42 Friday, February 3, 1984
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Spanish Recognition of Israel Sparks Cautious Optimism
change Ambassadors, and
normalize official relations
for the first time in recent
history.
Libya and Saudi Arabia
have fronted the drive to
block Israel from obtaining
full diplomatic status in
Madrid, but the year-old
government of Prime
Minister Felipe Gonzalez
has held firm. A recent
meeting of the Council of
Ministers authorized offi-
By MICHAEL FOONER
(Copyright 1984, JTA Inc.)
MADRID (JTA) — In de-
fiance of Arab pressures,
Spain is moving to recog-
nize the State of Israel, ex-
"Where Fit is Foremost .
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cials of the government to
take part in several activi-
ties sponsored by the Israeli
government, and to offi-
cially invite Israeli repre-
sentatives to Spanish
events.
"Although there is no
date for our first exchange
of Ambassadors," said
Samuel Hadas, Israel's
principal representative in
the Spanish capital, "posit-
ive steps have been taken to
bring this about. Our policy
is step-by-step progress,
avoid confrontations, defuse
crises, and accumulate suc-
cessful official contacts."
The chronology of Is-
rael's "step-by-step" dip-
lomacy, as Hadas calls it,
reflects a curious corner
in the backstage struggle
of the Arabs to repress
Israel. In March 1983,
Spain's Prime Minister
Gonzalez said in a speech
while visiting Morocco,
"The Arab world has no
greater friend than
Spain." At the same time,
he alluded to "future dip-
lomatic communication
with Israel."
Until that moment, offi-
cial relations with Israel
had been in deep freeze
since the state was founded.
A breakthrough occurred
when the national airlines
of both countries gave each
other landing rights.
Bu immediately, inaugu-
ration of service was
paralyzed by fear of ter-
rorist attacks on El Al and
Iberia aircraft, sponsored by
Libya, according to obser-
vers in close touch with the
Spanish government.
On June 23, Edgar
Bronfman, president of the
World Jewish Congress
(WJC), had a secret meeting
with Gonzalez in New York
at which the process of in-
itiating airline service was
worked out. On July 1,
Bronfman and Jacques
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Torczyner, a member of the
WJC Board of Governors,
met with the Prime Minis-
ter in Madrid. Gonzalez
then had on paper the deci-
sion to establish diplomatic
relations with Israel.
The Arabs responded
with "carrot-and-stick"
tactics. In October, Saudi
Arabian representatives
came in Madrid with a
contract offer to pur-
chase Spanish-made
armaments. Libya openly
denounced Gonzalez's
moves toward Israel and
threatened to break dip-
lomatic relations with
Spain if relations were
actually established.
Meanwhile, instead of
negotiating a treaty and ex-
changing ambassadors ac-
cording to international
custom when two countries
first establish diplomatic
relations, Spain and Israel
decided to send tourism offi-
cials to each other as na-
tional representatives,
under directives to meet
and organize inter-
governmental activities.
Spain expects in this way
to avoid confrontations with
her Arab friends; and the
Socialists in power hope to
avoid a showdown with
their left and right opposi-
tion parties. No slight is in-
tended or implied by Spain's
designating tourism offi-
cials to carry the diplomatic
flag in approaches to Israel.
In Spain, tourism has
cabinet status.
For 35 years,• since the
state of Israel was founded,
the Arab nations have suc-
cessfully kept Spain and Is-
rael politically isolated
from each other. Israel is
one among only three coun-
tries denied diplomatic
status in Madrid, the others
being Albania and North
Korea.
Despite this, Israel and
Spain have developed
substantial commercial
relations and technologi-
cal exchanges. Trade be-
tween them doubled each
year from the mid-1970's,
and reached about $200
million in 1979.
By contrast, according to
the political writer, Antxon
Saraqueta, there has been a
strikingly small Arab eco-
nomic involvement with
Spain, very inferior to what
they maintain with other
European countries — all of
whom ave diplomatic rela-
tions with Israel.
With the new official re-
lationship between Spain
and Israel promoting an in-
terchange of travelers,
Tourism Minister Baron re-
ported at the end of October
that he was looking to an-
nual Israeli spending of 1.3
million Pesetas (just under
$1 million) and 60,000
tourists from Israel.
All this has happened
while Spain was growing
into a model of tolerance
and well being for Jews.
There is now complete reli-
gious and political freedom,
civil rights, equality and
economic opportunity.
Anti-Semitic incidents from
fringe groups in the past
were promptly attended to
by police. The economic re-
cession has hurt all
Spaniards, but at the
Jewish Community Center
officials report there are no
special problems of Jewish
poverty or unemployment.
Unfortunately, despite
the newfound freedoms
for Jews in Spain, more
and more Jews are aban-
doning the country. The
reason for the decline in
the Jewish population is
the attraction of Israel,
leaders of the com-
munities in Barcelona,
Madrid and Seville agree.
The young people with
Jewish awareness simply
find Israel more exciting,
and their elders upon reach-
ing retirement are also
emigrating. Add to this the
attrition from those who
choose assimilation into the
secular world, say the com-
munity leaders, and the liv-
ing Jewish presence will
gradually fade from Spain.
But it will not disappear.
There will always be for vis-
itors a romantic glow from
the past, the "Golden Age,"
the great medieval poets
and philsophers, and the
tales of the Jewish finan-
ciers who managed the af-
fairs of royalty, and ban-
krolled the discovery of
America.
When some people talk
about their family tree, they
trim off a branch here and
there.
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