Congressmen Assert Israel is Assured of Continued Aid from Administration

Leaders of both parties in the House have assured the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) of support for the defense of Israel and its efforts to resettle Soviet Jewish refugees. Majority Leader Thomas P. O’Neill (D. Mass.) told the approximately 300 delegates to AIPAC’s annual policy conference that U.S. military assistance to Israel “represents a mandate from the American people to insure the existence of Israel in a hostile environment.”

Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford (R.Mich.) said that the Nixon Administration “is selling Israel four squadrons of combat jets and is helping the Israelis set up production of an advanced jet fighter of their own design.” These additional American warplanes, he continued, “will keep pace with shipments of Soviet aircraft to Syria and Egypt and of French aircraft to Libya. By the end of this year, Israel is due to have about 120 F-4’s and by the middle of next year about 200 A-4’s.”

Ford said U.S. “backing for Israel should continue at the levels of recent years through military credits, supporting assistance, and grants to resettle immigrants.” He added that “we reject any diplomatic concept that would call upon our friends, the Israelis, to negotiate with the United States rather than Egypt on the territorial question.”

Israeli Foreign Minister Abba Eban arrived in Washington today for a busy round of engagements beginning with a dinner tonight at the home of Israeli Ambassador and Mrs. Simcha Dinitz. Tomorrow Eban will meet behind closed doors with members of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Later he will confer with Secretary of State William P. Rogers at the State Department. Between these meetings he will address an Israel Bond Organization rally at the Madison Hotel. Guests at tonight’s dinner will include top Administration officials, Senators, national Jewish leaders, newspaper columnist Joseph Alsop and Mrs. Katherine Graham, publisher of the Washington Post.