The Israel Government was urged last night that “for its own economic future, it should afford in Israel a genuinely healthy climate for private enterprise.”
Addressing a testimonial dinner given in his honor by the Palestine Economic Corporation at the Hotel Waldorf-Astoria, Jacob Blaustein, honorary president of the American Jewish Committee, said that “it is essential to Israel that private enterprise be actively promoted. ” More than 400 business and Jewish communal leaders heard the former president of the American Jewish Committee assert that “if Israel could stand on her own feet, economically strong and self-dependent, then the grave political problems that confront her would be much closer to solution.”
Mr. Blaustein added that an “Israel which has achieved self-dependent economic stability” would be in a “better position to cope with the enmity of the Arab world. As our own Government has said, ” he continued, “Israel is here to stay and no amount of Arab hostility can undermine its basic strength.”
Other speakers at the dinner included Edward R. Murrow, the distinguished news analyst; Avraham Harman, Israel’s Consul-General in New York; Robert Szold, chairman of the board of the P.E.C.; Ernest Nathan, executive vice-president of the P. E. C.; Dewey D. Stone and Alan M. Stroock, P. E. C. directors.
The Palestine Economic Corporation, established 29 years ago, is the largest American development company operating in Israel. The Corporation maintains a network of industrial, commercial, real estate and banking enterprises throughout Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
