The AFL-CIO Executive Council called on the administration to “act favorably and promptly” on Israel’s economic and military needs “and thus preserve the balance of power not merely for the sake of Israel but in the interest of preserving world peace and freedom.” The Council, which represents this country’s close to 17 million organized workers, issued a statement yesterday noting that in recent months the crisis in the Middle East has taken a sharp turn for the worse due to the course pursued by the Soviet government in this pivotal area. “Moscow has used the Big Four negotiations solely for gaining more time in which to encourage and arm Nasser and his partners for an eventual war to destroy the State of Israel,” the statement declared. In this situation, “it would be harmful to America’s vital national interests if the administration were to hesitate and continue its delay in providing Israel with adequate economic assistance and the jets and other military equipment it so urgently needs for its defense and self-preservation,” the statement concluded.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.