Jackson Critical of ‘hints’ That the U.S. Will Cut Aid to Israel

Sen. Henry M. Jackson (D.Wash.), criticizing White House “hints” at a reduction in U.S. aid for Israel, called for continuation of the balance of power in the Middle East. Saying “This is a time to remain steady.” Jackson in a statement, declared that “the fundamental core of American policy has been to preserve the peace by helping to maintain the balance of power in the Middle East.”

Jackson, who made this statement in Baton Rouge. La., where he is campaigning for the Democratic Party’s Presidential nomination, added “We should continue on that course. We should support all efforts toward direct negotiations among the parties to the Middle East conflict.” Speaking of the “fragile peace” in the Middle East, Jackson said that it does not take “much irresponsible talk out of the White House–and there has been too much already–to send the wrong signal and encourage a catastrophic miscalculation by extremist militant Arab groups.”

“For Israel’s chief ally to hint at outs in support that might tip the military balance is certain to enhance the prospects for armed conflict,” Jackson added. “I am disturbed at the implications of statements filtering out of the White House that raise doubts about American support for Israel.”

However, Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger denied yesterday that the Ford Administration was considering sharp outs in aid to Israel and said Israel has nothing to fear from President Ford’s order for a formal reassessment of American policy in the Mideast. “Nobody said anything about sharply cutting aid to Israel,” he told reporters after emerging from a closed session of the House Foreign Affairs Committee where he briefed the Congressmen on the latest Mideast developments and the outlook for the future in the region.