Details of Arab propaganda in the United States were made public today by Prof. James B. Sheldon, administrative chairman of the Non-Sectarian Anti-Nazi League, addressing a conference of Middle East experts held at the University of Pennsylvania here under the auspices of the Zionist Organization of America.
The conference was also addressed by two members of the Israel delegation to the United Nations. Arthur C. A. Liveran, one of these members, reviewed Israel’s foreign policy against the background of the latest developments in the East-West struggle. He said that as long as the cold war between East and West continues, existing animosity between the Arab states and Israel will be exploited by the bloc interested in using in-stability anywhere to gain domination.
Those intent on blocking such a spread of anti-Western influence in the Middle East must be ready therefore to take countermeasures before it is too late,” Mr Liveran stated. “Common sense dictates that the first step to that end is to recognize clearly who in that area are the friends and who are the actual or potential enemies of the Western democracies. The next step is to realize that in order to strengthen the Western position, the West must aid its supporters and not comfort its enemies. It certainly can not afford to try to appease the latter by sacrificing the interests of the former.”
Arieh Eilan, the other member of the Israel delegation to the United Nations, reported on Israel’s relations with countries of Asia and Africa. He stressed that “the conception of Afro-Asian does not exist as a political reality, as in fact the countries of Asia and Africa have a different historical background and a different set of problems to cope with today. It is only in the United Nations where sometimes, and only sometimes, Asian countries and some African states vote on a common basis.”
ARAB MAINTAIN ELABORATE PROPAGANDA MACHINE IN U.S, NO SHORTAGE OF FUNDS
Prof. Sheldon charged that propaganda agents of the Arab states, including certain domestic organizations that follow their line, have adopted a weird species of double-take designed to make it falsely appear that the “Arab story” is being kept out of the American press because of some kind of presumably “sinister control” exercised to the Israelis.
“The facts are exactly the reverse,” he declared. “Each one of the Arab governments has its own propaganda set-up in this country–and besides, the Arab League maintains an elaborate press relations office, representing the group as a whole. There is no shortage of money here–as everyone who has heard about the oil riches of these land knows.
“In addition, an organization called the Arab Refugee Committee maintains offices in New York, as an agency of four of these governments. This outfit does not hesitate to direct personal and vindictive attacks against respected public figures, even including former President Harry S. Truman, who have dared to act in accord with true American interests in the Middle Eastern area,” Prof. Sheldon said.
Other speakers at the conference included Dr. Nasrollah S, Fatemi, former member of the Iranian Parliament and the Iranian delegation to the United Nations, who reviewed the most recent developments in the Arab world, and Harold P. Manson, executive vice chairman of the ZOA Department of Public Information.
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