The vote in the House of Representatives last week, banning further shipment of United States food surpluses to Egypt, “reflects broad national consensus that aid should not be extended to nations which insult the American people and menace the peace,” the American Israel Public Affairs Committee declared here last night in a resolution culminating an all-day meeting of the groups executive committee.
The announcement of that stand was made by the AIPAC’s chairman, Rabbi Philip S. Bernstein, at a reception at the Biltmore Hotel for the members of New York States delegation to Congress. Members of Congress attending included U.S. Senators Jacob K. Javits and Robert F. Kennedy; and Representatives Emanuel Celler, dean of the House; Eugene Keogh, chairman of the Democratic caucus in the House; Abraham Multer, William Fitts Ryan, Joseph Scheuer, Seymour Halpern, John Wydler, Leonard Farbstein and Jacob Cilbert. All but Sen. Javits and Representatives Halpern and Wydler are Democrats.
All except Sen. Kennedy said they favored the House action on this issue. Mr. Kennedy said that, while he has always favored aid to Israel, in line with the policies of Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, he opposes this move by the House on the principle that the President’s hands should not be tied by Congress in the conduct of foreign affairs. Rabbi Bernstein said the AIPAC believes that the action by the House “strengthens the Administration in its dealing with the Egyptian Government, since it conveys most dramatically the overwhelming sentiment of the American people.”
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