President Eisenhower, in a message to the rally tonight at Madison Square Garden (See Page 1) spoke of his “firm friendship” for Israel and said that the United States “will play its full part” in seeking to establish peace in the Middle East. The President’s message, addressed to Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, reads:
“I am glad to comply with your request to send a message to the meeting which you are addressing this evening as I know of your great concern about the recent developments in the Near East which disturb all of us. A threat to peace in the Near East is a threat to world peace. As I said the other day, while we continue willing to consider requests for arms needed for legitimate self-defense, we do not intend to contribute to an arms competition in the Near East. We will continue to be guided by the policies of the Tripartite Declaration of May 25, 1950. We believe this policy best promotes the interests and security of the peoples of the area.
“We believe the true and lasting security in the area must be based upon a just and reasonable settlement. It seems to me that current problems are capable of resolution by peaceful means. There is no reason why a settlement of these problems cannot be found, and when realized I would be prepared to recommend that the United States join in formal treaty engagements to prevent or thwart any effort by either side to alter by force the boundaries upon which Israel and its immediate neighbors agree.
“The need for a peaceful settlement becomes daily more imperative. The United States will play its full part in working toward such a settlement and will support firmly the United Nations in its efforts to prevent violence in the area. By firm friendship toward Israel and all other nations in the Near East we shall continue to contribute to the peace of the world.”
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
