-Gurion's a s s e r t ion that , in mid-December, Minister of

Development Mordechai Ben- Germany, but not to East Ger-
tov, a member of the left-wing many. The East Germans have
Ma pa m Party, asked Ben- murdered and robbed and have
Gurion: "Who is ordering the not returned the loot. Western
arms?" The minutes show that Germany at least wants to
Ben - Gurion replied: "Various make reparations. There is the
difference."
countries in Europe."
"Nevertheless," resp on d e d
Justice Minister P i n h a s
"there
, . ,, ` . there is a difference
Rose n, of the Progressive
between ¶ravel and the sale
Party, said: "ye should
know from which countries." of arms." A note added by the
Ben-Gurion then said: "From government to the Cabinet
a number of countries—Hol- minutes states: "No one re-
land, Germany, perhaps also turned to the question of Ger-
many or submitted any motion
a third country." Ben-Gurion
at the next meeting or since."
then told the Cabinet: "I am
Aside from the Cabinet
asking for general approval."
A month later, the subject meeting minutes, the govern-
came up at another Cabinet ment revealed. an exchange of
meeting. Bentov and Israel Bar letters between Ben-Gurion on
Yehuda, Minister of the Inte- the one h a n d, and the two
rior, representing the Achdut Achdut Avodah Cabinet mem-
Avodah, were absent that time. bers, Minister of Communica-
Ben-Gurion asked the Cabinet tions Moshe Carmel and Min-
to approve not only the sale ister of the Interior Israel
of arms, but also the manufac- Bar Yehudah.
ture of arms for that purpose.
On April 14, they wrote the
Approval was granted.
Premier and referred to the
On March 29, the issue was fact that there has been no
brought before the Cabinet in meeting on the arms deal.
another context. Finance Min- They declared themselves "un-
ister Levi Eshkol, a member of equivocally opposed" to the
Ben-Gurion's Mapai Party, in- sale of arms to Germany. Re-
formed the Cabinet that some serving their right to explain
foreign currency income was their stand at a Cabinet meet-
expected from West Germany. ing. they expressed the hope
Minister of Health Israel Bar- that, pending discussion, the
zilai, of the Mapam Party, Defense Ministry would take no
raised the question about the steps to implement the German
arms deal.
sale of arms to Germany..
Writing from his home at
Ben-Gurion replied by asking
which of the Jewish laws for- Site Boker, and asking why
bids sale of arms to West Ger- their letter had reached him
many. "It is not written in the
Bible." responded B a r z i 1 a
"but I think we should not sell
arms to Germany. I ask for a
Participants in Jewish com-
discussion of the subject."
"Good," answered the Prime munity Council cultural pro-
Minister, "next week. But do grams on local radio and tele-
you object to sale of arms vision
vision stations joined on June
only to West Germany or to
25 in honoring Ole B. J. Foerch.
East Germany, too?" Barzilai
said he objected to such sale dean of Detroit's. organists. for
his services to the Jewish com-
to East Germany as well.
"Why did you travel to East munity during the presentation
Germany?" asked Ben-Gurion. of numerous programs over
"I even refused to write a let- WWJ-TV.
At a reception in his honor at
ter to an East German profes-
sor in regard to a book about the home of Mrs. Dorothy Tur-
Spinoza—although this profes- kel on West Seven Mile Road.
sor is a man of sterling char- Foerch was presented with a
acter. I said t h a t, had the gift on the occasion of his re-
inquiry come from a professor tirement from WWJ after 30
in Switzerland, I would have years of service.
written willingly."
"In my opinion," said Bar-
zilai, "it is possible and nec-
essary to travel to every inter-
national gathering in Germany,
Eastern or Western. Everyone
goes."
Ben-Guriob insisted: "It is i m inrrn trpri r
permissible to travel to West I

"so late," Ben-Gurion replied
he-had examined the Cabinet

decision regarding the sale

of arms and found it applied
to all countries "without ex-
ception."
"You have, however," Ben-
Gurion wrote to Carmel and
Bar Yehudah, "the right to
propose cancellation of the de-
cision. Until your proposals are
adopted, the decision remains
in force, and the Defense Min-
istry will act accordingly. On
the merits of the matter, your
attitude surprises me, but you
are entitled to hold it, and I
shall make no vain attempt to
prove the absurdity of your
proposal."
The two Ministers replied
that they did not recall a gov-
ernment decision "that can be
relied upon on the sale of arms
to Germany by the Defense
Ministry without prior consulta-
tion with the government."
They added that. even if it
shows that such a decision
exists, they request that the
transaction should not be car-
ried through without a discus-
sion in the Cabinet.
Six days later. Mr. Ben-
Gurion reiterated the existence
of the decision on this issue.
He held that "arms may be sold
to any country. if the Foreign
Ministry does not object." He
pointed out that neither of the
Ministries headed by Bar
Yehudah and Carmel could
object.

Foerch Honored at Council Fete

Foerch, who now is conduc-
ting a studio of his own in Birm-
ingham, assured Council leaders
that he will continue to assist
in their programs whenever
called upon.
Lawrence Crohn. president of
the Council. and Dr. Leonard
Sidlow, chairman of the Coun-
cil's culture commission, greet-
ed the gathering and outlined
the Council's cultural programs.
The presentation to Foerch was
made by Philip Slomovitz. Jos-
eph Edelman, director of the
Council's educational activities,
introduced the participants.. in
the radio and TV programs.

,

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Hebrew Corner

Plague
Locust Plague

of Hebrew column.
(Published •by Brit Ivrit Olamit.)
"A large swarm of locusts settled
in the Beth Shean Valley before
evening." We heard this report as
we were sitting by the radio set.
listening to the news broadcast.
We know locusts from the begin-
ning of our history. Every child re-
members the plague of locusts in
Egypt, which is related in the Penta-
teuch.
There are many regions of the
world which suffer from this diffi-
cult plague to this day. The State
of Israel is at the edge of a region
which suffers from the visitation of
locusts frequently.
For various reasons. climatologi-
cal and other, it happens that every
few years the locusts in the Sudan
and the deserts of Arabia unite to
(form) large swarms and begin to
fly distances of thousands of kilom-
eters. -
At nightfall the locusts settle on
the fields. the gardens and the
forests, which they find on their
way. At one time the locusts used to
destroy within a few hours all that
they found on their way. But today
man has learned to fight this plague.
The war on the locusts is mainly
chemical. When the locusts settle
on a field. the Department for Flora
Defense of the Ministry of Agricul-
ture immediately sends small planes.
which fly at low level and spray
the entire area with poisonous mate-
rials, which destroy the locusts.
This year locusts did not cause
much damage to agriculture in Is-
rael. But in spite of that, the reports
of new swarms coming from the
other side of the south-eastern
border, cause considerable anxiety.

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