President Johnson Asked to Check on U.S. Subsidy to Anti-israel Group

Responding to indications that the Central Intelligence Agency, despite recent disclosures, may be continuing subsidization of the anti-Israel American Friends of the Middle East, Sen. Hugh Scott, Pennsylvania Republican, today asked President Johnson to “bring an immediate halt” to such financing.

Sen. Scott asked the President to end the flow of public funds to “an organization whose principal objective is to conduct anti-Israel propaganda in the United States and to conduct activities that run counter to the stated objectives of American foreign policy.”

Naming the ten foundations that dispensed CIA funds covertly to AFME, Sen. Scott told how AFME financed Arab students who conducted anti-Israel propaganda campaigns at over 100 American colleges and universities. He asked the President to “bring an immediate halt to any U.S. Government funds that are going to AFME and similar organizations, through whatever conduit,” as well as to order an investigation on the full amount of U.S. Government money that has gone to AFME and the purposes for which this money was spent.” The Senator quoted a number of anti-Israel and anti-Zionist statements by the AFME director.

At the same time, Sen. Scott complained to the United States Information Agency here that American books and periodicals in the U.S.I.A. library at Damascus are being censored so as to eliminate any references to Israel.” However, a spokesman for the USIA denied reports about censorship of books in the Damascus library. The spokesman added that some Syrian users of the library “might be taking such liberties,” as inking out the word “Israel” in a book, noting that such a situation was beyond American control.