FROM OUR ARCHIVES
65 YEARS AGO
On January 24, 1952, The Jerusalem Post reported that six marauders, members of a large gang of infiltrators, were killed in a gun battle with a police patrol in the Sharon area. Meanwhile, the killing of another five marauders by an Israeli patrol in the “Triangle” and near Jerusalem, was announced by the IDF spokesman.
The draft of a domestic semi-compulsory loan was receiving final touches and was to be discussed at the forthcoming cabinet meeting. The draft was then to be presented to the Knesset within the next few weeks. It was understood that the law would empower the government to issue an internal loan certificates to the amount of approximately IL 10 million, to be subscribed by individuals in accordance with their financial standing.
In Paris, Israel’s delegate returned to the deliberations of the UN General Assembly’s Special Political Committee sessions, after the previous day’s withdrawal in protest and mourning for two Jewish youths who had been publicly executed in Iraq.
Defense minister David Ben-Gurion told the Knesset “that legislation would be introduced shortly to prevent women from claiming exemption from military service for reason of religion or conscience.”
Labor minister Golda Myerson [Meir] told the Knesset that unless industry and labor came to terms within a fortnight on the establishment of productivity councils, she would ask the government to introduce legislation requiring the establishment of such boards.
50 YEARS AGO
On January 24, 1967, The Jerusalem Post reported on an extraordinary meeting of the UN Mixed Israel-Syrian Armistice Commission, which sought an agreement for the practical arrangement of cultivation in the Israeli-Syrian Demilitarized Zone. Israel had presented to the MAC a plan for such border planting.
In Brussels, a senior Israeli mission began explanatory talks with the Executive Commission of the European Economic Council on its bid for associate membership of the European Common Market. Israel was seeking to replace the three-year trade treaty which was to expire on July 2, 1967, with closer ties, opening the Six to the free flow of its farm and industrial products.
The governor of the Bank of Israel, David Horowitz, took urgent steps to insure continued normal business at the Feuchtwanger and Ellern banks, following the detection by the Examiner of Banks of a breach of correct banking practice at Feuchtwanger which brought about the resignation of its board of directors. The Bank of Israel acted to safeguard depositors.
25 YEARS AGO
On January 24, 1992, The Jerusalem Post reported on the establishment of Israeli-Chinese diplomatic relations. Foreign ministers Qian Qichen and David Levy signed the protocols affirming the new ties. After the ceremony and a festive lunch, Levy held key talks with Chinese premier Li Peng and Qian Qichen.
Levy said in Beijing that the US and Israel had recently traded information about the scientists from the former Soviet Union, who might seek to sell their nuclear expertise to help radical Arab states. In the meanwhile, Levy announced, the US had accepted Israel’s request to broaden the scope of categories to be discussed in the following week’s Moscow’s multilateral talks on regional issues.
The $10 billion in loan guarantees that Israel had requested from the US were “vital” to this country’s economy, Bank of Israel governor Jacob Frenkel announced. Without the guarantees, Israel would be unable to borrow the funds necessary to absorb the new, mass immigration.