Rabbi Israel Miller, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, said Friday after a meeting of a Presidents Conference delegation with President Ford, that the President told the Jewish leaders he felt the best way to achieve a peaceful settlement in the Middle East was by a period of quiet diplomacy. Rabbi Miller said the President expressed the hope that step-by-step negotiations would succeed.
Rabbi Miller said the meeting between 20 Jewish leaders and Ford was the first opportunity “for the American Jewish leadership to meet with President Ford. We talked for more than an hour and had a very warm and friendly conversation.”
When asked about their discussions on the issue of Soviet Jewry, highlighted by the release last week of a letter from Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko repudiating any “understanding” of a linkage between freer emigration and trade concessions from the United States, Rabbi Miller said, “It is our feeling, as well as the President’s, that rather than Judge the Soviets by letters and communications, we should judge them by what they do.”
URGES FORD TO BE WATCHFUL
Rabbi Millar added, “We will have the opportunity to learn within the next few weeks” whether the Soviets “take these matters seriously. I feel we have made strides.” He said the Jewish leaders would not be satisfied until every Jew who wants to leave the Soviet Union has the right to leave but that he was “satisfied with the good will of the Administration. We asked the President to be watchful from day to day” on the problem.
Rabbi Miller also reported that Ford reiterated U.S. commitment to Israel and said he supported a strong, viable Jewish State. Asked if he thought the President would continue to support Israel if there was another Arab oil embargo. Rabbi Miller said the President did not link any future embargo with the question of Israel but spoke about it as an American problem.
The meeting between the Jewish leaders and Ford took place as the Senate and House passed a sweeping trade bill that allows Ford to authorize non-discriminatory tariffs to the Russians for 18 months if he certifies that he has received “assurances” that Moscow will adopt practices promoting free emigration.
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