Israel Embassy in Washington Repudiates Report Nixon Called It for Help

Sources at the Israel Embassy denied today that the Nixon Administration ever called on the Embassy to restrain American Jews from demonstrating against French President Georges Pompidou when he visited the U.S. in February. New York Times reporter Robert H. Phelps claimed in a story today-that President Nixon became concerned that demonstrations against M. Pompidou might grow worse during his visit to New York City. “Leonard Garment, the President’s special consultant for arts and civil rights…called the Embassy and asked for help,” Mr. Phelps wrote. “Shlomo Argov, who as Minister is the embassy’s second-ranking officer, called the New York Consulate, which in turn called American Jewish leaders.” The Embassy source told JTA, “Garment didn’t call. Argov didn’t call. The New York Consulate didn’t call American Jewish leaders.” The Embassy source also denied Mr. Phelps assertion that “some evidence” of Israeli control of American Jewish organizations was contained in the fact that news stories of possible demonstrations against M. Pompidou broke in Israel two weeks before they appeared in the U.S. Citing a JTA dispatch from Jerusalem dated Jan. 18 the Embassy source said it was “natural” that such news would circulate in Israel first.

I.L. Kenen, chairman of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee, told the JTA that the New York Times story “tended to underestimate the activities and pressures of some of the more powerful pro-Arab organizations and forces in this country.” An official of a major American Jewish organization who asked not to be identified, said, “Poor-mouthing the Arabs is not useful because in the last few years the Arabs have become rather sophisticated propagandists.” He noted their “substantial success” on campuses and with left-oriented groups. According to this spokesman, the reason for the apparent success of the Israel lobby in Washington is that “in the last few years the Israeli and Jewish positions have been consistent with U.S. policy.” Another Jewish figure mentioned in the Times’ story by Robert H. Phelps said he thought the article gave an “exaggerated picture” of the Israeli Government trying to mould opinion in this country.