Congressman Deplores Tourist’s Death, Fish Says Arms Shipments Should Be Suspended

The Congressman representing the New York State home county of Miss Anderson said she was an “innocent victim of Arab terrorism.” Rep. Frank Horton. New York Republican, said that he had spoken with the State Department and had confirmed the death of Miss Anderson, the daughter of Gordon B. Anderson and Mrs. Anderson of Rochester, N.Y. The girl’s father is a Republican member of the Monroe County governing body.

Rep. Hamilton Fish, Jr., New York Republican, said today that the killing and wounding of American tourists by military forces of Jordan required that the State Department consider suspension of export licenses for further shipment of U.S. munitions to Jordan. He said that he was particularly concerned about the pending shipment of F-104 fighter jets and other weaponry including tanks and artillery. The Congressman said the Anderson incident indicated that “King Hussein has appeased extremists within his kingdom to a degree that the Jordanian Government seems no longer its own master.”

Rep. Fish doubted the wisdom of continuing U.S. arm shipments contracted in Washington by Jordan during the Johnson Administration. He said that “any military assistance provided to Jordan must be conditioned on strict observance by that state of the cease-fire agreement.” He added that “if such a review had been made…Jordan’s conduct during the last several months would have caused suspension of all contracts and might have inhibited the kind of firing that has now cost the life of an innocent American girl.”

The Central Conference of American Rabbis (CCAR), the organization of Reform rabbis, voted a resolution today at its Houston, Texas convention deploring the death of Miss Anderson and affirming the general safety of Israel as a locale for tourism. “We note with profound shock and sadness that Arab terrorist activities have taken a further toll of civilian life and limb,” the measure said. “We are aware that a crucial aim of such terror is to discourage tourists from coming to Israel to isolate the land and its people.

“Despite this and previous acts, Israel remains a safe and secure land. People walk through its streets and villages day and night with complete confidence. We will continue to urge people everywhere to visit Israel in the future as in the past. “We reaffirm that the CCAR will hold its next convention in Israel in March, and we expect to go there with our families and many of our congregants.” the resolution said.