Lebanon’s Ambassador, Nahabi Kabbani, and a contingent of diplomats from the Egyptian Embassy were among a dozen or more Arab dignitaries who rubbed elbows last Thursday night with extreme right-wing Americans at an affair at which speakers attacked Israel and the Jewish people.
The chief sponsor of the dinner meeting at the Army and Navy Club–Citizens for American Survival–said in an invitation reportedly mailed to hundreds of persons, including about 150 Congressmen, that it would be a “no holds barred” discussion of the Middle East situation. “No longer can a self-chosen establishment elite of minority warmongers be allowed to control successive administrations and systematically destroy the U.S. republic and its economy,” the invitation said.
About 200 showed up for the dinner. Publications offered for sale included the anonymous “Myth of Six Millions,” which minimizes the Nazi Holocaust, “The Payoff,” which lists Congressional members who have addressed Jewish organizations; a special edition of the Liberty Lobby’s “America First” publication “Israel: Our Next Vietnam,” and other tracts and books.
A few bought the publications. Advance expectations that many retired military officers would attend did not materialize. Most of those present appeared to be affiliated with groups such as Liberty Lobby and their guests. Homer Brett Jr., a retired Navy commander, introduced the principals and leading guests. When he came to the half- dozen Egyptians sitting as a group, he identified them as from the Egyptian Embassy and apologized for not naming them because the Embassy did not have their names. He asked them to rise to applause.
JEWS TRYING TO GET U.S. INTO MIDEAST WAR
Besides the Lebanese envoy and the Egyptians Brett introduced among others, Richard Sgeak, president of the National Association of Arab Americans; Arijam Omari, information officer of the Arab League; Curtis Dall, head of Liberty Lobby; Col. Edward Rothkirch, a member of the Sovereign Order of St. John of Jerusalem; Donald Baldwin, a trustee of the Sons of the American Revolution; Norman F. Dacey, president of the American Palestine Committee; and Dr. John Davis, of the Near East Refugee Organization.
Among the anti-Jewish statements made at the event was one by Col. (Ret.) Edward J. Hatfield Jr., president of Citizens for American Survival, who charged that Jews were responsible for getting the United States into the Vietnam War and that they were now trying to get the United States into a war in the Middle East.
Gen. A.C. Wedemyer, 77, former commander of the China theater of operations in World War II, was listed as a sponsor of the event but he was not present. He was reported as having said he joined the committee because persons he respected had already joined and because he was told one of the speakers would be David Lilienthal former atomic energy commissioner. Lillenthal, however, was not scheduled to speak. The scheduled speaker was Alfred Lillenthal, the well-known anti-Zionist.
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.
