Sen. Jacob K. Javits (R. NY) predicted to delegates at a convention here that Israel’s interest would be better served, at least in the short run, by the policies of the incoming administration of President-elect Ronald Reagan than if President Carter had been reelected.
Speaking at the final session of the 82nd anniversary national biennial convention of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, Javits also told the 500 delegates that “the difference between Reagan and Carter is that Reagan will put a greater emphasis on security, improving Israel’s ability to defend itself, thus making Israel more useful to the United States and its allies in the area. Carter would have tried to effectuate a general peace in the are a through the Camp David process,” which Javits described as “now a dead end.”
Javits, who was defected for reelection last month, said that Carter would probably have tried to force Israel into new concessions to push the Comp David process further. The Senator said a wiser course would be to allow the parties concerned more time, up to the five years envisioned in the Camp David agreement, before proceeding with U.S. efforts.
REAGAN’S POLICY CALLED ‘MORE REALISTIC’
Jovits asserted that Reagan’s “likely emphasis on Israel’s security is more realistic in light of Iraq-Iran and Jordan-Syria tensions,” adding that Egypt also needed more time to deal with its serious internal problems.
The Senator predicted that despite to the probability that progress toward peace would be inially slow when the Reagan administration takes over, Israel is likely to have a high priority on the Reagan administration agenda “and properly so.” He also said that “a somber view is not justified” on Israel’s prospects for support in Congress. He said “two-thirds of the House and Senate is still on Israel’s side” and that this support was Israel’s most valuable political asset. The Senator was honored by the delegates for “more than 30 years of outstanding and dedicated service.”
Julius Berman of Forest Hills, N.Y. was elected to a second term as president of the Orthodox organization.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
