An appeal to Jewish communal leaders in more than 70 United States cities to place the Israel Bond campaign on an emergency footing for the rest of 1968 to make up cuts in Israel’s development budget to meet increased defense needs was made here today by Mrs. Golda Meir, former Israel Foreign Minister, and Finance Minister Pinhas Sapir. Mrs. Meir, in the U.S. for a visit, declared over a nationwide telephone hookup that the struggle in Israel “to maintain our posture for peace” would leave no choice “but to sacrifice our economic development program” unless the Bond campaign provided additional funds to preserve agricultural and industrial gains. The appeal from Mr. Sapir was contained in a message read at the telephone conference by Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, Israel Bond vice-president. Samuel Rothberg, national campaign chairman for Israel Bonds, also participated.
Mr. Sapir called for an intensified Bond campaign to help fill the gap created by a 20 percent ($57 million) cut in the State’s development budget to meet a supplementary defense budget of $140 million. The balance is to come from the people of Israel. Sapir declared that defense spending had reached such a peak this year that “the only way we can finance our security needs is by sacrificing our economic development, which is hardly less vital.” Dr. Schwartz warned that “until peace stops being a dream and becomes a fact,” crisis “will remain part of the daily experience of our fellow Jews in Israel.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
