American Jewish Committee Urges U.S. Not to Arm Middle East

The United States Government was urged today by the American Jewish Committee to cease giving arms aid to any nation in the Middle East “until a more-peaceful situation develops in that troubled area. “

A resolution to this effect was adopted at today’s session of the annual meeting of the AJC national executive attended by 200 leaders from all parts of the country. Another resolution urged the strengthening of the United Nations Palestine truce organization so as to make it a more effective instrument to prevent further clashes between the Arab countries and Israel.

The session also urged the U.S. Government to continue economic aid to all Middle East nations and continue provision for the resettlement of Arab refugees so that the standard of living of Arabs and Israelis alike will be raised. “Economic improvement of all peoples in the area will create conditions conducive to the development of stable governments and democratic institutions,” a resolution stated.

Other resolutions adopted recommended that the American position in the UN should favor an overall review of the current Arab-Israel situation and should use its good offices toward bringing together Israel and the Arab countries for the purpose of transforming the armistice agreements into peace treaties.

SEEKS REINFORCEMENT OF STATEMENT GUARANTEEING ARAB-ISRAEL BORDERS

The American Jewish Committee leaders also urged the U.S. Government “to reinforce and expand, with the cooperation of Great Britain and France, the guarantees of the tripartite declaration of 1950, especially since the Soviet Union continues to block effective action by the United Nations. “

The resolutions were adopted following a report presented last night by Jacob Blaustein, honorary president of the American Jewish Committee, in which he warned that Soviet Russia is exploiting the mounting Israel-Arab tensions for the purpose of creating unrest in the Middle East. Mr. Blaustein emphasized that the Soviet vetoes at the UN Security Council are obstructing the Council’s freedom of constructive action to adjust Arab-Israel disputes.

The executive committee also adopted a resolution deploring the ineffectiveness of the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 which admitted fewer than 100 immigrants of the 219,000 permitted under the law. It urged changes of the law by administrative action and legislative amendment, but noted that “even if those changes are made we cannot regard the Refugee Relief Act of 1953 as an acceptable substitute for the needed revision of our basic immigration and naturalization statute called the McCarran-Walter Act of 1952. “

The executive committee gave formal support to the U.S. Government’s action program to achieve by educational methods the eventual adherence by all countries to the principles of effective protection of human rights.