Republican Senator Jacob K. Javits of New York today introduced an amendment to the Foreign Assistance Act of 1962 requiring the Secretary of State to report annually to Congress on steps taken to counter Arab discrimination against American citizens.
The Javits amendment, offered on the Senate floor in the opening day of debate on the Foreign Aid Bill, was co-sponsored by seven other Senators. It is identical to an, amendment offered in the House Foreign Affairs Committee last month by Democratic Congressman Leonard Farbstein of New York.
The House version of the Foreign Assistance Act was reported out earlier today by a 23-3 vote of the House Foreign Affairs Committee which kept intact the Farbstein amendment The House unit’s action was the final step before the legislation comes to the House floor for debate. The Farbstein amendment in the House bill is aimed specifically at Arab discrimination against American Jews and Jewish-owned businesses.
The Senate Bill, which was reported out last week by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is designed to extend for another year last year’s foreign aid appropriations measure and contained no new reference to discrimination. The present bill includes a clause expressing “the sense of Congress” that discrimination against Americans on the basis of race, creed or religion “is repugnant to our principles.”.
Joining Sen, Javits in offering his amendment in the Senate were four Republicans — Prescott Bush of Connecticut, Kenneth Keating of New York, Thomas Kuchel of California, and Hugh Scott of Pennsylvania, and three Democrats — Joseph Clark of Pennsylvania, Paul Douglas of Illinois and Wayne Morse of Oregon.
SEN, JAVITS DELIVERS SEATHING SPEECH; ASKS FOR GOVERNMENT ACTION
In a scathing speech denouncing Arab discrimination, Sen. Javits told the Senate that “the increasing number of American firms and individuals dealing with Israel who are directly affected by the Arab blacklist and boycott makes it necessary for the United States to repudiate and condemn any measures by foreign countries to interfere with the rights and privileges of United States citizens. Such discrimination, said Javits, “is especially offensive when it is practiced by nations who receive assistance under the provisions of the foreign aid program.
In addition to calling for periodic anti-discrimination progress reports from the Secretary of State, Sen. Javits reminded his colleagues that Congress has previously denounced Arab discrimination as “repugnant to our principles,” and asked that “in all negotiations between the United States and any foreign state arising as a result of funds appropriated under this title these principles shall be applied as the President may determine.’
Sen. Javits also told the Senate that Arab Boycott and interference with U.S. Commerce and travel “have been growing into full-scale economic warfare against the State of Israel in an effort to isolate and destroy it. Added Sen. Javits: “But the issue on this amendment is that of threats to blacklist American businessmen, to discourage air and shipping lines from entering Israel, and to refuse to honor the American passport when its holder is Jewish; and not the Arab-Israeli conflict.”
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