American arms should not be sent to the Middle East unless it is certain that they will be used to strengthen the security of the area and not to promote aggression or to create local military imbalances, the American Jewish Committee declared today at the close of its two-day meeting of its national executive committee at the Hotel Roosevelt.
While commending the constructive actions by the United States Government in the Middle East, the AJC cautioned that military aid is not the most pressing need in the area at this time. “The primary needs of the Middle East,” the AJC declaration stated,” are economic aid, technical assistance, improvement of education and general raising of living standards.
“Military aid should be given in support of a unified defense system, in accordance with our established policies in other regions of the world, as in Europe and Southeast Asia. To the extent that this is not immediately feasible in the Middle East, the United States should make separate agreements with all nations in that area willing to participate, looking forward to subsequent integration into such a unified system.”
The American Jewish Committee statement said that if arms are given to the Middle East it should be done on the following basis: 1. The present relative military strength should be respected, to avoid disturbing the present balance; 2. Firmer assurances of peace on the part of the three Western Powers which signed the 1950 tripartite declaration, guaranteeing the existing Arab-Israel borders, should be given; 3. Each of the countries of the Near East should be dealt with without discrimination and in accordance with its willingness to contribute to the common defense of the area.
Continued anti-Semitism in Soviet Russia and rising Arab nationalism in North Africa have placed the lives of nearly 3,000,000 Jews in jeopardy, Irving M. Engel, president of the American Jewish Committee, reported to the executive committee. He also warned of a stepped-up Arab propaganda campaign in the United States, which frequently contains anti-Semitic overtones.
Jacob Blaustein, honorary president of the Committee, told the meeting that peace in the Middle East can be strengthened only if Israel is included in an American-sponsored security system in that area. He urged economic aid for all the nations of the area without exception, and if arms are given to any nation, the balance of military aid be maintained between the Arab countries and Israel.
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