Severe criticism of the State Department for its policy on Arab-Israel issues was voiced here today by Rep. Leonard Farbstein, New York Democrat, at a United Jewish Appeal dinner at which he was the guest of honor.
“Today in the presence of clear threat, we find that the State Department of our great nation continues to play it cool insofar as Israel is concerned,” Rep. Farbstein said. He lauded the statements of President Kennedy at his recent press conference supporting the security of Israel and her neighbors.
He deplored the misapplication of massive aid to Egypt under our Food for Peace Program and recommended the adoption of the following to granting aid 1. That granting of aid be preceded by agreement to preserve the peace; 2. That those countries receiving our aid who are not being threatened by external forces, forego building aggressive arsenals using our aid as a means.
He also stated that he would seek to amend the foreign aid bill by declaring it as the sense of Congress that in the administration of foreign aid, great consideration should be given to those countries who share the views of the U. S. in the world crisis and which do not as a result of United States assistance divert their own economic resources to military and propaganda efforts, directed against other countries receiving aid.
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.
