Speech #850063704

The military situation is relatively stable. the influence of Colonel Nasser is diminishing. United Nations and United StatesIsrael relations are much improved. the Eisenhower doctrine has been accepted in practical effect by the Arab countries. other than Syria and Egypt. and by Israel. and the United Nations emergency force remains in the Gaza strip and on the Gulf of Aqaba. I urge the administration to start a major drive now in the Middle East for the resettlement of Palestine Arab refugees in the Arab lands. To do this. we should call in our Ambassadors and block out a diplomatic campaign to win acceptance for the Johnston plan for the development of the Jordan River Valley as the first step among the governments involved. and we should follow through from that point. We are about to consider the Mutual Security Act again. It contains provisions allowing of our backing for regional development programs in the MidEast like the Johnston plan. and it also provides continued authorization for our share of the United Nations cost of caring for the Palestine Arab refugees. The same principle is applicable to the remainder of the $200 million available under the Eisenhower doctrine authorization resolution. It means that our Government needs to pursue the initiative with determination. which was opened to us by the failure of Egyptian influence to dismember Jordan and the first success of the Eisenhower doctrine In that operation. Most observers believe that the Palestine Arab refugees remain one of the most nettling problems standing in the way of some affirmative progress toward permanent peace in the Middle East. I have been in the Gaza Strip recently. and have seen the Palestine Arab refugees there. From my personal observation. I am convinced that the camps no longer contain any appreciable numbers of doctors. lawyers. educators. or other professional or merchant class people. but that those remaining are essentially farmers who should be relatively easy to resettle. By now it is clearly recognized even by objective Arab statesmen themselves that substantial resettlement is practical only in the Arab States. Israel has already admitted 5.000 of such refugees officially. and is. I understand. permitting some 40.000 more to remain unofficially to reunite Arab families. Israel will. I believe. repatriate some additional modest number. but cannot be asked to admit a potential fifth column by the tens of thousands. The Johnston plan provides for dividing the waters of the Jordan River and its tributary the Yarmuk. with Israel getting 40 percent and the Arab States 60 percent of the water. This project would reclaim enough desert to resettle an estimated onehalf of the about 500.000 Palestine Arab refugees in Jordan. whose natural restlessness has contributed much to Jordans unsettlement. now comprising the bulk of all the 800.000 to 900.000 Palestine Arab refugees. 922.000 are reportedly drawing U. N. rations. The project will aid as well in facilitating the settlement of the increased thousands of European and Arabland Jewish refugees coming to Israel. The plan involves estimated costs of $200 million. and sharing of costs. contributions by the Arab States. Israel. and our country as well as others. remain to be worked out. but the objections to it are political. and this is the time when they can be overcome. Our country has a large financial stake in this matter. too. aside from the overriding issue of peace. as we have been contributing about 70 percent of the funds contributed by participating member nations in the U. N. for the support of the Palestine Arab refugees. through the U. N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees. having contributed approximately $173 million from June 1948 to the present. We are also committed to participate in a U. N. resettlement fund of $200 million. of which less than 10 percent has been spent for rehabilitation because of Arab opposition to resettlement projects. Moscow has never contributed one penny to helping the Palestine Arab refugees. and even the oilrich Arab States have contributed small sums of under $100.000 a year. Also involved is the financial viability of Jordan. a key MidEast problem. and one the Johnston plan could affect mightily for the good.