The text of the letter Interior Secretary James Watt sent to Israel’s Ambassador Moshe Arens, as provided to the press by Thomas DeRocco, the Interior Department’s Deputy Director of Public Affairs, stated:
It was a delight spending some time with you Sunday evening at dinner. Your remarks were extremely well delivered and interesting.
I appreciate the opportunity of discussing with you the need for a strong energy self-reliant America.
If we do not reduce America’s dependency upon foreign crude energy, there is a great risk that in future years America will be prevented from being the strong protector and friend of Israel that we are and want to be.
If the friends of Israel here in the United States really are concerned about the future of Israel, I believe they will aggressively support the Reagan Administration’s efforts to develop the abundant energy wealth of America in a phased, orderly and environmentally sound way. If the liberals of the Jewish community join with the other liberals of this nation to oppose these efforts, they will weaken our ability to be a good friend of Israel. Your supporters in America need to know these facts.
I look forward to opportunities to speak to groups of your supporters in this nation so that I might share with them the truth of what this Administration is trying to do for America.
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.
