A strong plea for peace between Israel and the Arab states was made here tonight by Avraham Harman, Israel Ambassador to the United States at a dinner in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel.
Addressing 1,500 guests assembled for the annual dinner of the Weizmann Institute of Science, the Israeli diplomat declared that his Government is ready for the mutual examination of any question. “None of the problems between the Arab States and Israel will ever get solved, “he declared, “until a direct channel of communication is established. We are ready for this process.”
The dinner, presided over by Arthur B. Krim, president of United Artists, marked the 25th anniversary of the institute’s first unit, the Daniel Sieff Research Institute, founded in 1934, and the 10th anniversary of the expanded Weizmann Institute. Referring to the permanent influence of Dr. Chaim Weizmann, Israel’s first president and founder of the research center which bears his name, Mr. Harman called attention to Dr. Weizmann’s successful attempt to reach an understanding with Arab nationalism at the time of the Peace Conference which followed World War I.
“This vision of peace still lives within us,” Ambassador Harman said. “We are living today in Israel in a condition which is neither peace nor war. We have been living in this condition for the past 11 years, and we can carry on living in it as long as need be. Our existence as an independent free country does not depend on the recognition of that existence by anyone, but on our capacity to sustain our existence, and if necessary to protect it against attack. But we keep our vision fixed on the goal of peace.”
Israel has no illusions about sudden changeovers in the political climate of its area, the Ambassador indicated, declaring that “Dr. Weizmann taught his countrymen that it is a fallacy to believe in short-cuts. Peacemaking in our area will be a process. The real log-jam in the way of this process will be removed when the Arab States come to understand that an accommodation with Israel is inevitable, and can only be reached by communication with us.”
DR. SALK HONORED BY THE WEIZMANN INSTITUTE; LAUDS INSTITUTION
An Honorary Fellowship was conferred on Dr. Jonas E. Salk by the Institute at the dinner, citing the University of Pittsburgh scientist “in recognition of his brilliant contribution to the field of preventive medicine and his pioneering work in developing an effective vaccine against poliomyelitis.” The Fellowship scroll was presented to Dr. Salk by Dewey D. Stone of Brockton, Mass., chairman of the Weizmann Institute’s International Board of Governors.
In responding to the tribute, Dr. Salk lauded the late Dr. Chaim Weizmann, founder of the Institute as a humanist who desired to build a bridge between science and the spirit of man. He emphasized Weizmann’s thesis that “science to live must be part of life.” “The Weizmann Institute,” Dr. Salk said, “will probably become one of the greatest and most significant contributions to the future of man.”
Dr. Krim announced that an International Conference on the Role of Science in the new, underdeveloped states will be convened by the Weizmann Institute of Science in the summer of 1960. He said that over 30 top-level scientists from 20 African and Asian territories have already signified their intention of delivering papers at the Conference. He stated that the scientific gathering had the approval of the United Nations.
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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.
