ZOA Asks Republican Pledge Against Imposed Mideast Solution

The Zionist Organization of America wants the Republican Party to promise, in its 1976 Presidential platform, to continue efforts for peace in the Middle East through direct negotiations between the conflicting parties, to re-affirm that there will be no imposed solution and no settlement at the expense of Israel and to pledge to keep Israel strong within defensible borders.

The ZOA’s draft proposals were submitted to the Republican National Committee by Allen Lesser, director of the ZOA’s Washington office. The Committee is meeting here under the chairmanship of Gov. Robert D. Ray of Iowa to receive platform proposals. Another session will be held at Ames, Iowa June 24. The final platform will be determined at hearings in Kansas City Aug. 9-11, the week before the Republican National Convention opens there.

The ZOA asked that the platform pledge that “A Republican Administration will continue with the efforts to bring the conflicting parties in the Middle East to negotiate directly for a just and durable peace in the area” and that “the Republican Administration will remain faithful to the pledges made by the Republican President against imposing a solution on the parties in the Middle East conflict,” The ZOA wants the Republican platform to state further that “A reasonable and just solution can only be reached by the parties themselves, negotiating in good faith.”

The ZOA statement recalled President Ford’s recommendation, when he was House Republican Minority Leader, that the united city of Jerusalem be recognized as the capital of Israel and the U.S. Embassy be transferred there from Tel Aviv. It recommended that this be included in the Republican platform. Such a recommendation was included in the Democratic Party’s platform adopted here last week.