Dayan Says Israel is Not Mobilizing; Truman Urges Firm U.S. Policy

General Moshe Dayan, the military leader who routed the Egyptian Armies in the Sinai Campaign in the winter of 1956, declared today that Israel is not mobilizing her army despite the fact that the Arabs are moving their forces closer to Israel’s borders. At the same time, former President Harry S. Truman today urged the United States to adopt a firm policy to bring about a settlement of the conflict between the Arab states and Israel.

Speaking at a dinner in his honor which climaxed the International Inaugural Conference for State of Israel Bonds, the Israel military leader, who is now Israel’s Minister of Agriculture, told more than 1,900 delegates from the United States and Canada that Israel was confident of her ability to defend herself against any attack.

“If the Arabs started a war now, I have no doubt that they would lose it. That is why we can allow ourselves in Israel not to mobilize our army even when the Arabs are moving their forces toward our borders, and this is the reason why no special measures are taken in Israel. People can go on living their every-day lives in confidence,” said the Israel General who sliced through Egyptian forces to within reach of the Suez Canal in a 100-hour military operation.

However, General Dayan warned that it “would be a fatal mistake” to ignore the fact that the Arab states are receiving a steady flow of arms. “We see a steady flow of arms coming to the Arab countries and we hear Nasser declaring again and again his desire and aim to destroy Israel,” he said, “It would be a fatal mistake if just because he is not strong enough now, we should ignore what is happening around us.”

In a plea for support of the Israel Bond campaign in 1960, General Dayan said: “The story of the last eleven years is clear. They tried to destroy us; they tried to choke our economic growth by boycott and blockade. They failed. We are stronger now than we were then. We are stronger because we rose to the challenge, And so it can be in the future. We can use all the water in our territory and bring it down to the Negev to Beersheba. There is nothing to stop us if we pobl all of our strength in a mutual effort. It must be done and we have it in our power to do it whether they like it or not.”

TRUMAN INDICATES NEED: TO SETTLE PALESTINE REFUGEES IN ARAB LANDS

Referring to the recurrence of crises in the Middle East, Mr. Truman said: “The bitter tension between the State of Israel and its Arab neighbors can be eased by the use of the Tigris, Euphrates and Nile Valley. Our nation has a duty, an obligation to use its influence to bring about a settlement of this conflict. I hope that our policy will be firm on this point.”

The mention of the ancient waterways was interpreted as an obvious reference to the utilization of economic development as a means of resolving the problem of resettlement of the Palestine Arab refugees which has stood in the way of peace in the Middle East. The former President of the United States praised the State of Israel for its humanitarian achievements in the rescue of many hundreds of thousands of survivors of oppression in European lands.

Recalling his role in the creation of the State of Israel in 1948, Mr. Truman, who was the first head of state to recognize the independence of Israel, declared: “I felt then and I feel now that this act of national recognition of the new-born State of Israel was no more than was required under the circumstances of the President of the United States. I felt then and I still feel that it was not only the right thing to do but it was the best thing to do in the long-range interest of our country.

“The claims of the Jews were just and it would have been an eternal reproach to mankind if they had not been recognized.” he said. At the same time he pointed out that while the United States has been in favor of the independence of Israel and worked for its establishment as a nation, “we have not discriminated against any of the other countries of the Near East.”

“Since World War II we have supplied the Arab States with technical assistance and economic aid. We strongly believe that they should grow in strength and stability and we have shown that we are willing to help them do it.” he declared. Economic aid to Israel through Israel bonds, Mr. Truman said, “forms part of the broader program through which we seek to strengthen democracy in all parts of the world through wise and well organized economic assistance.

“We in America, having shared in the development of Israel, have reason to take pride in its achievements. We must recognize our responsibilities to continue our economic partnership with the people of Israel, which is so effectively expressed in the Israel Bond campaign,” the former President stated. Calling attention to Israel’s devotion to peace, Mr. Truman said that “although Israel has had to maintain strong defenses since its first day, it has never turned away from its primary dedication to pioneering and development.”

The dinner at which Mr. Truman and Gen. Dayan were the principal speakers marked the official launching of the 1960 campaign to sell $75, 873,550 in State of Israel Bonds for the country’s economic development. Samuel Rothberg, national chairman of Trustees of the Israel Bond Organization, announced that subscriptions for the inauguration of the new drive for 1960 amounted to the record figure of $19,259,000.

Speakers at the concluding session of the four-day conference, in addition to Mr. Truman, General Dayan and Mr. Rothberg, were Avraham Harman, Ambassador of Israel to the United States; Abraham Feinberg, president of the Israel Bond Organization; Lawrence G. Laskey, chairman of the national executive committee; Colonel Jacob M. Arvey, honorary chairman of the Chicago Israel Bond drive; D. Lou Harris of Toronto, national chairman for Canada, and Samuel Oritt, chairman for Greater Miami.