U.S. Demands on Israel Outlined; Mass Immigration Opposed

Assistant Secretary of State Henry A. Byroade, who is handling the Arab-Israel problem in the State Department, last night called upon the Israel Government to assure the Arabs that Israel does not contemplate territorial expansion, to cease its propaganda for mass immigration of Jews into the Jewish State and to accept the return of some of the Arab refugees and compensate the others. His statement was interpreted as outlining current U.S. policy with regard to the Arab-Israel situation.

At the same time, Mr. Byroade made it clear that the U. S. Government looks favorably upon the fact that American Jews are helping Israel’s economic development, and are supporting Israel’s religious, educational and cultural enterprises. “There is no divergence between our government and American citizens of Jewish faith who are interested in the development and welfare of the State of Israel, ” he declared. He spoke at the 10th annual conference of the American Council for Judaism which concluded its four-day session here today.

Mr. Byroade revealed that the U.S. Government sees “an increasing danger that the Middle East may be relegated to a satellite status under the Soviet Union. ” He warned that this view should not be considered “alarmist” and as being “without foundation of fact. ” He pointed out that because the U. S. sees a “continuing and grave threat” to its security, it is inevitable that the American Government “should attempt to be a factor leading towards progress and stability across the entire Middle East.”

U. S. WILL NOT PERMIT EITHER ISRAEL OR ARAB EXPANSION

Declaring that the Arabs fear “expansionist Zionism, ” Mr. Byroade said that they are especially concerned about a series of statements from Israel “calling for greatly expanded immigration.” These statements, he said, spread “like wildfire” throughout the Middle East. “The Arabs know the capacity of the territory of Israel is limited; they see only one result – future attempt at territorial expansion, ” he asserted.

“I believe the Arab world today believes that the United States would not allow an attack by them upon Israel with the purpose of driving her into the sea, ” Mr. Byroade continued. “I also believe, however, that in general, the Arab people are not convinced that the opposite is true.” He emphasized that “America would back no state, including Israel, in a matter of expansive aggression” and that America’s opposition “would be equally strong regardless of which side started such a move.”

The Assistant Secretary of State said that the U. S. Government is concerned over the fact that Israel “is prone to see dangers to herself” in the moves by the State Department towards progress in the Arab-Israel issue, Charging Israel with “exaggerating far beyond what seems to us to be the realities of the situation,” he stated: “We see no basis in our acts to justify her fear that her legitimate interests are placed in jeopardy by the United States concern over the area as a whole. “

ANALYZES POSSIBILITY OF EMIGRATION FROM U.S. AND RUSSIA

Advising Israel to “correct” its stand calling for mass immigration of Jews from other countries, Mr. Byroade argued that there remain in the world today only two areas where really large Jewish populations still live. One is the United States and the other is the Soviet Union and its satellites.

“It does not seem to me to be a fact that a great mass of Americans of Jewish faith are about to emigrate and take on Israeli citizenship, ” he said, adding that it does not look as if the Kremlin were ready to permit Jewish emigration from the countries behind the Iron Curtain.

“If and when the Soviets decide to do so,” he asserted, “it will be because of their desire to set the area aflame by fostering new and greater trouble in the Middle East. If such an eventuality actually happened, the magnitude of the problem would be such that the whole free world–not just Israel–would have to concern itself with the resettlement of Jewish immigrants from behind the Iron Curtain.”

INSISTS ON PAYMENT OF COMPENSATION TO ARAB REFUGEES

Speaking of the Arab refugees, Mr. Byroade said: “What a breath of fresh air would be given the world if all concerned would simply admit the fundamental fact that these people are homeless–are in desperate want–and are uncompensated for their property and other losses that they have suffered. ” He added that a solution of the Arab refugee problem “would do more than anything else to reduce the incidents of border violence. “

The United States, Mr. Byroade stated, has stood “for the resettlement of a portion of the refugees in the territory of Israel. ” He pointed out that “it should be borne in mind that they mostly lived as farmers on terraced land which probably only they are likely to make fertile and productive. ” At the same time, he pointed out that the United States has seen “the most practical and long-term solution for the majority of the Arab refugees to be the provision of new lands for settlement” and has expressed willingness to provide funds for projects which would allow resettlement of “a sizeable portion” of the Arab refugees.

Of compensation to the Arab refugees, he said “clearly this is a matter to be attended to. ” Israel, he stated, must find some way of arranging moves on such specific problems without giving her neighbors a feeling that she demands “total peace or nothing. ” He said that “the fact that Israel has obtained and is now using restitution from Germany while doing nothing towards the compensation of Arab refugees understandably adds to their bitterness.”

COUNCIL FOR JUDAISM ADOPTS POLICY RESOLUTIONS

The conference of the American Council for Judaism, at which Mr. Byroade delivered his address, concluded today with the adoption of a number of resolutions including those calling for: 1. Freedom for authorized American officials to formulate foreign policy “free from pressure groups” and “in the best interests of all the people of the United States and the free world”; 2. Precision in the use of language by media of public information with regard to such terms as “Israeli, ” “Zionist, ” and “Jew” etc.; 3. Examination by Americans of Jewish faith of “the relationship of American Jewish organizations with the Jewish Agency or possibly agencies of such Agency. “

Earlier, the Council authorized the establishment of a special fund to be used for “any charitable or philanthropic purposes in the United States or abroad which does not advance or benefit ‘Jewish national’ interests.”