William Brock and John White, chairmen of the Republican and Democratic parties, respectively, reiterated their parties’ commitment to a “secure and peaceful” Israel, rejected any dealings with the Palestine Liberation Organization, and urged the Jewish community in America to stand behind their respective parties in the 1980. Presidential elections.
Brock and White spoke last night at the Jewish Community Relations Council General Assembly at the Summit Hotel here and answered questions from the audience.
White told the 120 people present that when the Democrats convene in New York next year “there will be a renewed commitment” to Israel’s security and economic prosperity. Brock, expressing the same commitment to Israel on the part of the Republicans, said that “Israel is essential” to America’s security because Israel is strategically important to the United States.
According to Brock, the security of Israel cannot be separated from the global balance of power, “the same way that you cannot separate the U.S. security from the balance of power.” Therefore, Brock warned, If the U.S. is not militarily stronger it will be an “uncertain ally” to Israel.
While White reiterated the Administration position that there will be no U.S. dealings with the PLO until it recognizes Israel’s right to exist and United Nations Security Council Resolution 242, Brock said that the “increasing strength” of the PLO on the international arena is due, in part, to the fact that “this nation (the U.S.) did not speak clearly on the issue” of not dealing with the “terrorist” PLO. He added that it seems to him that “there has been enough contact” with the PLO already on the part of Carter Administration officials.
White retorted to that by referring to a report published by a private panel, the Atlantic Council, suggesting informal U.S. contacts with the PLO. White said members of the panel were mostly Republicans from former Administrations.
Asked about the issue of Jerusalem, White said he believed the Democratic Party will include in its platform of 1980 a commitment to transfer the American Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as it did in the party’s platform of 1976.
Brock rebutted by pointing out that the Carter Administration has pressured Canada not to move its Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. He said his feeling is that if the Israelis want Jerusalem as their capital they should be the ones to decide it.
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