Israel’s achievements were cited today by President Johnson as an example for other newly developed countries where the people “aspire to live in freedom, under peace, enjoying justice as a right and prosperity as a result of their labors.”
In a message to the closing session of the 50th anniversary convention of the Far-band-Labor Zionist Order, President Johnson pointed to “what has been done in creating out of wilderness the living State of Israel.” The message was addressed to Louis Segal, general secretary of the Farband.
The convention closed today with an address by Moshe Sharett, former Premier of Israel and now chairman of the Jewish Agency executive, following the induction of Samuel Bonchek as newly elected president of the Order. Among the major resolutions adopted at the closing session was a strong plea to President Johnson relating to the forthcoming meetings of Arab rulers, convened by President Nasser of Egypt, to decide the measures to be taken against Israel in preventing it from carrying out its plans for the irrigation of its uncultivated areas to make possible the absorption of new hundreds of thousands of Jews from lands of persecution and oppression.
The resolution appealed to President Johnson “whose friendship for Israel and his sense of justice in the best interest of peace in the Middle East are well known,” to warn the Arabs against aggression on their part against Israel. The resolution further voiced the hope that the Arab states will recognize that it is in the best interests of their own countries and the peace of the Middle East to enter into direct negotiations with the State of Israel with a view to achieving peace between Israel and their countries “which will ultimately bring blessing to them, to the State of Israel and to all peoples in the Middle East.”
In another resolution, the convention voiced its deep sorrow over the plight of Soviet Jewry “which suffers from anti-Semitism and discrimination.” The resolution called upon the U.S. Government to prevail upon the Soviet authorities to abolish every form of discrimination against Jews, and to punish those guilty of anti-Semitic acts. The resolution also called for the granting to the Jews in Soviet Russia the possibility to develop their religious and cultural life, similar to those granted to other minorities. It also asked that Jews be permitted to emigrate to reunite with their relatives in Israel and in other lands.
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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.
