Assurances that the Administration intends “to continue economic assistance to Israel along the general lines of previous efforts” were made tonight by Senator Alexander Wiley, chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, in an address to 600 delegates at the annual convention of Hapoel Hamizrachi of America meeting here.
The Administration spokesman revealed that his committee had heard of the very effective use which has been made of American aid in Israel. He also sought to allay the fears of those who had voiced concern that the Eisenhower administration might deemphasize its friendship with the Israeli people in an effort to win Arab friendship.
“I for one do not believe that there is cause for such concern,” he told the religious labor Zionist convention. “The nature of the modern world wide crisis is such that we must he friendly with all peoples who aspire to a better, freer, more prosperous, more peaceful world, and who demonstrate a desire to cooperate with us.”
On the question of the Arab refugee problem, Senator Wiley pointed out that the United States had already appropriated vast sums for relief of the flight of the Arab refugees. He hinted that a solution to the problem of resettlement of the Arab refugees would have to be found outside of Israel. “Israel has a bare 8,000 square-mile area, while the Arab countries have 1,500,000 square miles,” he stated. “It is a further fact that impartial observers see no justification for the charge that aggression may be attempted by Israel against the Arab states. This assertion,” he continued, “simply does not square with the facts, with Israel’s peace aspirations.”
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