National Farewell Dinner for Dinitz

A national farewell dinner of tribute honored Israel’s Ambassador to the United States, Simcha Dinitz, and his wife, Vivian Dinitz. The event last week, attended by 650 Jewish leaders at the Washington Hilton, was Washington’s official farewell to the Ambassador and his wife who are returning to Israel after a five-year tour of duty in the U.S. The dinner was sponsored by the State of Israel Bonds. Among the guests were Vice President Walter Mondale, White House Counsel Robert Lipshutz and President Carter’s special assistant Edward Sanders.

Mondale, who was the key speaker at the tribute dinner, praised Dinitz’s ambassadorial service that he traced from March, 1973 when the envoy came to Washington and extended through the Yom Kippur War and the current peace talks in which Dinitz has been an Israeli member, and Mrs. Dinitz’s contributions to American-Israeli friendship. Mondale noted Dinitz’s “survivability” in that as Ambassador he served three Israeli Premiers during the tenure of three American Presidents.

The Vice President also hailed the “remarkable record of accomplishment” of the Israel Bond Organization. He said, “It was Israel Bond money which built the port of Ashdod and made it one of the major seaports in the eastern Mediterranean It was Israel Bond money which helped build the Dead Sea industrial complex, the National Water Carrier and hundreds of essential facilities known as ‘infrastructure’ in the marvelous State of Israel.’

In reporting on his visit to Israel some months ago, Mondale said that “the people of Israel were not thinking of war. They were thinking and talking about new schools and hospitals, new ways of improving education, of creating jobs and increasing farming.” The people of Israel, he continued, were not planning for war. “They were planning for peace. And when I stood to speak in the Knesset building and talked with Israeli leaders, there was no hint of a nation defensive or in danger. There was only the hope and progress of a working and thriving democracy.”

DINITZ THANKS U.S.

In his remarks, Dinitz thanked the United States Administration, Congress and the American people not only for being on the side of Israel during his term as Ambassador but also on the side of peace. “You cannot be on the side of peace,” he said, “without being on the side of Israel.”

The Israeli diplomat pointed out that when there are danger signs in the Middle East “and the chips are down, the United States has found again and again that the only trusted ally it has is the Jewish State in the Middle East — Israel.” He recalled that on his return to Washington from Israel only hours after the surprise Egyptian-Syrian attacks on Israel on Yom Kippur, 1973, the first U.S. Senator to call him — “a call that was followed by many others” — was from “Fritz Mondale.”

In discussing recent peace talks, Dinitz declared, “Peace is within our grasp and we hope it will come soon. Israel would not have arrived at this position had we not been able to survive and remain strong. A strong Israel will be the one the Arabs will want to negotiate with and make peace.” He warned: “Let us remember: after the Egyptian peace treaty, our problems are still great. We will need many years to translate the best peace treaty into a green, fertile, blossoming desert — trade, new industry and other developments.”

Michael Arnon, president and chief executive officer of the Israel Bond Organization, presented to the Ambassador and his wife, on behalf of Israel Bonds, a lithograph entitled, “The Menorah,” by the noted Israeli artist Samuel Bak, and a bronze sculpture by Philip Ratner depicting Israel with a lion and lamb symbolizing the hope for peace. Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz gave Dinitz a replica of an ancient menorah on behalf of the Ados Israel Congregation in whose synagogue the Dinitz family worshipped during their Washington stay.

Dinitz is being succeeded by Ephraim Evron, who left the post of Director General of Israel’s Foreign Ministry last month in preparation for his duties here. Dinitz’s new assignment has not been announced.