Rep. Joshua Eilberg (D.Pa.) has telegraphed President Nixon to release “at the earliest possible date” $50 million earmarked by Congress last year to aid Soviet Jews emigrating to Israel. According to a statement issued by Eilberg, an investigation conducted at his request by the General Accounting Office “revealed that the State Department has not asked for any of these funds and that the Office of Management and Budget has not released any to this Department or any other Department or agency.”
The money was appropriated by Congress last year and the bill signed by the President on Oct., 26. According to Eilberg, “since that day, the Nixon Administration has apparently done nothing to implement the distribution of funds.” He said that reports from the General Accounting Office indicated that the expenditure of the funds is “being considered in the context of the total foreign aid requirements of the Israel government.”
Eilberg disputed that the allocation was intended as part of Israel’s regular economic assistance. He said “this is completely contrary to the intent of Congress. This money was appropriated to help people who are leaving their homes virtually destitute and are going to a country with a society almost totally different from the one they have left.”
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