Israelis Contributions to Arms Purchases Fune Exceed 3,000,000pounds

Contributions to Israel’s “defense fund” passed the three million pound mark today as private persons throughout the country were joined by Cabinet ministers and other leaders of all walks of life in a response to a broadcast appeal this weekend by Premier Moshe Sharett that Israelis contribute to a special arms purchases fund “to the limit of their patriotic and financial ability, “in view of the decisive advantage accruing from Egypt by its acquiring of arms from Czechoslovakia.

The members of the Cabinet, at a meeting today, decided to contribute two weeks pay to the fund. Earlier, Premier-designate David Ben Gurion, who was home recovering from an illness, pledged one month’s pay. Chief Rabbi Isaac Halevi Herzog contributed 50 pounds. All government employees have donated a day’s pay and the workers of various concerns–such as the newspaper Maariv–have pledged one week’s salary.

Mr. Sharett, evaluating the first spontaneous outpouring of money by Israelis which preceded his appeal, said in his broadcast that it represented readiness of every citizen to help bear the brunt of strengthening the armed forces. He pointed out that new equipment for the Army would cost millions of pounds, for which the current budget did not provide, and said that contributions would be placed in a special fund to be used exclusively for this purpose.

(Israelis now in the United States have joined their fellow-Israelis at home in the growing list of contributions to the fund for the purchase of arms, the Israel Embassy revealed in Washington. Included among those who have come forward with contributions are personnel of El Al Israel National Airlines, Point Four officials, diplomats, students and seamen in U.S. ports)