United States technical assistance to Israel will end on June 30, Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion’s office announced here tonight. The assistance, given over a period of ten-and-a-half years by the U.S. Operations Mission, indicates that, in the American view, Israel is no longer regarded as an underdeveloped country needing such aid.
The U.S. technical aid, on some 150 projects, has amounted to about $17,000,000, and has included demonstrations, equipment, the services of 350 American experts in various fields who came there to help Israel, as well as 640 fellowships to Israelis who went abroad to learn “know-how” in a variety of fields.
At a news conference today on the eve of USOM’s termination, the American director of operations, Henry Chalfant, said Israel “repaid” some of the American aid by receiving here trainees sent to Israel by the USOM. He stated that Israel and the United States had agreed that Israel no longer requires direct technical assistance. An official farewell was tendered by the Government here tonight, at the Hebrew University, to Mr. Chalfant and his staff.
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