U.S. Foreign Relations Survey Shows 40% Oppose Continued U.S. Arms Aid to Israel

The Council on Foreign Relations’ survey of 1,500 of its members on the Middle East showed that only 40 percent support continued military aid to Israel in order to retain her military superiority on even party with her Arab enemies. The survey included members of the Council’s Committees on foreign Relations in 34 cities, laymen who “meet regularly with experts to inform themselves on foreign policy issues,” according to Council literature. The survey, entitled “The Middle East and U.S.-Soviet Relations,” asked the community leaders to select what alternatives would be the most wise for the U.S. to pursue. Two-thirds of the respondents felt that the U.S. should offer to participate in a Big Four or UN guarantee of a Mideast settlement acceptable to Israel, Egypt and Jordan. However, one-fourth of the respondents favored reduced U.S.-Israeli friendship in hope of improving chances for a settlement of the crisis. About 40 percent of those surveyed felt the U.S. should reduce its military power worldwide and review its commitments to “lessen chances of involvement in local conflicts.” About 90 percent of those replying said that Soviet naval movement in the Mediterranean and shipments of arms to Egypt represented a threat to the U.S. The threat was envisaged either in terms of the possibility of a U.S. -Soviet confrontation in the area by some and in terms of an alteration in the balance of power by others.