FROM OUR ARCHIVES
65 YEARS AGO
On April 4, 1952, The Jerusalem Post reported from The Hague that Gershon Avner, of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, announced that a critical stage had been reached in the German reparation talks which came to a complete halt. Avner added that the situation was very serious after the German delegation, which anyhow had no authority, returned home to Germany.
Israel’s claim for $1 billion in reparations from West Germany created “a major problem” for the International Conference on German Debts in London. Herman Abs, leader of the German delegation, told the conference that German capacity to meet the claims of the creditor countries had been “greatly complicated” by these new and unexpected claims. Official quarters confirmed that the largest of the “unexpected” claims came from Israel and the World Jewry.
Better organization and more supplies were likely to ensure a better menu this summer, commerce and industry minister Dov Joseph promised in a radio broadcast to the nation. Joseph announced the immediate establishment of the Export Institute’s agreement in principle on the $10 million credit from two Scandinavian firms, the resumption of full shoe production, de-rationing of milk, and the possibility of full meat, coffee and tea rations the following month.
Herut MK Eliezer Shostak and three other members of Herut were detained in Paris in connection with the alleged bombing of the German delegation in The Hague restitution talks.
50 YEARS AGO
On April 4, 1967, The Jerusalem Post reported that Syria fired artillery in an attempt to stop plowing in a field at Kibbutz Ha’on. One of the 37-mm. shells exploded at the entrance to the kibbutz and damaged the vehicle maintenance shop. No one was hurt. During the exchange of the fire, children in the kibbutz took to shelters. The shooting began as soon as the UN observers left the scene.
Foreign minister Abba Eban reported to the Knesset on his recent goodwill tour of seven Asian countries and presented his plans for joint projects in Asia. Moshe Dayan of Rafi objected and took exception to what was a precedent of a cabinet minister giving the House a non-committal report without a debate forthcoming.
The Histadrut Executive had by a near-unanimous vote endorsed an “austerity budget” of nearly IL 50 million.
US Vice-Admiral Hershel Goldberg, chief of supplies, US Navy, arrived for a few days to study the possibility of broadening the list of naval procurements in Israel.
10 YEARS AGO
On April 4, 2007, The Jerusalem Post reported that Palestinian Authority officials had accused German Chancellor Angela Merkel of “offending Palestinian feelings” during her visit to Ramallah, where she met with Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas. The accusations, the first of their kind, against a European leader, were made by top PA officials only hours after Merkel and her entourage left Ramallah. “She did everything to provoke the Palestinians during her visit,” said one official. “She showed no understanding for the plight of our people. On the other hand, she appeared to be very biased towards Israel… She was trying to be more Israeli than the Israelis,” PA officials contended.
Jerusalem was unfazed by some of the immediate negative Arab responses to prime minister Ehud Olmert’s call for a regional summit, with senior diplomatic officials saying that efforts to push for such a conference would continue.
– Alexander Zvielli