FROM OUR ARCHIVES
65 YEARS AGO
On August 4, 1950, The Jerusalem Post reported that the merchants’ strike continued, and had spread to certain pharmacies and groceries. The decision to call out some pharmacies and groceries, which had so far not been required to participate in the merchants’ strike, was taken at a meeting in Tel Aviv of the General Merchants’ Association and the Chamber of Commerce. In a letter to the prime minister, the association stated that it would not enter into any discussion on rationing of clothes, textiles and shoes, if Dov Joseph remained supply and rationing minister.
It was not clear at the Kirya in Tel Aviv to what extent the return from Geneva of the UN Palestine Conciliation Commission to Jerusalem, heralded by the arrival of the Principal Commission’s secretary, Dr. Pablo Azcarate, marked a positive step towards the accomplishment of tasks assigned to the commission by the UN General Assembly. The commission had not yet made contact with the Israeli authorities. When it did, the government of Israel was certain to offer its cooperation, although it would not fail to point out why, in its opinion, peace had so far evaded the PCC’s patient and sincere endeavors.
The cabinet at its meeting in Jerusalem had concluded its discussions on the mobilization of efforts in America and other countries to assist Israel in immigration, settlement and development during the next four years. It also heard a review of the political situation and clarified the question of government doctors’ salaries.
Four men charged with looting Jewish property for the Germans during their occupation of France were sentenced to 10 years’ hard labor by the Paris court.
The return of Israelis held prisoner by the Arab Legion was discussed at a meeting of the Mixed Israeli-Jordanian Armistice Commission in Jerusalem. The meeting also discussed the question of mixed patrols which began operating along the border. [ Jordan occupied east Jerusalem until 1967.]
50 YEARS AGO
On August 4, 1965, The Jerusalem Post reported that the Foreign Ministry was agreeable to the appointment of Dr. Alexander Toerock as counselor in the future West German Embassy in Israel, and the decision now only waited for the formal approval of foreign minister Golda Meir.
It was decided that the Israeli Embassy in West Germany was to be set up in Bonn, with its consular, commercial and other non-political departments in Cologne. The embassy will be of a “medium” size.
Prime minister and defense minister Levi Eshkol attended a meeting of the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee on the diversion of the Jordan River headwaters. The IDF chief of staff and the director-general of the Foreign Affairs Ministry reported on the current defense situation.
15 YEARS AGO
On August 4, 2000, The Jerusalem Post reported that prime minister Ehud Barak was expected to give top priority to building a new coalition with Meretz and Shas.
Barak’s opinion, expressed after meeting with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, was that the leaders of the region understood that Palestinian flexibility was necessary to secure any final-status agreement with Israel. Nevertheless, Barak left the meeting without any commitment by Mubarak to try to convince Palestinian Authority chairman Yasser Arafat to take a more compromising stand on Jerusalem.
The Water Commissioner’s Office had established a special watchdog inspection unit: the Inspection Unit for Saving Water, to crack down on water wasters, including local authorities.