JERUSALEM -- President Chaim Weizmann of Israel formally opened the Constituent Assembly today with a plea for peace with the neighboring Arab countries.
The first Parliament of the independent state of Israel convened In this ancient city whose own status still was to be settled. The United Nations had directed the drafting of a plan for internationalization of Jerusalem.
Premier David Ben Gurion challenged the UN plans last night. Speaking at the windup session of the Provisional Assembly, he said "Jerusalem is and will remain a part of Israel."
The keynote of the assembly session here -- after a token inaugural in the Holy City it will shift to the new capital at Tel Aviv -- WAU sounded at the outset by Weizmann.
"We stretch out a hand of peace to the neighboring, countries, of friendship to all peace-loving peoples of the world," he said.
(In London a Foreign Office spokesman said the British representative in Israel, Cyril Marrlot, was directed not to attend the opening session of the Israeli parliament. Britain, the United States and other countries were in consultation on the matter. The spokesman, refusing to give the reason for the British attitude, said it "is evident.")
Weizmann described Israel as a state of returned exiles. He said the goal of the new state has been to gather in exiles from all parts of the world.
"We shall make this our goal before all, and devote to it our best prayers, thought and action," he said.
He paid tribute to Zionist leaders who made possible the founding of the state of Israel. He reminded the packed assembly.
"The whole world is watching us now to see what we shall choose for ourselves in ordering our lives, what shape we shall fashion our state."
A famous scientist himself, Weizmann asked that the government encourage the development of science in Israel.
"They are the basis for human achievement, and must be mobilized to help our motherland," he said.
After several days here the delegates will return to Tel Aviv and buckle down to the job of drawing the constitution.
Times have changed for the delegates.
They might recall a day in June 1946. Jewish Agency officials were arrested then and British agents searched their buildings for secret files. Those officials, including Moshe Shertok, are now ministers of Israel.
Other delegates once men with a price on their heads will also remember those difficult days.
For instance Menachem Beigin, former chief of the extremist Jewish underground Irgun Zvai, will attend along with Nathan Friedman Yellin, leader of the extremist Stern gang who was released from Acre fortress prism Friday.
Less than a year ago the British government offered to pay 610,000 for either man, dead or alive.
