Sharon Denounces U.S. for Its Vote in the UN and Castigates U.S. Jews for Not Marching on Washington

Ariel Sharon, Israel’s Minister of Agriculture, blasted the Carter Administration today for supporting the UN Security Council’s anti-Israel resolution of March I and castigated American Jews for not standing up to it.

“Jewish silence will bring disaster upon the Jewish people and upon Israel “Sharon declared before on audience of American Jewish leaders here. He said he was “shocked” that 100,000 Jews did not march on Washington to demonstrate in front of the White House in the aftermath of the UN vote and sharply criticized Jewish leaders for meeting with two of President Carter’s sop aides in New York on Monday.

Sharon, one of the most outspoken hardliners in Premier Menachem Begin’s government, addressed a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations convened at his request. Sharon had specifically asked that the meeting be open to the press.

But after his opening remarks, Rabbi Alexander Schindler, who was presiding in the absence of Presidents Conference chairman Theodore Mann, requested that the press leave. The feeling among some reporters was that he did this because of the severe tone of Sharon’s criticism of the President and American Jewish leaders and because some of the latter present intended to challenge the Israeli minister’s imputation that they were silent.

SURPRISED AT MEETING IN NEW YORK

Sharon said that he was “surprised” that Jewish leaders met this week with Sol Linowitz, Carter’s special Ambassador to the Israeli-Egyptian autonomy negotiations, and Robert Strauss, the President’s campaign manager, to discuss the U.S. vote “while Jews were being beaten outside.” He was apparently referring to the scuffles between anti-Carter demonstrators and police across the street from the Harmonie Club.

Sharon charged that by agreeing to meet with Carter’s representatives, the Jewish leaders helped to “cover up” the real intentions of the Carter Administration and helped the Administration to make its UN vote into an issue between it and the Jewish community. According to Sharon, the issue is that this kind of American policy will bring the U.S. to commit “a new mistake” in its Middle East policy.

The Israeli minister accused the Administration of attempting “to establish a second Palestinian state.” thereby weakening Israel and itself while enabling the Soviet Union to carry out its plan to control the Middle East oil reserves and thereby secure Soviet influence over the West and Japan.

“We are the only ones–along with Egypt and the U.S. — who can guarantee the oil supply to the West and stop Russian expansionism,” Sharon said. He declared that Jewish silence was partly responsible for the Holocaust and called on American Jews to stand up to the U.S. government. He conceded, however, that the U.S. is Israel’s only friend.

He claimed that Israel is presently under pressure to make further concessions and alleged that this was part of a pattern that started immediately after the Camp David agreements were signed and that the U.S. government has been trying “to run away front that agreement.” He said he would not accept Carter’s explanation about the U.S. vote but was not surprised by the way the U.S. voted. He said it had happened before, in the Andrew Young affair.

According to Sharon, Carter’s explanation “just created confusion” among American Jews He said the situation might have been much clearer to them if Carter had not disavowed the vote.