Non-Jewish support for Israel was expressed in concrete terms last night when more than $3.5 million in Israel Bonds was mobilized to honor Thomas M. Macioce, president and chief executive officer of Allied Stores Corporation, at a national Israel Bond dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.
More than 800 friends and associates of Macioce gathered to witness the presentation of the Prime Minister’s Medal, Israel’s highest civilian service award, to the department store executive for his staunch support of Israel and the Bond Organization. The medal was presented by Simcha Dinitz, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, who was a principal speaker.
Dinitz told the assembled group that “now that the Israel government has accepted the working paper that was drafted with the United States, it has done its level best to reconvene the Geneva conference. It is up to the Arabs to exercise the same attitude of flexibility, so that we can all go to Geneva and negotiate freely for the conclusion of peace treaties. Together, we should resist obstructionism that may come from radical quarters such as the PLO, which continues to espouse the destruction of Israel.”
Dinitz asserted that Israel is “very serious about achieving a just and lasting peace. Since we honestly believe that we are guardians of Jewish independence, it is not given to us to play tricks or games of public opinion or popularity with this precious treasure that has been given into our hands to be kept.” Israel, Dinitz added, is “going to make the maximum effort to break the log jam, to move the negotiating process forward.”
Tonight, as a further demonstration of support for Israel by Jews and non-Jews, several hundred persons will gather together at the Plaza Hotel to pay tribute to Morry Axelrod, senior vice-president of Thrifty Drug Stores, at another national Israel Bond dinner. Axelrod will be the recipient of the Prime Minister’s Medal, which will be presented to him by Gideon Patt, Israel’s Minister of Housing. This dinner is expected to produce more than $2 million in Bond sales for Israel’s economic growth.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
