Njcrac Urges Mass Campaign to Explain Importance of Israel’s Survival to U.S.

The National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council is urging all Jewish community relations agencies to use their resources to convince American public opinion that vital United States interests as well as Israel’s survival are threatened by Soviet intervention in the Middle East. A recommendation to that effect was incorporated in a lengthy report and resolution adopted at the NJCRAC’s plenary session here Sunday. It noted that while most Americans, according to public opinion polls, favor Israel, there is mounting public preoccupation with other foreign issues and domestic crises and especially the continuing war in Indo-China which lead many to oppose U.S. Involvement anywhere in the world, however vital to American interests. “The general American public must understand that America’s vital interests in the Middle East and the cause of peace itself de- pend on our country’s resistance to Soviet pressures and the maintenance of the deterrent strength of Israel,” the NJCRAC declared. It urged that Jewish community efforts be directed specifically toward groups it considered especially susceptible to Soviet-Arab anti-Israel propaganda, mainly young radicals and blacks, and toward Christian groups “unable to grasp the concept of Jewish peoplehood.”

“Friendly attitudes toward Israel and hostile attitudes toward Jews and Judaism–or conversely, friendly attitudes toward Jews and Judaism and hostile attitudes toward Israel–appear to coexist compatibly in the minds of many Christians,” the NJCRAC report said. It found in the staunchly pro-Israel camp Christian evangelical groups and Protestant intellectuals “who are engaged in explicating Christianity’s roots in Judaism.” It also found that local Protestant clergymen are more likely to be favorable toward Israel than the leadership of denominations and church councils. NJCRAC said it was essential for Jewish community agencies to “interpret the significance of Middle East developments to government officials and legislators.” It would have them stress that “in the absence of peace, the best safeguard against wider war is the deterrent military ability of Israel. Our government’s pledge to supply additional supersonic planes to Israel, together with sufficient economic and other aid to sustain Israel’s deterrent ability, should be redeemed without further delay…A binding, just and permanent peace among Israel and the Arab states can be achieved only by direct agreement among the parties.”