Sen. Richard S. Schweiker (R. Pa.) strongly criticized President Carter’s Middle East policy today and called upon Carter to provide evidence that the new arms deal will result in real movement toward peace. In a speech before the national executive committee of the Zionist Organization of America at the Washington Hilton, Schweiker said, “The President was dead wrong to link the supply of arms to Israel with the supply at arms to Arab states.
“I believe President Carter’s decision will harden the decisions of both sides, “he said.”I now call upon him to provide us with evidence that his package arms deal will result in real movement toward peace in the Middle East.” Schweiker expressed fear that “the President was tragically wrong” in assuring Congress and the American people that chances for peace would be improved if the “arms for peace” package was approved. “At a sensitive critical time like this we need more than ever to make our commitment to Israel loud and clear,” he said.
Schweiker said that “We ought to start treating Israel as an ally and a friend not a country to be pressured.” He said “what most disturbs me today is that, while I believe President Carter is sincerely interested in bringing about peace in the Middle East, many of his Administration actions can be interpreted as a weakening of our commitment to Israel.”
Ivan J. Novick, chairman of the national executive committee, urged Carter to “keep the faith with Israel, the American Jewish community and with his own campaign promises.”
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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.
