“Israel’s future hangs in the balance because of the current international situation,” Akiva Govrin, Israeli labor leader and chairman of the Labor Relations Committee of the Israeli parliament, declared here today, addressing a special conference called to aid the $10,000,000 Histadrut campaign in the United States. More than 1,500 delegates from all parts of the country participated in the conference which was convened by the National Committee for Labor Israel.
Emphasizing that Israel is the only fortress of democracy in the Middle East and is the greatest military force in that part of the world, Mr. Govrin said that the Jewish state must continue to be so “for the benefit of all those who believe in freedom and social justice.” He pointed out that Israel is ready to conclude a peace treaty with the Arabs, but added that “no one should think that the Jewish state will beg the Arabs to sign such a treaty,” since they still refuse to negotiate a peace pact.
“The present international situation,” he said, “has made us very conscious of our future. “We are straining every effort to strengthen our economy and security in the event of war. And the two things most vital to our security are the ingathering of the exiles and the speedy economic development of the country.”
Rep. Jacob K. Javits, addressing the conference, called upon the United States to make an official declaration that the Middle East is a strategic area “essential to the security of this country. He also called for prompt American governmental aid to Israel and for the inauguration of a four-point program of Israel-American cooperation to bring security and economic development to the Middle East.
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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.
