Senator Kenneth B. Keating, New York Republican, charged today in a Senate speech that the Administration continues to oppose direct Arab-Israel peace negotiations to avert war in the Near East, citing a communication from Assistant Secretary of State Frederick G. Dutton.
Mr. Dutton told Senator Keating that “On the subject of direct negotiations, the United States would very much like to see Israel and its neighbors come together for a resolution of their differences, in questions of armament as in other fields. We favor this means of settling disputes whenever there is a promise of a constructive outcome.
“When there is no such promise, as must regretfully be concluded in the case of the Arab-Israel dispute, an attempt to force such negotiations would heighten the very tensions which the quiet diplomacy of the United States in that area seeks to ease,” Mr. Dutton continued. “It is by this path, by whittling away at specific issues, that United States influence can most effectively be used to create conditions that will offer the possibility of a constructive advance ultimately to a negotiated just Arab-Israel peace.”
Senator Keating attacked American policy in the Near East, stating that “by encouraging the Arab union, by failing to act decisively to discourage the arms build-up in the Arab world, the Middle East is on the verge of an explosion which could engulf the whole world.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
