The Israeli Embassy has sought to counter a published report that the Israeli government, at the urging of Ambassador Yitzhak Rabin, snubbed Sen. George McGovern when he visited Tel Aviv last Sept. 12. The report, in the Thursday issue of the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, said Rabin’s recommendation was a “highly guarded secret” between Israel and the Democratic Party. Rabin recommended that Sen. McGovern be met by a low-level delegation, Haaretz said, but “this was rejected by the Foreign Ministry, and Gideon Jardin was sent to see him.” Jardin is the second-ranking diplomat on the Ministry’s North American desk. The incident reportedly occurred when Sen. McGovern’s bid for the Democratic Presidential nomination was generally thought to be a futile effort. Rabin recently caused controversy when he reportedly urged the re-election of President Nixon in the incumbent’s campaign against McGovern, a report he strongly denied.
The Israeli Embassy here told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that last Sept. 8 Sen. McGovern’s staff advised that he would be at Lydda Airport Sept. 12 for 45 minutes en route to the Far East, and that “a request was made on behalf of the Senator to see the Prima Minister, the Minister of Defense, the Minister of Finance or any other Cabinet members at the airport.” The Embassy, according to a statement Friday, replied that the Israeli government “would welcome the visit of Sen. McGovern to Israel, and the Prime Minister and other Cabinet members would be glad to meet him at their offices in Jerusalem.” But, “according to custom regarding dignitaries in transit at the airport,” the Embassy concluded, “the Senator was met by an official of the Foreign Ministry.”
The Jewish Confederation of Brazil announced in Rio de Janeiro it had protested to Britain against approval for the Palestinian Liberation Organization to open an office in London. The protest was sent to the British ambassador to Brazil in Brazilia.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
