Israeli quarters welcomed today the statement by United States Deputy Undersecretary of State Alexis Johnson who this week told a conference of the pro-Arab Citizens Committee on American Policy in the Middle East that the United States would not “stand idly by” if aggression were committed against any Middle Eastern nation.
The statement was believed here to be particularly significant in view of the recent Arab threats against Israel’s water irrigation project. It is also the first U.S. policy statement on the Middle East since President Lyndon B. Johnson assumed office.
One point in the speech which stressed U.S. impartiality in the Arab-Israel dispute, aroused some puzzlement here. That was the assertion by Mr. Johnson that the United States might soon be forced to take steps to the liking of neither Israel nor the Arabs. It is assumed that Israel would seek clarification of this point.
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