Foreign Aid Bill Earmarks $624.6 Million for Israel and Equal Amount for Three Arab Countries

The House Appropriations Committee yesterday voted out a foreign aid bill of $3.5 billion including $624.6 million for Israel and an almost equal amount for three of its Arab neighbors, but it killed a proposal for screening out possible Communist infiltrators among emigrants aided by U.S. funds, including Soviet Jews going to Israel.

The screening proposal would have enlarged on a proviso long a part of foreign aid legislation that committed the Intergovernmental Commission for European Migration (ICEM) in Geneva not to assist emigration of Communist sympathizers who may wish to make new homes in the Western hemisphere.

In an executive session last week of the committee’s subcommittee handling aid funds, a proposal was offered for having ICEM, the UN High Commissioner’s Office which usually deals with African migration and Bangladesh going to Pakistan, and the International Red Cross join in barring aid to Communists to emigrate in return for U.S. assistance. Under the bill, ICEM is to get $2.4 million; the UN office, $1.3 million; and the Red Cross, $5 million.

INTERFERENCE IN ISRAEL’S INTERNAL AFFAIRS

Opponents of the proposal, including the State Department, held the measure was a throwback to cold war tactics. Rep. Les Aspin (D.Wisc.) said it would interfere with Israel’s internal affairs and that Israel could handle any such matter itself, Aspin said that ICEM helped the 17,000 Soviet Jews who entered Israel last year.

Neither a record vote of the full committee on the proposal nor information on who proposed the measure in the subcommittee and what motivated them was officially available. A committee spokesman said that he was not free to disclose the identity of its sponsors since this action was behind closed doors. The Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned, however, that the screening proposal was made by Rep. William V. Chappell Jr. (D.Fla).

The bill, which will be considered by the House on Thursday, earmarks for Israel $324.5 million in economic assistance, $200 million in military credit and $100 million in military grants. In addition, $40 million was also voted for use in helping the resettlement of Soviet Jews in Israel and several million dollars more was included for schools and hospitals in Israel. The precise amount for the schools and hospitals is not available at the moment because the overall amount of money is to be prorated among several countries.

Egypt is to receive $250 million in grant economic aid; Jordan, $77 million; and for Middle East requirements there is $100 million which is understood to be going to Syria. In addition, Jordan is programmed for $94 million in military grant aid and a credit of $30 million. These military amounts, however, may be reduced since the overall budget for military aid is reduced. Israel’s is specifically slated.

The current continuing resolution carrying the aid program expires March 25. Since the Senate is expected to adjourn for the Easter recess March 21, only a little more than a week remains for the bill to pass both branches of the Congress and go to the President for signing into law.