Dayan Does Not Consider Nov. 10 a Black Day for Jews, Zionists

Israel’s former Defense Minister Moshe Dayan said here last night that he did not regard Nov. 10 as a “black day” because of the series of anti-Israel, anti-Zionist resolutions adopted on that date by the United Nations General Assembly.

“I don’t think it was a black day for Jews or Zionists because we are experienced with problems and we have practiced handling hostility and misunderstanding for 4000 years,” he said. Dayan added that “The future of Israel will be decided on the farm, fields, and if necessary, on the battle-fields of Israel the fate of Zionism will be decided in the hearts of the Jewish people.”

Dayan spoke at a press conference here prior to addressing a private major gifts meeting initiating the 1976 campaign of the Jewish United Fund of Metropolitan Chicago. The meeting, attended by 93 local Jewish leaders, raised $6.25 million, a record sum and a record attendance for such a kickoff meeting according to United Fund chairman Harry Fox.

The former Defense Minister commented on a variety of subjects. He said the Palestinian problem should be solved by resettlement of the Palestinians in the Arab countries and Israel would pay compensation to them for any land and property left behind. He contrasted this with the 800,000 Jews from Arab countries who resettled in Israel with no compensation whatsoever for the property they left behind.

Dayan said he was not concerned with improved relations between the U.S. and Egypt as long as that was not at Israel’s expense. He said Israel wanted to purchase Pershing long-range missiles from the U.S. in order to have a second strike capability, meaning the ability to hit back at Cairo or Damascus should the Arabs attack Israeli civilian centers with their Soviet-made “Scud” missiles. Dayan said Israel had no intention of arming the Pershings with nuclear warheads.