A House subcommittee was urged to support proposed legislation for future joint United States-Israeli development assistance projects in Third World countries since “the results should be an enhancement of the human condition at a very modest cost to the United States.”
“Considerable benefit will rebound to Israel, developing Third World nations, and the United States, potentially establishing a model for trilateral development assitance and cooperation for other nations to follow,” said Dr. Jeffrey James, an adjunct professor at the American University here, with wide experience in development assistance in Third World ountries.
James testified last Thursday along with two other experts on the subject before the House Foreign Affairs Committee’s subcommittee on Europe and the Middle East. The proposed $20 million joint project is aimed at programs in Black African and Central American nations.
In urging passage of the legislation, H. R. 5425, James said, “Our identification with and support for Israel’s development activities, and importantly our approval of such activities by the Secretary of State, are appropriate and of fundamental importance. The linkages establishing this development fund would be positive, in America’s interest, and likely to be of great potential value to us in other areas of cooperation with Israel in the future.”
ISRAEL EXPERIENCE IN THIRD WORLD
Yitzhak Abt, director of the Center for International Development, a division of Israel’s Agriculture Ministry, told the subcommittee that Israel has carried out in the past projects in Third World nations. “Israel is asked to offer specialized training in many fields, “he said. “Some programs have been carried out in the Carribean, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Israel also participated with many developing countries in sharing applied research activites.”
Abt noted that courses have been given in Israel on 24 different subjects and that 500 to 800 people are trained in agriculture in Israel yearly. Israel also conducts on the spot training courses in different countries on subjects chosen by these host nations, Abt told the Congressional panel.
“The thrust of our assistance is obviously connected to our environment, our conditions, and to our limitations, ” Abt said. “Perhaps the most important aspect of Israel’s assistance will be in the field of agricultural development in those regions that need to apply irrigation.”
PRIVATE SECTOR ENCOURAGED
He noted that the private sector will be encouraged to participate in these projects as well so that greater sums than the proposed U.S. funding for the project will be generated, and also that such projects will stimulate greater local employment where they are conducted.
Dr. Myman Gitelson, president of International Consultants, Inc., an independent consulting firm, said that in her evaluation and academic work in Third World nations, she met with many Africans and others who have benefited in the past from Israel’s agricultural aid. Citing the poverty, malnutrition and disease in many countries, she stated:
“We in the United States are fortunate that we can help to alleviate such problems by reaching out to people in developing countries with assistance programs. We have enormously capable Americans who are assisting in developing projects. In addition, we can operate with support projects by drawing on the expertise of those with specific knowledge and ability for people of particular needs in the developing countries.”
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