Hadassah Hears 3-point Plan of U.S. Policy on Mideast; to Seek 5,500 Life Members

United States Senator Ernest Gruening, Alaska Democrat, today urged the United States government to inaugurate a “three-pronged policy” to bring about peace in the Middle East, “not only in its own best interests but in the interest of peace throughout the world.” The points advocated by Sen. Gruening were:

1) Entering into a mutual security treaty with Israel; 2) To give whatever arms are needed to Israel to even its military defense strength in the light of Soviet determination to supply arms to the Arab nations “in ever-increasing amounts”; and

3) To buttress Israel’s determination not to give up any territory occupied by the Six-Day War unless and until, “at the very least,” the Arab nations declare “unmistakably” that they are no longer at war with Israel and are willing to negotiate directly with Israel to arrive at binding agreements designed to ensure lasting peace in the Middle East.

Addressing more than 1,500 leaders and members of Hadassah, the women’s Zionist organization of America, at the New York Hilton Hotel, Se. Gruening said that he did not intend his proposed mutual security treaty between the United States and Israel “to commit the United States to the sending of troops to the Middle East.”

Sen. Gruening delivered his address at Hadassah’s event marking a life-membership campaign announced by Mrs. High Salpeter, chairman of that drive. He received one of Hadassah’s Myrtle Wreath Awards, along with Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, national president of Hadassah; Mrs. Salpeter, violinist Isaac Stern, author Elie Wiesel and Dr. Jane Cooke Wright, associate dean of New York Medical College. Mrs. Salpeter said that the next year’s life-membership drive, seeking 5,500 enrollments, would help celebrate Hadassah’s 55th anniversary. As part of its over-all membership of 318,000, she said, Hadassah now has 42,000 life members.