Presidents Conference Has Asked for Meeting with Ford on Planes Sales

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations has asked for a meeting with President Ford to personally present its opposition to the sale of six C-130 transport planes to Egypt. Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, chairman of the Presidents Conference, In disclosing the request at a press conference today said the meeting will probably be held at the White House within the next 10 days.

Schindler said the member organizations in the Presidents Conference have already been in touch with members of Congress, church and labor leaders, Black spokesmen, veterans organizations and others to mobilize opposition to the sale. He said all of the candidates for the Presidency have been asked to state their views. The proposed sale of the C-130s to Egypt is not the issue, Schindler stressed. He said the issue is that this would establish the principle of the U.S. selling arms to Egypt.

Schindler said the Presidents Conference will not compromise on this issue. Asked about the proposal by Sens. Jacob K. Javits (R.NY). Clifford P. Case (R.NJ) and Hubert H. Humphrey (D. Minn.) to sell the six transports to Egypt on a civilian rather than a military basis, Schindler said he could speak only for himself but said he considered the proposal subterfuge and would rather meet the issue head on.

Schindler said the Presidents Conference takes exception to reports in the Israeli and American press after the Conference sent a telegram to President Ford this week that they were following Israel’s example in opposing the sale of the C-130s. He said the Presidents Conference sent a letter to Ford on Feb. 12 opposing the sale several weeks before it became a public issue and before Israel made its protests.

Prior to today’s press conference, Schindler’s first as chairman, the Presidents Conference met with Israeli Ambassador Simcha Dinitz who repeated Israel’s strong opposition to the sale.

WANTS TO MAKE CONFERENCE MORE EFFECTIVE

Schindler, who only recently became chairman, said he wants to make the Presidents Conference more effective. He said he would like to limit meetings such as the one coming up with the President to six-to-ten people so it could be less “ceremonial” and more an exchange of views.

He said he would like to have leaders of organizations not included in the Presidents Conference such as the United Jewish Appeal and the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds to be part of a committee to meet monthly and discuss issues. He said he hoped the group would be “more deliberative than reactive” although it would react as issues come up. He also said he hopes to add one staff member to deal with national activities in the New York area.

Schindler said he also plans to go to Israel March 27 and has asked, unlike previous official visits of the Presidents Conference, to meet with a wider audience than Israeli government leaders. He said he asked for meetings with the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Security Committee, which includes members of all major parties; kibbutz secretaries, members of the Manufacturers. Association, the Histadrut, army officers and newspaper editors. “I want to hear from a wider Israel,” he said.