Harriman Criticizes U.S. Middle East Policy; Opposes Arming Arabs

Severe criticism of the present policy of the United States Government with regard to Israel and the Arab states was voiced here last night by Averell Harriman, former Mutual Security Administrator and Democratic candidate for Governor of New York, addressing an Israel Bond dinner at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.

“It is high time,” Mr. Harriman said, “that the Republican Administration make clear to the Arab states that Israel is in the Middle East to stay. We must stop encouraging Arab hopes that the U.S. will turn its back on Israel and will countenance Israel’s destruction. I believe that until concrete steps looking toward peace in the area are taken, we should refrain from furnishing arms to either side.”

Mr. Harriman charged the State Department with “failure to take Egypt to task for the continued flouting of United Nations resolutions calling for an end to the blockade of the Suez Canal. ” The Administration, he said, has remained a silent witness to Arab discrimination directed at American firms doing business with Israel.” And only a year ago, the heavy hand of Secretary Dulles showed itself when the State Department publicly announced the temporary suspension of economic aid to Israel in an effort to stop a water development project along the Jordan River,” he pointed out.

“This type of punitive sanction, which had never been used in the post war period, deeply undermined U.S. standing in the free world, ” Mr. Harriman continued. He emphasized the fact that when “the Suez dispute between Egypt and the British was settled with our help–a settlement that greatly strengthened Egypt’s military position and disturbed the balance of power in the area–we failed to utilize this opportunity to bring about a resolution of the difficulties between Egypt and Israel.”