American contributions to Israel’s development through the United States Operations Mission in Israel are depicted in a report issued here by the USOM emphasising the cooperation which exists between the United States and Israel and how the two nations pool their resources “to make a better way of life for the people of Israel.
The report points out that American official aid to Israel began in 1952 under the Marshall Plan and has continued since. It has involved the spending of large sums of money–both Israel and American–and the use of technical skills, again by both nations
“A vast program of development was undertaken, much of which has been completed today.” the report says. “Still, great work remains to be done, and the two nations go forward together to achieve the desired results. ” The report stresses achievements in Israel under the American Program of Economic and Technical Assistance.
“The American Program of Economic and Technical Assistance to Israel, ” the report states, “is designed to help in the complex and challenging task faced by the Government and the people of Israel in fully developing Israel’s natural and human resources for the welfare of its own people, and to enable the State of Israel to achieve and maintain its permanent place among the family of free nations. “
The report presents a picture showing that since 1952 many Israel industries have shared in Israel-American assistance funds. These included textile mills, a paper mill, grain mills and silos, iron industries, phosphate and potash industries, chemicals and fertilizer plants, food processing industries and many others.
“The Government of Israel and the United States have undertaken a great variety of industrial and mining activities, ” the report says. “While most of the American assistance has gone into loans made either to public or private firms, sizeable sums have been made as-grants for extension and improvements of Israel’s national communications network and in the development of mineral deposits in the Negev. “
The report says that Power House South in Israel, designed to serve the growing needs of Israel’s contemplated port and industrial area in the Ashdod Yam vicinity, has utilized over 25, 000, 000 Israeli pounds in construction loans of U. S. Government origin. It also stresses that Israel’s present-day network of electricity generation, transmission lines and transformer stations “have been made possible, to a great extent, by loans of over 40, 000, 000 Israeli pounds through American-generated funds. “
The report also outlines USOM aid given for the extension of telephone service in Tel Aviv, Haifa, Jerusalem and other Israel cities. The grant for this program amounted to 2, 400,000 Israeli pounds. Smaller grants also were made to Israel’s radio and postal system.
The construction of the Yarkon-Negev pipeline–some 65 miles long–was made possible through USOM, the report points out. It reveals that of the 50,000,000 Israeli pounds which this project cost, about 33, 000, 000 pounds were covered from Israel-American funds.
The American assistance program in Israel has also made possible grants for improving airport facilities both at Lydda and Eilat, and of the landing facilities at Eilat, the report states. Over 3, 000, 000 Israeli pounds of American-generated funds have also been expended on improving and expanding harbor facilities at Haifa, Jaffa and Kishon, and much has been contributed to improve Israel’s railway system and roads.
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.
