Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel’s Foreign Minister, declared in Parliament today, that while the three-power nuclear test ban might lead to additional Great Power steps to safeguard the peace of the world and of the Middle East, it had not in itself eased any of the threats to Israel’s security.
She made the statement during debate on proposals submitted by the Communist and Mapam parties for a Knesset debate on a Soviet proposal for an atom-free zone in the Mediterranean area, and for a ban on all arms shipments to the Middle East. Both motions were overwhelmingly rejected.
She declared that, when the Government rejected earlier proposals in the Knesset for support of a Soviet proposal for an atom-free Mediterranean zone, this was done in order not to divert attention from the real threat to Israel’s security. In that regard, she asserted, the nuclear test ban changed nothing and, she added, the proposal to support such a nuclear-free zone would be meaningless, creating illusions which ultimately would be dangerous to Israel.
She attacked the proposal for debate on a total ban on arms shipments to the area with the assertion that there was a sharp distinction between supplying arms to aggressors and to defenders. The Government, she added, could not accept the leftist version of neutralism. and she called for outright stoppage of delivery of weapons to the Arab countries, “who proclaim day and night their intent to destroy Israel.”
In the search for good relations with other countries, great and small, she stated, Israel’s security came first–and “not one Jot” of that security would be sacrificed in the name of good relations.
ESHKOL ASSERTS ISRAEL BACKS ALL EFFORTS FOR WORLD DISARMAMENT
Prime Minister Levi Eshkol also spoke on the issues raised by the nuclear test ban agreement. He replied to questions raised by Communist deputies Shmuel Mikunis and Moshe Sneh. One question was about Israel’s policy on arms delivered to the Middle East and the other concerned the proposal offered by former Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion in which Mr. Ben-Gurion had suggested a mutual defense treaty between the United States and Israel.
The Prime Minister reaffirmed that Israel backed all efforts for world disarmament, including disarmament by Israel and the Arab countries, and cessation of arms deliveries, provided there was reciprocal and international supervision of such cessation and disarmament. On the other question, he reaffirmed Israel’s desires for friendly relations with all countries, including the Soviet Union.
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