Experts on American relations with the Middle East discounted here today reports that the United States State Department intends to discriminate against Israel in blocking out the Washington Administration’s program for grants in aid during the fiscal year 1960.
The experts pointed out that, actually, the American grants in aid received by Israel in recent years constituted only a small proportion of American aid given Israel. They called attention to the fact that, in 1959, Israel received $7, 500, 000 through grants in aid, $38, 000, 000 from the surplus food commodity program, $2, 000, 000 in technical assistance, and a $5, 000, 000 loan from the Development Loan Fund. The latter figure may be increased, the experts said, since the Loan Fund does not operate on a fiscal-year basis.
Above all, the experts insisted, there is no connection whatever between the move to eliminate Israel from the fiscal 1960 grants in aid program, and America’s attitude to ward the United Arab Republic. They did concede that three Arab states–Jordan, Libya and Morocco– have already had U.S. grant-in-aid funds earmarked for fiscal 1960.
Meanwhile, it became known here, that Israel’s Ambassador to Washington, Abba Eban, will meet with Acting Secretary of State Christian A. Herter next Tuesday to discuss American grants-in-aid as well as other subjects of interest to the United States and Israel.
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