Sen. Jacob K. Javits (R. NY) warned here last night that “it would be inimical to Jewish interests” if the Senate’s approval of the Carter Administration’s decision to sell advanced combat jets to Saudi Arabia and Egypt was allowed “to cause a ‘state of war’ between the Jewish community and those who disagree with us on this sale.”
Addressing 1500 Orthodox leaders at the 56th anniversary dinner of the Agudath Israel of America at the New York Hilton Hotel, Javits stressed, at the same time that “We must never be intimidated into diminishing or relinquishing the constitutional right of the citizens of this nation who are Jewish, to let their views be known.”
He agreed that Jews were “traumatized by the loss that was suffered when the Senate approved the package deal.” But “it would be counter-productive to treat this one vote as demonstrating that our federal legislators no longer fully appreciate the significance of Israel and its security needs,” Javits said. “What is crucial at this time is for us to work unrelentingly to see that America’s ‘special relationship’ to Israel should indeed be forever, in a practical sense and not only in rhetoric,” the New York Senator said.
(Speaking in Tel Aviv last night, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, stressed that the Senate approval of the plane sales to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, as well as to Israel, does not signal an eclipse of Jewish and Israeli influence in the U.S. Schindler, in Israel for a three-day visit, said however that the Senate vote did indicate an increase in Arab influence which must be fought.)
CARTER URGED NOT TO VETO TUITION TAX CREDIT
Rabbi Moshe Sherer, executive president of the Agudat Israel of America, meanwhile has urged President Carter “to reconsider your announced intention to veto the Tuition Tax Credit Bill” which has been passed by the House and seems certain of passage by the Senate. The measure would allow federal income tax credits for the parents of children attending non-public primary and secondary schools.
In a letter to the President last week, Sherer reminded him of his “campaign pledge to concretely alleviate the financial pressures” of non-public school parents.
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