Oldal 4 [4]
OCR
a Xe bere oe tember 224 3 ~ page four israel between sast and West; the problems of immigration and of oil prospecting. Immigration. The problem of Jewish repartition sll over the world has greatly influsmced Israel foreign policy in past years. ; : there are, very roughly speaking, above 11 million Jews, registered as Such in the different parts of the worlde among these, about 800.000 live in israel, 2 million in the Soviet Union, 500,000 in the remainder of Agia; 400.000 in suropean satellite countries, 90).000 in the remainder of Europe; 6 million on the American continent and 700.000 in Africa, Australia and Oceania. Consequently, about 2.4 million Jews are still under Soviet or sateliite rule, Until very recently, emigration tawards Israel was still open, at least as far as awek countries like Poland, Rumania and Hungary were concerned. Towagds them therefore, and consequently twwards the : entire Soviet orbit, Israel kept a neutral if not friendly foreign policy. Its őőficials feared that any marked Westem sympathy from their ! side might definitely close the door and thus brutally end every hope { for Jewish populations to Leave the Soviet workd and settle in israel. | Latest developments behind the Iron Curtain — the purge of Anna Pauker, | the anti-zZzionist declarations in umanja and other similar moves -— might well, and in a short time, teuete a marked change in Israelts foreign policyeee if other considerations do not interfere, deciding the present government to keep on a neutralistic attitude. Oil prospecting. The Israel Parliament, the "Knesset" approved eatly in July @ bill, regulating oil prospecting in the country. It was designed - according to governmental declaration - to secure equal opportunities to Israel and foreign investors and to avoid that a single | company would obtain prospecting and exploitation monopolies. Strong opposition 66 the project came from the communist side: Moshe Sneh, &kx leader of the Mapam Party, the pro-communist United Workers, Started a violent parliamentary campaign. He argued that the new bill was opening Israel to the exploitation by the huge American oil companies while Russia would be willing to supply drilling equipment, without asking for concessions. Compensation would be claimed for by the Soviet Union, only if and when oil would be actually hit. According to latest reports, Israel govemnment has accepted that offer. It declared its readiness to send experts to the Soviet Union, in view of examingmg the drilling equipment, and to receive the Russian technicians in Israel. These developments are too recent, so that their full implications are as yet not known. However the cancelling of all previous concessions granted at the time of the British mandate, together with the present Soviet move, are symptomatic. In the light of events taking place in Iran, such developments in Israel prove once more the existence of a more general Near-lastern plan and should not be underrated. 23.
