A Senate-House conference committee incorporated this weekend into the final version of the Foreign Assistance Act an amendment requiring the President to report annually on implementation of an anti-bias provision pertaining to discrimination by Arab states against American Jewish citizens.
Also retained in the bill was the Keating-Halpern amendment which warned nations like Egypt that they could not expect American aid if they continued diverting their own assets for purchase of Soviet arms.
The anti-bias measure, known as the Javits-Farbstein amendment, requires the President, for the first time in history, to report each year to Congress on progress made on the Congressional declaration in the Foreign Assistance Act which says: “It is the policy of the United States to support the principles of increased economic cooperation and trade among countries, freedom of the press, information and religion, freedom of navigation in international waterways, and recognition of the right of all private persons to travel and pursue their lawful activities without discrimination as to race or religion.”
The Congress further declared that “any distinction made by foreign nations between American citizens because of race, color, or religion in the granting of, or the exercise of personal or other rights available to American citizens, is repugnant to our principles.”
The conference eliminated, however, a statement in the House version of the bill stating that “in all negotiations with any foreign nation with respect to any funds appropriated under authority of this Act, these principles shall be applied.”
Application of the anti-bias measure is “discretionary,” subject to the judgment of the President. A number of members of Congress have served notice that this year’s bill represents the last time they will refrain from insisting on mandatory language. In their view, the Congress has expressed itself year after year on this issue, only to be ignored by the Executive department.
The Javits-Farbstein amendment was sponsored by Sen. Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican, in the Senate, and by Rep. Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat, in the House. The Keating-Halpern Amendment was devised this year because of the heavy expenditures by Egypt for Soviet jet fighter and bomber aircraft, at a time when increased U.S. aid is contemplated for the Nasser regime. This amendment sets forth that the aim of the U.S. aid program is to encourage peace and cooperation among nations, and warns against diversion of resources for purchase of Soviet munitions. It was sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Kenneth Keating, New York Republican, and in the House by Rep. Seymour Halpern, New York Republican.
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.
