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I was somewhat surprised, however,
having heard of the Foreign Minister's
penchant for correct attire, to see him
wearing a blue blazer with gold but·
tons, and slacks . However, he
tuas
wearing a necktie! Perhaps the Foreign
Mínister is unbending a littlc, and
conforming somewhat the customary
informality in Israel.
Mr. Eban said he was already well
aware of our activities worldwide, and
that he had been looking forward to
meeting
liS
for sorne time. Minister
Kol mentioned that Ambassador Col–
lege was affiliated with the Worldwidc
Chllrch of God. Then the Foreign
Minister asked if I wollld tell him
something about the Church.
I cxplained that Ambassador Col–
lege is a separate corporation, but
affiliated with the W orldwide Church
of God, and that it was in many re–
spects unlike any other church.
It
is
unique in that its members believe
Christianity is definitely
A WAY OF
LJFE,
and not merely "a faith," or
doctrine. I etnphasized that this church
does not proselyte, or even indirectly
seek to take members from any other
church or religion. The Foreign Mini–
ster nodded, and added that Judaism
also does not proselyte.
1 mentioned that President Shazar,
at a reception for
liS
in his official re·
sidence, had said that he knew all
about the Worldwide Church of God,
and that he welcomed it in Israel.
J
then described the Ambassador
College Extens ion Program of ed uca–
tion worldwide, our radio and tele–
vision operations, our three major
printing plants at Pasadena; Radlet,
England; and North Sydney, Austra–
lia, our publications, and the 6
oc
7
mittton readershi p worldwide of
The
PLAJN TnuTH.
At that point
J
asked the foreign
Minister if he would give us his
scenario of conditions in the Middle
East, and how he views them for
1972
and 1973.
He explained particular!)' and with
an abundance of style bis view of what
we had entitled for our television
series
The Middle East i11 Crisis.
Peace, he said, was definitely in the
air. After almost five years, the Arabs
now recognize that they must take a
hard look at their situation. Having
exhausted all other efforts, they may
now have to resort to peace.
He explained that thc Arabs had
heretofore relied on recovering the
territories lost during the Six-Day
War, by certain externa! pressures,
brought to bear on Israel in addition
to the unsuccessful war of attrition.
B)' externa! pressures, he meant mili–
tary, economic, and política) pressures.
For example, four-power pressure
from the United States, France, En–
gland, and Russia, or two-power pres–
sure from Russia and the United States,
or pressure from the United Nations,
whcther it be the Security CounciJ res–
olutions or the General Assembly
resolutions. There were economic pres–
sures as well - that is, the Arab
boycotts of nations dealing with or
recognizing Israel. There were threats
to deny planes to Israel and further
shipments of armaments and, in fact,
there was a failure of francc to honor
its obligations for the delivery of air–
craft already paid for.
Israel, he said, has withstood the
pressures, and now the Arabs must
resort to di rect negotiations with Israel
or face the possibility of another five
years passing without an improve–
ment of their position - and they need
look only to Europe for evidence of
how time makes permanent what was
once temporary- for examplc, the
division of Germany, the Berlín Wall,
the "lron Curtain," etc.
Israel welcomes the possibilit}' of a
breakthrough by negotiation with its
neighbors. The possibility of a settle–
ment with Jordan is real, he said, and
economic developments in the West
Bank area during the last fivc years
have resulted in one real economic
unit already. In fact, there is a definite
trend to
normal relations
for the first
time since the establishment of the
State of Israel.
The Foreign Minister admitted that
normal relations would be more diffi–
cult on the south with Egypt because
of tbe large desert area separating the
peoples of the two countries, but the
reopening of the Suez Canal would
be
a factor in normalization of relations
between the two nations.
Israel, he cont inued, doesn't want to
incorporate all the occupied territories,
because to do so would mean absorb–
ing a very large Arab population, and
this would pose a great danger to the
Jewishness of the state.
I then asked the Foreign Minister
whether he thought the social prob–
lems within the State of Israel would
be aggravatcd as peace became a reality
- and how Israel would cope with
these social problems.
He readily admitted that peace
would certainly intensify the social
problems, but he said that they would
have to be resolved, because Israel
would not fold up under interna) pres·
sures any more than under externa)
pressures.
He emphasized some problems we
have encountered throughout the world
and which we now foresee for the
United States - namely, that there
are too few people willing to work at
employment beneath their dignity, edu–
cation or training. Also the definite
possibility that there could
be
too few
jobs for those with higher educations.
He commented that it is a pity that a
college-educated individual could not
havc a fecling of fulfillment working
in a blue-collar occupation. He won–
dered why it was seemingly impossible
for a blue-collar worker to be univer·
sity educated.
He feared that in Israel there could
develop an undersirable division of
labor by dass and cace - the Arabs
doing the undesirable, meuial, blue–
collar work and having as a conse·
quence an inferior social position, and
the l sraelis cloing the better-paying,
more desirable positions and having
a more enviable social status. I then
described our pioneering in helping
Ambassador College students to re·
capture the true values and our early
recognition of the missing dimension
in education. •