Former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, the Democratic candidate for the U.S. Senate from New York, tonight took a strong pro-Israel position, calling for further efforts by the American Administration to establish peace in the Middle East, and declaring that the United States “should give Israel whatever military aid is necessary to prevent it from becoming the victim of an imbalance in arms.”
Mr. Kennedy spoke at a dinner highlighting the 39th annual convention of the Mizrachi Women’s Organization of America. His Republican opponent, the incumbent Sen. Kenneth B. Keating, addressed the same convention last night, outlining a six-point program of American aid to Israel.
Relying heavily on the pro-Israel accomplishments of his brother, the late President Kennedy, and of President Johnson, Mr. Kennedy advocated continuance and expansion of pro-Israel steps, stating: “We must continue to make clear to those who threaten Israel that she is not alone. We must continue to make certain that Israel is strong enough to deter any attack.
“He also pledged that, if elected, he would fight for ratification by the Senate of the United Nations Genocide Convention, which would make such mass slaughters as the Nazi annihilation of European Jewry an international crime.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.