The American Committee for Israel’s Tenth Anniversary Celebration has “fully accomplished its mission,” and its impact upon public opinion in the United States “far exceeds the expectations and hopes,” former Sen. Herbert H. Lehman said today. Mr. Lehman, who is general chairman of the Committee, made the statement at a press conference before departing for Europe.
Because of the Committee’s work, Mr. Lehman said, “the widest sections of our American population know now not only that Israel wants peace and security but also they understand now that the security of the United States depends upon the security of Israel.” The principal theme of the Committee’s work, he said, “was and is the intimate ties between the United States and Israel and the importance of Israel to the free world as a democratic force.”
There is no doubt, he said, that the committee could say firmly: “Mission accomplished.” He emphasized that the Committee “received a heartening response” in the following ways, among others:
“1. In the responsiveness of the distinguished personalities to participation in the national programs of the American Committee.
“2. In the extraordinary willingness of every medium of public communication–press, radio, television, motion pictures–to identify itself with Israel on her tenth anniversary and to project her programs.
“3. In the remarkable fashion in which the entire Jewish community, despite organizational difficulties, joined in advancing the purposes of the American Committee on the national local levels.
“4. In the readiness of hundreds of communities in the United States to mark Israel’s tenth anniversary in some representative form.
“5. In the desire of so many thousands of Americans to see at first hand Israel’s development, which has produced an influx of individual visits to Israel, organizational tours, religious pilgrimages and visits by political personalities.
“When one considers the limitations of our budget, the smallness of our staff and the lack of a field staff, we have a right to assume that in evoking the response which we have evoked, we were drawing to the surface feelings that were there waiting to be made visible,” Sen. Lehman stressed.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
