401 House Members Sign Resolution Urging General Assembly to Repudiate Third Committee Anti-zionist

Demonstrating a tremendous outpouring of sympathy and support for Israel and the Jewish people, 401 of the 435 members of the House of Representatives had signed as of today the resolution introduced earlier this week urging the UN General Assembly to repudiate the UN Third Committee’s draft equating Zionism with racism.

A preliminary tabulation of the resolution’s sponsors showed that 269 Democrats and 132 Republicans from all 50 states and the four areas–Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia, Guam and the Virgin Islands–with delegates in the House have joined in asking the Assembly “to disapprove” the action of the Third Committee “if and when it is presented for a vote.” It is expected that the Third Committee’s action, adopted by a coalition of Communist, Arab and Third World nations, may come before the Assembly in November.

The 401 signers, in the House represent what is believed to be a historically record number to sign a resolution. “I did not think anybody could get 401 House members to agree on anything,” a Capitol legislative specialist told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. The Senate has an identical bi-partisan resolution which it is expected to consider next week:

Rep. Sidney Yates (D.III) was credited with “an amazing personal achievement” for the success of the resolution of which he was a prime mover. Working ceaselessly among his colleagues, Yates personally canvassed members all this week in their offices and in the Capitol itself to tell them the meaning of the UN action. “He literally did it alone,” an observer told JTA. “He probably can get five or ten more sponsors but many of the 34 not yet on the list are ill at home, in hospitals or away on business in their districts or abroad.”