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Comay's Brilliant Statesmanship
By SAUL CARSON
JTA Correspondent in the UN
(Copyright, 1967, JTA, Inc.)
UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.—A few
weeks ago, Ambassador Michael S.
Camay and this correspondent found
themselves facing each other at
the captain's table on Israel's lux-
11x7 liner, the SS Shalom, currently
sailing on one of its fabulous Carib-
bean cruises. The conversation
veered to an interview this corres-
pondent had with Mr. Comay in
1956. It happened during the
strenuous day-and-night sessions of
the UN General Assembly and the
Security Council, which were deal-
ing very harshly with Israel's cam-
paign against Egypt in the Sinai
Desert and the Gaza Strip. It was
near midnight, as the JTA man
and one representing the Associat-
ed Press were having a bite to eat
in the cafeteria prior to the sched-
uled midnight meeting in the As-
sembly. Along came Mr. Comay.
who was not only a member of Isra-
el's mission but also ambassador
to Canada.
Canada was vigorously active
during those debates. It will be
recalled that Canada's chief dele-
gate, Lester B. Pearson—now the
Commonwealth prime minister —
was the man who made the drama-
tic proposal which led to the estab-
lishment of the United Nations
Emergency Force—and subsequent-
ly, earning for Mr. Pearson the
Nobel Peace Prize. Mr. Pearson
would voice that UNEF proposal
that very dawn. Meanwhile, the
press was interested in an arrange-
ment Israel had made with Canada
for the sale to Israel of a number
of jet bombers. Canada had just
declared an embargo on the ship-
ment of all war material "to all
countries in the Middle East." Since
the only country needing those
bombers was Israel, the ambassa-
dor. to Canada was asked for his
reaction.
Unlike most diplomats, Mr.
Comay was extremely frank. Yes,
he had bought those bombers
from Canada. Instead, he said,
the jets were at that very moment
in a Montreal warehouse. Why
weren't they shipped to Israel
before Ottawa had declared an
embargo? The reason was quite
simple: To .get those bombers
shipped, Israel's embassy at Ot-
tawa needed X-millions of dol-
lars. It was a "cash on the bar-
relhead" deal. Jerusalem had
not been able to cable the cash
to its ambassador in time. There-
fore, the bombers were, for the
moment, frozen—and the time
for their shipment had passed.
The JTA man and his AP col-
league talked the matter over. They
decided to keep Mr. Comay's in-
formation off the record. On the
Shalom, the ambassador was grate-
ful—more than 10 years later—for
the understanding shown by the
correspondents. But he had a sequal
to the story. It turned out that, at
the moment, Israel was getting all
the jets it needed from its French
ally in the Sinai action. Not only
that. Later, Mr. Camay was able to
finish with Canada the deal that
the embargo had frustrated after
nine months of arduous negotiation.
He sold those jets back to Canada.
-----' Yes, he said with a smile, the story
may now be told.
The story is now told for the
first time to illustrate the kind of
man Mr. Comay was—and is. He
has now given up his post at the
United Nations, after being Israel's
top ambassador here for nearly
seven years. In point of continu-
ous service, he is probably the old-
est diplomat on duty here except
for Afghanistan's Ambass ad or
Abdul Rahman Pazhwak, president
of the last General Assembly. There
is very little doubt that, had he not
been the Israeli representative, Mr.
Comay might well have been con-
sidered assembly president mate-
rial by this time. He is certainly
as well known here, and as popular,
as Ambassador Pazhwak. The only
people who hate him are the Arabs.
Even the non-Arab Moslems, and
their Russian pals, learned long
ago to respect Michael Comay.
Such respect must be earned, and
does not come easily, especially for
a diplomat who does more hard
fighting here than most others. A
sharp, witty, even-tempered but
steel-hard, debater, facing at least
13 hostile representatives — the
Arab League bloc — must reflect
not only his government's spiritual
and moral strength, but his own
utter confidence, to keep from be-
ing snowed under—let alone to
maintain his reputation as a man.
Michael Comay has done all that—
and more. No wonder the Israeli
Foreign Ministry took so much time,
since its reorganization under Abba
Eban, to decide finally, and with
deep regret, to accept Mr. Camay's
request to let him come back home
to Israel.
* * *
Tall and ramrod-straight, Michael
Comay, who was born in Cape Town,
South Africa, in 1908, earned his
bachelor's and law degrees from
the University of Cape Town, and
later was a barrister in the South
African Supreme Court. He was a
soldier during World War II. As
a major in the South African army,
he served with the British Eighth
Army in the Western Desert, was
transferred later to service in
Britain.
He settled in Palestine in 1946,
worked with the political depart-
ment of the Jewish Agency in Jeru-
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, February 17, 1967-7
IRV KATZ
salem, was sent on special missions
to Australia, New Zealand and
South Africa, became a member of
Offers
Israel's first mission to the United
Por THE FINEST DEAL
Nations, served as a member of
o' THE FINEST SERVICE
Israel's delegation to the UN Gen-
Come See for Yourself at
eral Assembly, many times, became
Israel's permanent representative
here and assembly delegation chair-
man in 1960. There is no doubt on
the part of anyone who knows
Ithchael Comay, least of all among
the Israelis at home or here, that
20735 GRAND RIVER
he will contribute materially when
Minutes From
he returns to Jerusalem to serve in
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the foreign ministry there.
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Meanwhile he is off on another
special mission for Israel — this •11•9•00•111 •0••111•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••6•
time, again, to Australia and New
Zealand. When he is ready to de-
part from the UN for his trip
home—he is sure to get from near-
• •
ly all here (the Arabs always ex-
(Trimmed-Rite Priced-Rite)
cepted)—the heartiest "Shalom!"
•
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