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Zionist Leaders Summoned to Act on U.S. Stand Against Israel

October 22, 1953
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The State Department’s suspension of funds for Israel allocated by Congress will be discussed at an extraordinary conference of Zionist leaders from all parts of the country which will be held this Sunday in New York, it was announced here today by the Zionist Organization of America.

Dr. Maurice N. Eisendrath, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, addressing the Association of Reform Rabbis here, declared that he agreed with U.S. government officials who said the recent Israel attack on a Jordan village is shocking, but said that there was “a striking disparity between the words of condemnation and threats of punishment hurled against Israel and the virtual silence over the daily murders of Israelis by Arab marauders over the past five years. “

The Association, which represents 116 Reform Rabbis in the New York area, adopted a resolution expressing “the gravest concern” over events on the Arab-Israel border. “We deplore all acts of violence whenever committed, ” the resolution said. “We are dismayed at the words of our Secretary of State which prejudge and condemn Israel, and threaten punitive economic and diplomatic measures against one party to the conflict.

“We learn that, although hundreds of innocent Israelis have been murdered by Arab marauders during the past five years, no condemnation against such acts of violence has been voiced by our government. “We call upon our government to exercise justice and fairness and to move promptly towards translating the armistice into peace in the Near East, a peace consistently sought by the State of Israel, ” the resolution concluded.

AMERICAN COUNCIL FOR JUDAISM SUPPORTS U.S. MOVE

The American Council for Judaism today addressed a letter to Secretary of State John Foster Dulles supporting the action of the State Department on the Israel-Jordan conflict. The letter was signed by Henry S. Moyer, national vice-president of the Council.

“We are aware,” Mr. Moyer wrote, “that, in the past, efforts of our government to deal with the Palestine problem have been made difficult and complicated by special pleading, domestic pressure groups, partial to one of the foreign states in the area. We express our fervent hope that, at this time of Middle East crisis, you and your associates may be free of such pressures and we pledge you our own best endeavors to assist in the creation of such an atmosphere of freedom. “

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