Church Says Congress is Committed to Israel’s Survival

Sen. Frank Church (D.Idaho) charged tonight that the Administration has sought to create the impression that because Congress refused to provide “eleventh-hour military aid” to Cambodia and South Vietnam this has created doubt toward the American commitment elsewhere, especially Israel. “There is no foundation whatever for this insinuation,” he declared.

“The United States is committed to the survival of the State of Israel not only because it is morally right but because a strong and independent Israel is in the American national interest,” Church told more than 300 persons attending a dinner of the Accountants Division of the United Jewish Appeal-Federation of Jewish Philanthropies joint campaign. The dinner, at which some $2 million was pledged, honored New York State Comptroller Arthur Levitt for “a lifetime of dedication to public service and humanitarian endeavors.”

Church pledged that Congress “is going to ensure that Israel has the wherewithal to defend itself, One does not pressure a friend by trifling with its survival.” The Senator is chairman of the Senate Multinational Subcommittee which recently released copies of an Arab boycott list of firms which do business with Israel, which have prominent Jewish ownership or which have contributed funds to Israel.

U.S. BOWING TO SAUDI DEMANDS

He said his investigation in connection with the boycott list revealed that “the U.S. economic involvement in Saudi Arabia is massive. But a prerequisite of that involvement is compliance with Saudi conditions…. The Administration sounds an uncertain trumpet. Indeed, the only signal that comes through loud and clear is, ‘Give the Saudis whatever they want, American law, American custom be damned,’ The policy of this Administration is one of acquiescence and appeasement.”

Church said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers submits to the Saudi government lists of American firms bidding on projects “so that the Saudis may determine which ones are barred by the blacklist.” But he said that “more insidious than the boycott itself is the potential temptation of American firms…to avoid having American citizens of Jewish faith in prominent management positions for fear of being placed at a competitive disadvantage.”

Other speakers included Harry R. Mancher, Accountants Division chairman, William M. Landau, a vice-chairman of the Accountants Division and Herbert M. Paul, chairman of the accounting profession’s participation in the New York Jewish communities’ current “Mobilization for Survival.”