Administration sources said today that Israel has requested $126,000,000 in economic assistance for the fiscal year 1953, but that this amount will be drastically reduced.
The President’s budget message and word from the White House on foreign aid are awaited as an indication of the amount which might be available for the Middle East. The approximately $65,000,000 in Mutual Security aid granted Israel last year will be taken from the budget for the current fiscal year. Therefore, the new request for $126,000,000 would have to be acted on this year to be included in the fiscal year of 1953.
A joint meeting of Congress today heard President Truman refer to “turmoil” in the Middle East. Mr. Truman said in his State of the Union address that “in the Middle East, political tensions and the oil controversy in Iran are keeping the region in a turmoil.” He later added: “I have just had the opportunity to discuss many of these world problems with Prime Minister Churchill. We have had a most satisfactory series of meeting.” The President noted that the Middle East situation was among the topics discussed.
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