Congressional Committee Issues Report on Arab-israel Relations

The House Foreign Affairs Committee today issued a special report on Arab-Israel relations submitted by Rep. Jacob K. Javits, of New York, who recently visited the Jewish state as member of a Congressional group which studied conditions in various countries abroad.

The report said that Israel would accept a place in the projected Middle East Command “without question and without demy” were it not for the refusal to participate of the Arab States and the resulting reluctance of the United States, Great Britain, France and Turkey to invite Israel to join. “It is important to keep the people of Israel assured that their interests will not be jeopardized by the Middle East Command and that in due course there will be a place for Israel in it,” the report emphasized.

“Peace as contrasted with the present state of armistice between Israel and the Arab states seems unlikely for some time,” the report said, “but planning and working in terms of the Near East region on the part of Israel, the United States, the United Nations and other interested parties will establish more favorable conditions for peace than have existed.”

The solution of the Arab refugee problem, the report stated, “should be based on resettlement of the refugees in under populated areas, notably like those in Syria, Iraq, and Jordan, including the purchase of lands for this purpose when necessary. To this effort Israel can be expected to contribute materially but the cooperation of the surrounding Arab states is essential.”

Another conclusion of the report was that “U.S. Government aid to Israel and the Arab states should be based upon the test of performance by each participating country in contributing to the security, economic development, and strengthening of free institutions in the Near East region and should emphasize as soon as practicable a regional development program.”