Grunwald May Seek Israeli Citizenship

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 29017, 5 October 1959, Page 11

Grunwald May Seek Israeli Citizenship

(Rec. 8 p.m.) LONDON, October 3. The London financier, Friedrich Grunwald, is to seek Israeli citizenship, according to the Haifa correspondent of the “News Chronicle.”

“This course of action will be his reply to the cancellation on Thursday of his tourist visa, and to reports from Government sources that a deportation order will be served unless he leaves Israel,” the newspaper said. Mr Grunwald, managing director of several companies of the •Jasper group which is the centre a financial storm in London, arrived in Israel in the middle of last month. The correspondent said he had learned of the latest move from the “closest associates” of Mr Grunwald. "He will therefore not be flying to Britain or anywhere else in the next few days, as generally expected,” said the correspondent. (Reuter said yesterday reports that Mr Grunwald had already left the country on an Israel ship Were circulating in Tel Aviv.) The “News Chroncle's” correspondent quoted an associate of Mr Grunwald as saying: “Under the Law of Return a Jew who applies for Israeli citizenship can be refused only if he has a criminal record, if he collaborated with the Nazis or if he is suffering from an infectious disease. None of these applies to Grunwald/* On Monday, after the Jewish New Year holiday, Mr Grunwald’s lawyers in Haifa would

begin a strenuous battle to make their client an Israeli citizen, said the correspondent. Later a police spokesman in Tel Aviv, Israel, said Mr Grunwald planned to leave Israel immediately after the holiday, which ends tomorrow night. The spokesman denied reports that Mr Grunwald had already left Israel. He said the authorities knew of Mr Grunwald's whereabouts “since the police might be called on to take action in connexion with the cancellation of his temporary residence permit.” Mr Grunwald’s permit to stay in Israel was revoked by order of the Minister of the Interior. The official announcement said “The Minister of the Interior (Mr Israel Bary-Yehouda) today signed an order revoking the sojourn permit of Friedrich, son of Adolph Grunwald, and of Philip Alan Goldston.” Mr Grunwald arrived in Israel a fortnight ago on a tourist visa valid for three months. Mr Goldston. a clerk, formerly of London, arrived in Israel on September 25. He failed to surrender to bail at the Old Bailey. London, yesterday to answer charges of obtaining credit by fraud. Aged 30, he was travelling on a British passport with an Israel tourist visa. , c