The United Israel Appeal raised a record $70,000, 000 throughout the world last year, with nearly 80 percent of it coming from the United States and the remainder from the British Commonwealth, Western Europe and Latin America, Eliahu Dobkin, member of the Jewish Agency executive, told a news conference here today. The United States contribution last year was $54,500,000, he said.
During the nine and one-half years of Israel’s existence, the United Israel Appeal and other sources have brought in $1,100,000,000. Half this income came from the United Jewish Appeal and the remainder from a variety of sources including the Israel bond drive, Jewish National Fund and the Histadrut campaign.
Despite this record, Mr. Dobkin said, the UJA goal for this tenth anniversary year should be consolidation of existing settlements and completion of the absorption of the immigrants already in the country. With this out of the way, he said, it will be possible to accept and absorb another one-third of a million Jews in the near future . He estimated that 500, 000 Jews in Central and Eastern Europe and a like number from North Africa are prepared to come to Israel, but because of the present immigration situation only 50, 000 can come in each of the next three years.
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