Some 50 Congressmen Sign Declaration of Concern About Israel; to Be Given to Pompidou

Nearly 50 Congressmen have signed a Declaration of Concern About Israel to be given to French President Georges Pompidou next week when he addresses a joint session of Congress. The sense of the Congress declaration, written and circulated for the first time, by Rep. Robert H. MacDonald, Democrat of Massachusetts, expresses “grave concern over French policy in the Middle East.” Continuing, the Declaration stated, “recognizing that the situation there borders on yet another full scale war, we feel reason and caution to be of paramount importance insofar as the policy of all parties involved is concerned.” The Declaration asks the French to join the United States in working for direct negotiations between the Arabs and the Israelis “in an effort to settle this tragic conflict.” MacDonald conceived the declaration to offer an alternative protest to Congressmen who did not want to either boycott or walk out on Pompidou’s speech next Wednesday, but felt concern over the French sale of 110 Mirage jets to Libya and the French embargo on the 50 jets Israel ordered and paid for. MacDonald’s covering letter accused France of a “potentially disastrous course” in the Middle East. He plans to continue soliciting signatures until the hour of Pompidou’s visit, and then present the petition to the French President. If he gets a majority of both Houses supporting the Declaration, MacDonald hopes to arrange a formal presentation.