Unity on the planks of the Democratic platform concerning Israel was reached today at a closed meeting of the “Small Platform Committee” of the Democratic National Convention.
The 15-man body which is preparing the party’s political platform for adoption by the Convention, was reported to have reached the following recommendations:
1. The United States should enable Israel to acquire defensive weapons in this country. At the same time, the U.S. Government must reaffirm its adherence to the Tripartite Declaration of 1950 which guarantees the present Arab-Israel borders.
2. The United States should demand that in any international agreement on the Suez Canal issue which may be reached a point should be included guaranteeing that Israeli ships, as well as other ships proceeding to and from Israel, should enjoy the same rights in passing through the Suez Canal as ships of any other nation.
Keynote speaker Frank G. Clement, Governor of Tennessee, told the convention last night that the Republican Administration has “permitted the country of Israel to be placed in jeopardy by ineptness and inactivity and the failure to approach this great problem on a bi-partisan basis.” He asked how long America would permit the Department of State “to ship 18 tanks to Saudi Arabia without the knowledge of the President of the United States.”
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