Speech #820115857

I am opposed to this amendment for a number of reasons. some of which have been eloquently stated by my colleagues on the floor of the House during the course of this debate. As I indicated early in the debate. I was amazed that the gentleman from North Carolina should have used a figure with respect to the settlement of immigrants in Israel which I cannot reconcile with any information received by the Foreign Affairs Committee. I therefore hope that no one will be influenced by the use of that figure. In my opinion. the State of Israel has done an extraordinary administrative job in setting up a new country in a small area of land with very limited natural resources. In recent months. the economic pressures on Israel have been tremendous. not alone because of the problems inherent in the establishment of any new nation whose revenues must of necessity be very small until such time as the country has built up its industry but. likewise. because of the great pressure of immigration. Since Israels policy has been to keep her doors open to all of the Jewish faith who wish to settle there. she has been pledged to take within her borders the many refugees who. in recent months have left. often precipitantly. Yemen. Iran. Iraq. and other Arab states. It is to help with this strain on the immigration problem of Israel that the committee voted the amount which appears in the bill. Together with a number of my colleagues. I endorsed a bill for a larger amount of economic aid for Israel at this time.