Direct Negotiations Between Israel, Arab Nations Urged by Bi-partisan Legislators

Leaders of both major parties in the House of Representatives strongly urged face-to-face negotiations between Israel and Arab countries and deplored any attempt at an imposed solution in the Middle East. They spoke today to an audience of about 170 Congressmen and 400 delegates attending the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee’s annual policy conference. The AIPAC delegates will meet with Senate leaders tomorrow. The conference marked Israel’s 23rd anniversary and honored Israeli Ambassador Itzhak Rabin who received a standing ovation after he pleaded for “help to bring us together in dialogue with our neighbors.” The speeches in support of Israel by House Speaker Carl Albert, Democrat of Oklahoma; Majority Leader Hale Boggs, Democrat of Louisiana; and Minority Leader Gerald Ford, Republican of Michigan, came while Secretary of State William P. Rogers was in Ankara, Turkey, on the eve of his visit to four Arab countries and Israel to explore ideas for reopening the Suez Canal. Albert told AIPAC that “your mission is the most important mission in the world, one which is joined in by right thinking people around the world.” He said that “no settlement of the Middle East problem can be made that leaves it impossible for neighbors to take care of their neighborly problems.” Boggs declared that “Israel has every right to negotiate face-to-face with its adversaries. Despite our aid to Israel we don’t have the right to dictate peace to Israel.”

Ford, who drew applause on several occasions, declared that “Israel, the victim of aggression, is entitled to reasonable claims for new and secure boundaries.” He added that “we must exercise great care to avoid unwitting collaboration with Moscow and impose a settlement upon Israel.” Ford also scored Senate Foreign Relations Committee chairman J. William Fulbright, Democrat of Arkansas. Without naming him, Ford referred to Fulbright’s recent speech at Yale in which he denounced Israel for allegedly resorting to “Communist baiting humbuggery.” Ford declared “it is tragic that such a self-proclaimed peace advocate has undermined the prospects of a real Arab-Israeli settlement by tacitly encouraging the Soviet Union and Arab extremists to desist from a genuine peace and to continue a great military escalation in the hopes of forcing their will upon Israel.” Referring to the Jews in the Soviet Union. Ford said he saluted “the brave Jews,” who “stand up to the Soviet secret police.” Ambassador Rabin expressed the gratitude of the government and people of Israel to President Nixon and the Congress for the assistance “rendered to us over the years gone by and not least during the past year.” Noting that Israel is 23 years old but “4,000 years deep,” Rabin said that there can be no understanding of Israel’s views in political discussion “unless they are measured against the background of our national experience, our achievement, and our hardships.” Irving Kane, Cleveland lawyer, was reelected AIPAC chairman.