An important member of the Senate Appropriations Committee served notice on the Senate floor today that he will “oppose any further appropriations for military aid to the Arab states, unless and until there is some clarification and improvement in the present situation.”
Sen. Warren C. Magnuson, Democrat of Washington, expressed hope that the State Department will decide to withhold further arms shipments to Iraq “until it has publicly declared that it is ready to live at peace with Israel.” He told the Senate “there has not been the slightest sign of an improvement” in Iraq’s attitude toward Israel. “On the contrary,” he said, “their leaders appear to be more belligerent than ever and they make no secret of their determination to reverse their defeat of 1948.”
The Senator reported there was “already evidence that these arms will not achieve their alleged purpose for the first consignment brought us a reaction of disappointment.” He said Middle Eastern peace was prejudiced because the Administration ships munitions to Iraq without requiring that Iraq abandon its hostility against Israel. He expressed doubt as to whether the Administration policy in that area is in the “best national interest” of the United States.
The United States, he said, could do more with economic assistance and Point Four “than by passing out guns to the palace guard.” He asked “how can we be sure that our guns won’t be used to repel democratic change and to repress the majority#”
SEN. MAGNUSON STRESSES BAR TO ADMISSION OF U.S. JEWS TO IRAQ
“While we vote to send arms to Iraq–arms which are to be paid for by all our taxpayers–we should bear in mind that some of our taxpayers are not permitted to enter Iraq.” Sen. Magnuson continued. “No Jews-whether they be Israelis, or whether they be British Jews or whether they be American Jews-are permitted to go into this country.”
He reminded the Senate that Iraq “was the one state in the Near East which was so much dominated by Nazi influence that it went over to the Nazi side in 1941; and its army, which has never given any respectable account of itself, either in World War II or in the Iraq invasion of Israel had to be subjugated by small Allied detachments.”
The Iraqi, he said, have never seemed to get over the effects of Nazi propaganda “for they have always been virulently anti-Israel and anti-Jewish. They still refuse to sign an armistice agreement with Israel.” He stressed the fact that the ancient Jewish population of Baghdad was the victim of mass murders in 1941 and that Jews have been publicly hanged in Baghdad within recent years. “In 1951, the entire Jewish community of 120,000 which lived in the area far longer than the Arabs, fled to Israel, leaving homes and possessions behind,” he emphasized.
Sen. Magnuson said that he hoped he would be joined in his opposition to American arms for the Arabs by members of both political parties. He indicated, however, he would vote for the current foreign aid bill.
SEN. MORSE QUESTIONS WISDOM OF MILITARY AID TO IRAQ
Sen. Wayne Morse, of Oregon, told the Senate that he questions the wisdom of American military aid to Iraq. He expressed the belief that the Middle Eastern problem might largely be solved through economic assistance. “The solution is not to be found in stirring up animosities which are bound to be stirred up by giving military aid,” he declared.
Sen. Morse revealed he had cast a dissenting vote when the foreign aid bill was before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee because of the failure to earmark funds for the Near East. He demanded that foreign aid, particularly arms expenditures in the Near East be clearly earmarked. “I think the American people are entitled to know the purpose of those expenditures.” he told the Senate.
Sen. George H. Bender, Ohio Republican, similarly expressed disagreement with the Administration’s policy of arming the Arabs before they make peace with Israel. He said he thought the U.S. arms agreement with Iraq was a mistake. He expressed fear that it “endangers” Israel and may lead to an arms race deteriorating chances for peace.
He stressed that the arming of any Arab state before it adopts a peaceful attitude toward Israel will make peace more difficult. He said he was in agreement with the late Republican leader, Sen Robert A. Taft, in urging the avoidance of a Near Eastern arms race.
SENATOR LEHMAN WANTS ARMS TO BE SENT TO ISRAEL
Sen. Herbert H. Lehman, participating in the Senate debate, said if arms aid for Iraq is to continue, similar aid should go to Israel. He urged that the United States guarantee Israel’s territorial integrity and serve notice that it would defend Israel against external aggression. Hope was voiced by Sen. Lehman that the United States economic aid to Israel would not be used as a medium of applying political pressure against Israel.
Sen. Hubert H. Humphrey, Minnesota Democrat, urged that development assistance funds for the Middle East and particularly Israel be increased. Sen. Humphrey, who is a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said he believed funds should be increased for Israel, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and Libya.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
