Jewish Delegation Asks State Dept. to Stimulate Arab-israel Peace

The American Israel Public Affairs Committee called on the State Department today to exert stronger leadership towards achieving a Middle Eastern peace.

A six-member committee delegation made the request at a meeting with Philip Tal-bott, Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs. The delegation presented Mr. Talbott with a statement of policy adopted at its three-day meeting here which pointed out that the U.S. “has been the friend of both Israel and the Arab states and has generously assisted both sides.”

“But,” said the committee’s statement, “it is to be regretted that the U.S. Government has not effectively challenged the intransigeant position of the Arab states.”

Included in the delegation were: Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein, chairman of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee; Mrs. Samuel W. Halprin, former national president of Hadassah; Pinchas Cruso, president of the Labor Zionist Organization; Julian Freeman of Indianapolis, chairman of the Middle East committee of the National Community Relations Advisory Council; Carl Henry of New York; and I. L. Kenen of Washington, executive director of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee.

In a separate resolution adopted at the closing session of the committee’s meeting this morning, the recent incidents between Israel and Syria were described as “part of a chain of events resulting from Syria’s continuous provocation, military pressures and terrorism on Israel’s frontiers.” The statement urged that “consistent with its obligations under the Charter, the UN should insist that these intolerable provocations be brought to an end.”

The statement, copies of which were sent to various members of Congress, said that “the time has come to bring peace to the Middle East. The UN should call on all the parties concerned to meet together honorably at the peace table to settle all outstanding problems.”