Major U.S. Jewish Groups Continue to Voice Concern over Arab-israel Crisis

Major Jewish and Zionist organizations continued today to voice concern over the Middle East crisis, particularly the withdrawal of the United Nations Emergency Force from the Israeli-Egyptian border and Egyptian President Nasser’s threat to close the Tiran Straits to Israeli African-Asian transit.

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, representing 21 national religious and secular groups, sent a message to Israeli Prime Minister Levi Eshkol voicing its “deep sense of solidarity” with the people of Israel in the crisis. Conference chairman Joachim Prinz sent a message to President Johnson urging him “to make known to the world now America’s commitment to safeguard Israel’s territorial integrity and security.”

The Union of American Hebrew Congregations, the national association of Reform synagogues, and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reform rabbinical group, sent a joint telegram to President Johnson asking for a “clear-cut affirmation” of United States intention to help safeguard Israel’s integrity and to maintain full rights of passage in the Tiran Straits. The UAHC also sent a message to all member congregations, urging a special prayer this Sabbath for Middle East peace.

Jacques Torczyner, president of the Zionist Organization of America, sent an urgent plea to President Johnson, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and leaders of both houses of Congress to “reaffirm unequivocally” the United States commitment to Israel’s security and territorial integrity. The National Committee for Labor Israel adopted a resolution deploring “the precipitate withdrawal” of UNEF when its presence was “most urgently needed to deter Arab military action.” It urged the United States “to take all necessary measures to help reduce the imminent danger of war and turn the present crisis into a new opportunity for achievement of peace and progress in the Middle East.”

The National Council of Jewish Women wired an appeal to President Johnson and said also that “bellicose actions of the Arab countries” could lead to a “major conflagration” which would reverberate “throughout the world.” The Jewish War Veterans asked the Government to reiterate its previously announced intention to protect the territorial integrity of all Middle East nations. The Agudath Israel of America also called on President Johnson to reaffirm the United States commitment “to the 1950 Tripartite Declaration guaranteeing the territorial integrity of Israel against any use of force or threat of force.”