Max Fisher, prominent Detroit industrialist and Jewish leader, stated here today that despite allusions in the press to the contrary, he has not endorsed any Republican aspirant for the Presidency.
Fisher stated: “The various Republican candidates, declared and undeclared, and the chairman of the Republican National Committee, have been in touch with me over these last several months for advice and consultation. While I have not endorsed the position of any candidate, I want to reiterate my stand in opposition to any linkage of the prices and availability of oil to the issue of peace in the Middle East.”
Fisher emphasized that “I consider this stand to be basic to our country’s national interest and our long-range vital position in this volatile area.” He concluded: “I shall continue to be available for consultation to the various Republican candidates and shall announce my endorsement at the proper time.”
Earlier this week, Rita Hauser who resigned from former Texas Governor John Connally’s Presidential campaign committee, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that Fisher had called her to ask about Connally’s speech before the National Press Club in Washington last week in which he proposed a linkage between oil supply and a solution of the Middle East conflict. In his speech, Connally, a declared candidate for the 1980 Republican Presidential nomination, called on the Arab states to foresake their oil weapon in return for Israel’s complete withdrawal from the occupied Arab territories.
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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.