Lehman Says U.S. Pursuing “disastrously Wrong” Policy in Middle East

Sen. Herbert H. Lehman charged last night that the United States Government was pursuing a “disastrously wrong” policy in the Middle East which, he said, will benefit only Moscow in the long run.

Sen. Lehman said that the present policy of the U.S., which he characterized as “playing second fiddle to the misguided Arab-Asian bloc,” has helped to establish a situation far worse for Israel. Britain, France and the United States.

The Society for the Prevention of World War III, in an open letter to President Eisenhower, attacked today his omission of Israel from the list of countries he named last week upon whom an attack by Syria or the Soviet Union would be viewed by the U.S. with utmost gravity. Noting that Israel, not the Bagdad powers, is the first target of the USSR and Syria, the Society’s letter, published as an advertisement in this morning’s papers, declared:

“Since the United States, Russia and the Arab states have made common cause against Israel in recent weeks, is there not the explicit danger that your unfortunate omission of reference to Israel could be exploited by the Arab states to obliterate Israel?” The letter urged the President, in the name of peace, to tell the world that he would view an attack on Israel “with the utmost gravity.”