White House Reassures Zionist Leader U.S. Will Maintain Mideast Power Balance

The White House has reaffirmed President Nixon’s commitment “that the military balance in the Near East will be maintained and that a settlement must be arrived at through negotiations between parties,” it was announced today by the American Zionist Federation. Such assurances have been conveyed in a communication to Rabbi Israel Miller, president of the AZF. The message to Rabbi Miller added that “the security and well-being of the State of Israel” are among the “fundamental principles to which this government is committed.” The communication to Rabbi Miller came several days ago as a response to an expression of our “profound concern” which he had conveyed to Nixon “at reports of our government’s failure to respond affirmatively to the threat to Israel’s security and its deterrent military capacity, by delaying action on Israel’s latest request for military assistance.”

The AZF leader had also told Nixon that the Zionist constituency in the United States looked to him to honor his past commitments “so that the enemies of Israel will know full well that support of Israel and the attainment of a true peace are policies and objectives which remain constant on the part of the United States and are not subject to erosion or attrition.” In commenting on the White House message, Rabbi Miller stated today that he was heartened to know the “President remains committed to maintaining the balance of power in the Middle East and, equally important, that any settlement there must be arrived at through negotiations between the concerned parties.” Rabbi Miller added: “In reaffirming this position, the United States has made it possible for Israel to negotiate a true peace free of the external pressures of an imposed peace. We are now looking to the United States to take consistent action at the forthcoming sessions of the United Nations in conformity with this reaffirmation by the President.”