A resolution addressed to President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower calling upon him “to carry on this country’s bi-partisan policy of friendly cooperation and closer relationship with the Government of Israel,” was unanimously adopted today by 1,200 Zionist and communal leaders from all parts of the country at the closing session by the 16th annual United Israel Appeal national conference.
At the same time, the resolution urged him “to assert the prestige of his high office and the influence of the United States, as a member of the U.N. to promote a formal and durable peace between Israel and the Arab states.”
The resolution also expressed appreciation to President Truman and his administration for “creating close and cordial relations between the Government of the United States and the Government of Israel and for the political and economic assistance which has “strengthened the cause of democracy in the Middle East.”
Other resolutions included expressions of gratitude to Dr. Nahum Goldmann, co-chairman of the Jewish Agency, for his work in negotiating the German reparations; to Edward M. M. Warburg, Dr. Joseph J. Schwartz, and Morris Berinstein, for their leadership of the U.J.A: and to the Mutual Security Administration under the directorship of Averell Harriman for expediting the flow of U.S. aid to Israel. Resolutions also hailed the work of the Jewish Agency and the Keren Hayesod in carrying out the immigration and resettlement program in the face of great difficulties and despite the desperate shortage of funds.
ADOPTS PLAN TO MAKE ISRAEL ECONOMICALLY INDEPENDENT
The session also adopted a comprehensive plan designed to make Israel economically independent within the next five years. Salient aims of the over-all plan are directed at increasing the number of agricultural settlements from 575 this year to 825 by 1957 and for investments in irrigation totalling $825,000,000 within the next five years. It also approved a U. I. A. budget of $102,200,000 for 1953 for work in Israel.
The unanimous adoption of the projected goals followed a critical appraisal of Israel’s serious economic problems by a panel of U. S. Government and U. N. experts and consultants who addressed the session at the Commodore Hotel. Specialists in the fields of housing, agriculture, soil reclamation and vocational training, the participants on the panel, included: Louis Bean, U. S. Department of Agriculture; Charles Abrams, consultant on housing for the U. S. Department of Interior and the U. N. ; Professor William Haber, University of Michigan; Dr. Charles E. Kellogg, soil specialist, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Oscar Gass, economic consultant to the Government of Israel, served as moderator for the panel.
Increasing the number of agricultural workers more than 100 percent from 72,000 this year to 145,000 in 1957 is the chief agricultural aim and will enable the country to place a total of 1,200,000 acres under cultivation. Total expenditures of U. I. A. agencies for the agricultural program are aimed at reaching $540,000,000 by 1957.
Within the agricultural framework, the irrigation aim for 1957 calls for a joint investment by Israel Government and U. I. A. agencies of $848,000,000 to increase the total water production of the country to 660 billion gallons annually.
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