Simcha Dinitz, Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, declared Sunday night that the Middle East may be “on the threshold of a new era” and that there might be “a beginning of a change” in the Arabs’ attitude toward Israel. But at the same time, Dinitz said, Israel must be “doubtful and skeptical” in regard to the Arab countries intentions, and must keep herself strong.
Addressing some 1500 persons attending the annual award dinner of Bnai Zion, the Israeli diplomat said that “1977 could be the most crucial year for Israel” in its relations with the neighboring Arab states. Dinitz said the Arabs “have buried their differences under the rug” in order to achieve some unity which they can use now either to negotiate with Israel or to confront the Jewish State.
Charging that the Arabs are “testing” the new Carter Administration, “to see whether they could create a wedge between Israel and the United States” that would result in American pressure on Israel to make greater concessions to the Arabs, Dinitz warned that peace cannot be imposed. “Peace must be a result of a dialogue…Only people who talk to each other can live together,” he said. Stating that the months ahead will “be difficult,” he called on American Jewry to unify “more than ever” in support and understanding of Israel.
Dinitz, who returned Saturday from Israel after meeting with Secretary of State Cyrus R. Vance, was presented with the 1977 Bnai Zion Israel Friendship Award by Rabbi William Berkowitz, president of Bnai Zion.
CARTER REAFFIRMS COMMITMENT TO ISRAEL
President Carter, in a telegram to the award dinner, asserted that the mutual devotion by the United States and Israel to the cause of peace and justice “has never been more important than it is today as Secretary Vance completes his initial contacts with key leaders in the Middle East and we begin to explore the possibilities for future negotiations.” The President reaffirmed his “profound commitment to the security and survival of Israel and to the values we share as democratic societies.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
