Speech #850015487

I wonder how many of my colleagues are aware that the 1956 program of surplus foods for Israel amounting to about forty to fifty million dollars is in a state suspension. In addition. the $25 million grantinaid to Israel voted by the Congress under the foreignaid program has not gone forward. and the technicalassistance program to Israel. which has brought our top experts to help in developing Israels agriculture. industry. transportation. health and education. public administration. and mass communications facilities. has been interrupted by the recall of most of these experts. Israel thus is faced with a major economic problem at a time when it is admitting over 80.000 homeless refugees. Given this increased flow of refugees. nany of them victims of communism in Hungary and Poland. as well as the persecuted Jews from Egypt and north Africa. the withdrawal of American aid constitutes severe hardship. In addition. the arbitrary denial of passports to American citizens who wish to travel to Israel. particularly now that the holy season of Passover is approaching. constitutes a particularly unfriendly act on the part of this administration toward the only democratic country in the Middle East. I call upon the President to restore this urgently needed aid and to treat Israel once again as she is entitled to be treated as a valuable ally in our battle against Communist aggression.