House Majority Leader Jim Wright (D. Texas) declared here last night at a celebration of Israel’s 29th anniversary, that “Jerusalem, like peace, is one and cannot exist in fragments” and that the United States “must insist, peace means peace, not in land, but in reconciliation.”
Speaking on behalf of Congress at the Israel Independence Ball at the Washington Hilton Hotel, Wright told the Israelis, “You have given us inspiration” in providing “the most convincing modern demonstration of man’s triumph over an inhospitable environment.” Because of Israel, Wright said, “civilized man need no longer live in fear of mindless terrorism.” With Israel’s burden of taxation “more than twice” that in the United States, he added, “all mankind owes you and all Israel a debt.”
About 1200 attended the black tie affair under the patronage of Israeli Ambassador and Mrs. Simcho Dinitz. It was the largest Independence Ball since these celebrations were begun here in 1956. Among the guests were Mrs. Warren Burger, wife of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court; the Dean of Washington’s diplomatic corps, Nicaraguan Ambassador Guillermo Sevilla-Sacasa; former Argentine Ambassador Alejandro Orfila, now Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS); House Minority Leader John Rhodes (R. Arizona); Robert Lipshutz, Counsel to President Carter; Zbigniew Brzezinski, National Security Affairs Advisor; and Philip Habib, Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs.
Dinitz said “No matter what government” is in power in Israel it will, like “every government continue to pursue peace with the same vigor” that Israel has for 29 years. “Security and peace,” he said, “will continue to remain Israel’s goals in the months ahead.”
Entertainer Frank Sinatra was presented by Dinitz with Israel’s Cultural Award. Sinatra has endowed the International Student Center at Mt. Scopus which, Dinitz declared, “will forever remain a hill for healing and educating people and not as a hill of division as it was before.” Sinatra, in responding, said “Israel will prevail in a world that needs her.”
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.
