Sen. Edmund S. Muskie (D.,Me.) urged President Nixon Saturday to extend economic aid to Israel for the absorption of Jewish emigres from the Soviet Union in order not to let “economic disaster accomplish what war could not.” The Democratic presidential aspirant who has entered the Florida presidential primary March 14, said Nixon has the authority under the Migration and Refugee Assistance Act of 1962 to designate Soviet refugees as recipients of American aid. Speaking at a news conference here, Muskie welcomed the decision of Soviet officials to permit increased Jewish emigration but warned that it would impose a heavy burden on Israel. “A country the size of Israel with its heavy defense burdens cannot afford the several hundred million dollars that will be required for the anticipated influx of Soviet Jews,” he said.
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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.
