President Richard M. Nixon’s message to the American-Jewish leadership conference in Washington, D.C. yesterday was hailed by Premier Golda Meir as an “eloquent expression” of “the friendship of the United States for Israel and its concern for Israel’s security and peace.” Mrs. Meir issued her statement last night in response to questions by newsmen. She said she saw reflected in the sentiments and policies of the Nixon message, “the attitude which I encountered in my conversations with the President last September and which I reported upon my return.” Mrs. Meir said, “Being deeply concerned at certain United States diplomatic initiatives, we have never lost sight and always gave expression to the broad range of interests and objectives that our two countries have in common.”
Mrs. Meir’s apparent satisfaction with the President’s message was echoed by several Israeli newspapers which received and published its full text. The evening daily Maariv said it represented “a halt to the erosion of the American position” which “had been obvious from the speech by (Secretary of State) William P. Rogers.” Haaretz saw in the Nixon message, a reversal by the President of the policies followed by his State Department.
Mrs. Meir said in her official statement. “The sincere quest for a real and lasting peace was always the primary goal of both the United States and Israel. I am hopeful that the President’s message and policies based on it will convince all concerned that this goal can be established as the President himself indicates, only through a freely negotiated agreement between the parties to the conflict. Until peace is established, Israel must be in a position to deter threats to its security. In this context I have noted with gratification President Nixon’s statement that his Government is prepared to supply military equipment necessary to support our efforts to defend the safety of our people. The urgency of assisting Israel to maintain its capability to deter aggression and to defend itself has become more acute in the light of recent developments in the area regarding the massive supply of military equipment to the Arab countries.”
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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.
