Mrs. Meir Says Israel is Fighting Terrorism Everywhere

Premier Golda Meir said last night that a large number of Israelis and diaspora Jews were alive today “because of our ability, to prevent the horrors of the terrorist gangs” But details of the fight against terrorism could not yet be revealed, she told the closing session of the Religious Zionists of America convention here.

The terrorist war had transcended the borders of Israel, she said. The State of Israel was fighting “practically all over the world,” the Premier declared. This was the reality of the world. It was pointless to preach at countries who let terrorists go free to try again. It was pointless to look “with horror” at the goings on at the UN Security Council last week. “It all depends on us here–and you there. We must have the courage and the strength to distinguish between real peace and an illusion of peace.”

Mrs. Meir said that given the choice of safe borders which are unrecognized and borders which would not be safe, she would choose the safe borders. This brought thunderous applause from the packed audience.

The Premier said the 70-year partnership between Labor Zionism and religious Zionists had never been idyllic, but it had been the foundation of the Jewish State. She pledged that even if her party won an absolute majority at the polls, it would still seek “constructive coalition partners and foremost among our partners are you, the religious Zionists.”

ASSIMILATION IN U.S. A NIGHTMARE

Mrs. Meir said that assimilation figures in the United States were “a nightmare” to her and urged the creation and support of Jewish day schools in the U.S. Many American Jews who used to oppose day schools had now, in the face of a 40 percent intermarriage rate, come around to supporting them.

Welfare Minister Michael Hazani who spoke before the Premier, said the National Religious Party could rest assured that as long as Mrs. Meir and her generation of “founders” headed the Labor Party they would protect “the unity of the people” and would remain staunch “against the Hausners, the Shulamit Alonis, Mapam and” the anti-religious elements in their own party.” Knesseter Gideon Hausner heads the Independent Liberal Party. Shulamith Aloni is an attorney, author and journalist who specializes in civil rights and civil liberties cases and was a Mapai Knesset member. Mapam is part of the Labor Alignment.

But Hazani said the NRP was worried about what would happen later, when the. founding fathers stepped down and younger leaders took over.

The RZA convention passed a resolution strongly supporting Senator Henry M. Jackson in his efforts for Soviet Jewry. Dr. Maurice Sage, the RZA president, called Jackson “hassid oomot haolam,” a righteous gentile.