Israel Ambassador Clarifies “confusion” in Relationship Between U.J.A. and Bond Issue

Declaring that he finds that “some confusion” exists concerning the relationship between the forthcoming Israel Bond campaign and the current United Jewish Appeal campaign, Ambassador Abba Eban of Israel today issued a formal statement defining the relationship between the two campaigns.

“It must be made clear that any purchase of Israel Bonds at the expense of a contribution to the United Jewish Appeal is not a service to Israel,” the Ambassador said in his statement. “It is not the purpose of the Bond Issue to divert gift dollars to the Bond Issue, but to create resources over and above and beyond gift money. The free dollars supplied by the U.J.A. are required to meet immediate needs, for immigration, rehabilitation and initial integration. Investment dollars resulting from Bond purchases are to be used for the economic development of the country. Bond dollars must be so invested as to provide a return, with interest, to the purchaser,” Mr. Eban said.

“The Government of Israel does not want anyone to take money which should go to U.J.A. and buy Bonds with it instead. Israel’s interests, and the interests of Jews throughout the world will best be served if American Jewry contributes greater sums than ever before to the United Jewish Appeal and also invests the maximum possible amount in Israel through the purchase of Bonds. This means that those who have Israel’s welfare at heart will both work for a substantial increase of U.J.A. receipts and give their active encouragement to the Bond Drive,” the statement concludes.

U.J.A. CAMPAIGN IS THREE WEEKS AHEAD OF 1950 DRIVE

This year’s campaign of the United Jewish Appeal is running three weeks ahead of last year’s nationwide drive in the results achieved to date and in the number of communities raising funds on its behalf, it was announced today by Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, U.J.A. executive vice-chairman.

Pointing out that a total of 1,100 local drives will be under way by the second week in May, Dr. Schwartz said that “success of the Spring phase of this year’s United Jewish Appeal campaign depends on whether these communities can uphold the rate of increased contributions recorded to date.” He reported that many communities have recorded campaign results that are between 10 and 29 percent higher than they were one year ago at this time, but stressed that this rate may rise, fall or remain steady depending on the response of persons who have not yet made their contributions.

In this connection, Dr. Schwartz urged Jays throughout the country who have not contributed to local drives “to pledge and pay in May,” asserting that “the month of May is of crucial importance to the United Jewish Appeal as it seeks to meet the most urgent demands upon it for the rescue and transfer to Israel of many thousands of men, women and children facing entrapment in Eastern European and Moslem areas.”