The Israel office of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith issued a statement yesterday expressing shock and bewilderment “by the personal attacks on Premier Menachem Begin attributed to various leaders of the opposition Labor Party.” The statement said that as “an American Jewish organization concerned with attaining and ensuring maximum American support for Israel,” it could state that “these statements are damaging to Israel in the U.S.”
Continuing, the statement declared: “It is unfortunate that a serious national debate on the nature of peace has been turned into ad hominem attacks on the Premier of Israel. We regret that this has occurred, for it will only make our efforts in behalf of Israel in the U.S. that much more difficult. In this critical period, we urge that the legitimate debate on the future of the Israel-Arab relationship be confined to that which is relevant, and not be lowered into dangerous personal attacks on Israeli government leaders.”
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