Sen. Alan Cranston (D. Calif.) a presidential hopeful, vowed here yesterday that should he be elected President he would move the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
“I am in favor of moving the American Embassy to Jerusalem. And I will move it if I am the President,” Cranston told a meeting of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations. Two of the eight Democratic Presidential candidates, former Vice President Walter Mondale and Sen. Ernest Hollings of South Carolina, had already appeared before the group. Others are to appear in the next two months.
In a strong pro-Israel speech, Cranston reiterated his commitment to Israel’s survival and security and his opposition to “an even-handed policy as long as Arab nations are at war with Israel.” He stated that “I will remain steadfast in support of Israel and in support of the Israel-American special relationship.” He expressed opposition to selling American arms to Israel’s enemies, including the proposed sale of sophisticated arms to Jordan.
On the issue of Lebanon, Cranston called for the withdrawal of U.S. Marines from that country. “We should extricate ourselves from Lebanon as swiftly as we can,” he said, noting that Israeli troops have also withdrawn from areas in Lebanon to avoid casualties. In other remarks, he said a strong Israel is in America’s interest and pledged that he will continue his efforts on behalf of Soviet Jewry.
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.
