A group of delegates to the Republican National Convention today submitted to the Foreign Affairs Committee of the convention a plea for the inclusion of a strong pro-Israel plank in the Republican platform. The group, led by Samuel Abrahams, a New York Republican, urged that the Republican platform should contain the following points:
1. A demand that the Arab states conclude peace treaties with Israel as speedily as possible.
2. The immediate implementation of the Johnston plan to bring about a resurgence of irrigation projects in the area.
3. A mutual security pact between Israel, U.S. Arab League units and other interested Western powers.
4. Shipment of U.S. weapons to Israel to offset the imbalance caused by Red sales to Egypt.
5. International control of the Suez Canal, with free passage for the ships of all nations.
6. A fair resolution of the problem of the Arab refugees, such as payment for confiscated property and loans to the Arab countries for integration and resettlement.
7. A termination of the treaties permitting discriminatory treatment of American Jewish personnel in Saudi Arabia.
8. Continuance of American economic help and Point Four aid to the Arabs and Israelis for constructive internal socio-economic programs, contingent on proof of good will and neighborly cooperation.
9. Encouragement of greater scholarly, cultural and artistic exchanges between the United States and the Middle Eastern nations.
10. The creation of a paramilitary organization, similar to NATO and SEATO, in the Middle East. This could be an enlargement of the Bagdad Pact, with Israel included.
Mr. Abrahams pointed out in his testimony that “the Arabs have clearly evinced their anti-American, anti-Israel, and pro-Russian propensities in their world dealings.” At the same time he pointed out that “Israel has always adhered to the principles of peace, honest relations with other nations and a desire to live up to the moral standards of the United Nations.”
“The Republican Party,” he continued, “has always supported the just claims of Jewry for the restoration of the ancient homeland of Israel. The 1944 resolution sponsored by Senator Robert A. Taft called upon the family of nations to redress an historic wrong by legally recognizing the rights of Jews to the development of Palestine as their national state.”
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.
