Speech #810221963

In this. the United States has a great and pressing national interest. The problems of Israel are overwhelming and would to any people less heroic be crushing. but to the Israeli people who showed their flaming courage. determination. and devotion during the ArabIsraeli war they are but a challenge to achievement. These grave problems include the arms race attributable to continued shipments of heavy arms and munitions of warlike jet fighter aircraft to the Arab States by Great Britain. the fulminations of Arab leaders promising a second round of the war against Israel. essential and complete mobilization of Israel due to the fact that she is in a dangerous situation of armistice. not peace. with the Arab States whose armies continue in Palestine right on the borders of Israel. the presence of 8 to 10 percent of the whole Israeli population in temporary refugee camps and the Arab boycott of Israel just reasserted by the Arab League. This is a delicate moment in the Near East. a firm and wise policy on the part of the United States is the important key to a constructive solution for Arabs and Jews alike. The people of Israel can be relied on to perform heroically in economic and social rehabilitation and in the absorption of refugees. The Jewish people of the United States joined by millions of Americans of the Christian faith can be relied upon to perform heroically in making the necessary money available. The United Nations can be relied upon with generous American help to make progress in its task of caring for the unfortunate Arab refugees who left their homes under the urging of fanatical Arab leaders but who now do not undertake the commensurate responsibility to them. But to weld all this together into a pattern of peace. social and economic development in the Near East requires a high order of leadership in foreign policy in that area. Let us hope that the great gift which the American people will confer upon the heroic people of Israel on this their second anniversary will be such help and such leadership as will go far to transform the whole Near East of which Israel is now part and bring peace and wellbeing to all its people.