Congressional Body ‘deeply Disturbed’ over Arab Action Against U.S. Jews

The House Foreign Affairs Committee has taken vigorous exception to official U.S. tolerance of Arab discrimination against American Jews, publication of the report of the Committee’s Foreign Assistance Bill showed today.

“The Committee was deeply disturbed to receive, during its consideration of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1962, evidence that certain foreign nations continue to make distinctions between American citizens because of color, religion or race in the granting of personal or commercial access and in the exercise of other rights available to American citizens,” the report states. It labels such discrimination “totally unwarranted and repugnant to our principles.”

The report characterizes as a “strong expression” the amendment by Democratic Congressman Leonard Farbstein of New York which the Committee wrote into the bill. The amendment which was included in the measure as cleared today by the House Rules Committee for House debate, reiterates Congressional opposition to Arab discrimination and calls for adherence to the principle of equal rights for all Americans in U.S. negotiations with foreign powers under terms of the aid bill. The amendment provides also for the filing of regular annual reports by the Secretary of State to Congress on steps being taken to counter Arab discrimination.

Democratic Congressman Emanuel Celler of New York told the House of Representatives today that a majority of its members–232–have now attached their names to a resolution he sponsored last month congratulating Israel on its 14th anniversary and calling for an Arab-Israel peace.

Mr. Celler told the House that an additional 61 members signed the statement subsequent to its original sponsorship by 171 members. The New York lawmaker placed in the record the full list of the names of all the signatories who represented every section of the nation.