Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, today urged the United States to formulate a plan for resettling Arab refugees outside the Arab states, following the example of the United Nations’ resettlement of European refugees after World War II.
In an address to 1,200 members and delegates to the United Hias Services’ 85th annual meeting, Sen. Javits said 20 years of work by the UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) had failed to produce a solution. He urged the U.S. to work out a plan that would resettle the refugees–especially those in occupied territories–outside the Arab states; condition continued UNRWA support of Arab refugees on steps to be taken by Israel and Arab host governments to resettle and repatriate the refugees; and would terminate U.S. support for UNRWA to the extent that it furnishes assistance to any Arab settlements or individuals participating in guerrilla activity against any people or government in the Mideast. Sen. Javits, a member of the Foreign Relations Committee, said also that for remnants of Jews in the Arab states, especially Iraq and Egypt, emigration is “a matter of life and death.”
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.
