Kennedy Urged to Name Secretary of State Able to Act on Middle East

The American Jewish Congress today urged President-elect Kennedy that the man whom he intends to appoint as Secretary of State in his Cabinet should be a person “fully committed” to redeem the specific pledges made by Mr. Kennedy during the Presidential election campaign with regard to solving the Middle East problem.

In a resolution adopted by the National Governing Council of the American Jewish Congress, it was emphasized that the Secretary of State whom Mr. Kennedy is to appoint “must be determined to exercise American leadership in reducing Middle East tensions.” The National Governing Council serves as the policy making body of the American Jewish Congress.

“The American Jewish Congress believes the time for the United States to take the lead in the solution of the Middle East dilemma is long overdue,” the resolution stated. “There is no justification for further delay by the State Department in curbing the impairment of American citizenship rights by Arab governments, and in eliminating the obstacles to free international trade imposed by the Arab boycott.

“By the same token, if America is to take the initiative in the solution of the Middle East problem–an initiative for which the whole world waits–U.S. policy cannot be based on continuing to ignore the threat to world peace and the roadblock in the path of such a solution that are posed by nations which infringe on the rights of American citizens to travel and to trade freely, and which thwart the purposes of American aid by boycotting and blockading the one country in the Middle East–Israel–that represents the democratic way of life.” the resolution stressed.