National Committee for Labor Israel Lauds Nixon’s Foreign Policy Statement

Some 900 delegates from the eastern seaboard attending the mid-winter conference of the National Committee for Labor Israel adopted a resolution yesterday lauding President Nixon’s foreign policy statement submitted last week to Congress. The resolution singled out President Nixon’s reaffirmation of American intentions to maintain “a careful watch on the balance of military forces and to provide arms to friendly states as the need arises.” The resolution scored the Soviet Union and France for providing “tremendous quantities of material” to the hostile Arab states and to others equally hostile to Israel.

Dr. William Wexler, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major Jewish Organizations and international president of B’nai B’rith, saluted Histadrut on its Golden Anniversary. He said that “Histadrut is the life, breath and guts of the State of Israel. It is a unique labor movement doing a complete job of welfare, education and medical protection for the people of Israel.” Dr. Wexler cited Histadrut’s Afro-Asian Institute that has forged links between Israel and 81 developing nations.

The Honorable Jacob Barmore, member of the Israeli Permanent Mission to the United Nations, and Dr. Wexler were principal speakers at the conference luncheon, which was chaired by Leon H. Keyserling, Washington economist and president of the National Committee. The conference, said Mr. Keyserling, had been called “in view of the critical situation in the Middle East which requires that the American public become fully aware of the dangers facing Israel.” He announced the convening of an Assembly of American Friends of Histadrut in Israel on June 26th. The Assembly will hear addresses by Israeli President Zalman Shazar, Prime Minister Golda Meir, and Histadrut Secretary-General Yitzhak Ben-Aharon.

In a report submitted to the meeting of the Board of Directors, Dr. Sol Stein, Executive Director, stated that the organization has raised $4,030,000 in cash and long-term commitments since Octobers, for the health, educational and social welfare activities of Histadrut in Israel. Dr. Stein, noting that the campaign was running nearly fifty percent ahead of the comparable five-month period of last year, reported that $1,787,000 had been raised in cash through the Israel Histadrut Campaign, and $2,243,000 in deferred income through the American Histadrut Development Foundation. The latter sum does not include $1.2 millions committed to the Foundation by participants in the Foundation’s annual conference last week in Miami Beach. Following its business session the Board adjourned to the newly renovated auditorium of Histadrut House, and dedicated it in the name of Joseph Schlossberg, a founder of the National Committee for Labor Israel 46 years ago, and dean of the American Jewish labor movement. Mr. Schlossberg will be 95 years old next May 1.