Israel’s relations with the United States are “on a firm and solid basis of friendship and understanding” and is sure to continue to grow, Avraham Harman, newly-appointed Israeli Ambassador to the United States declared upon his arrival here today to assume his new post in Washington. A few hours after his landing here, he left for Washington where he is expected to present his credentials to President Eisenhower within the next few days.
Mr. Harman, former Israeli Consul-General in New York and, more recently, a member of the Jewish Agency executive in Jerusalem, asserted that “the people of Israel are fully aware of the true meaning of United States friendship and leadership.” Declaring that he is happy to renew his service in this country, he said: “To be able to see the dynamic expression of American life and interpret it to my fellow-countrymen is indeed a great privilege.”
“The country I represent,” Mr. Harman asserted, “is small in area and population, but we do not believe that the right to live in freedom and security is dependent on size. In this respect, all countries are equal–just as we believe with you that all men are created equal in their right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”
“In Israel,” he continued, “we are engaged in defending our freedom against the external dangers threatening us, and in a positive way by increasing our economic strength and resilience. We have a long hard road ahead of us, but I think many of our major difficulties have already been overcome. Our formative period is over and we have entered a period of consolidation. We are grateful for the help which has eased our development and has enabled us to take our place as a stable, democratic element in the Middle East.”
Mr. Harman pointed out that, during his previous service in this country, he had enjoyed “the friendship and help of the Jewish community,” and stated it would be a “special privilege to renew older friendships with the members of the Jewish community in the U.S.”
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
