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KFAR Silver Hiller Dinner, Houston, TX, June 6, 1971
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KFAR Silver Hiller Dinner, Houston, TX, June 6, 1971
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Gerald R. Ford Congressional Papers
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The original documents are located in Box D31, folder "KFAR Silver Hiller Dinner,
Houston, TX, June 6, 1971" of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech
File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Copyright Notice
The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of
photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. The Council donated to the United
States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.
Works prepared by U.S. Government employees as part of their official duties are in the public
domain. The copyrights to materials written by other individuals or organizations are presumed to
remain with them. If you think any of the information displayed in the PDF is subject to a valid
copyright claim, please contact the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library.
Honoree - Joseph Hiller / Jach Toregyner - Part Pals. 2.0.A.
Regional President - Times Kreditor
"great friend R.N.S
for B.
ADDRESS FOR THE KFAR SILVER HILLER DINNER, 7
P.M. SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 1971, AT HOUSTON, TEXAS
BRANDEIS
AWARD
Heorge Bush -
Bob Exhanlt
SHALOM!
I FIND IT MOST NATURAL TO USE THE
TRADITIONAL HEBREW GREETING, SINCE I HAVE
SPOKEN BEFORE MANY JEWISH ORGANIZATIONS IN
RECENT MONTHS. ALSO, I AM A GREAT BELIEVER
IN PEACE, AS I AM CERTAIN EACH OF YOU ARE.
I HAVE COME TO YOU TONIGHT TO
SPEAK OF PEACE - - OF WAR AND PEACE - - OF THE
MIDDLE EAST AND THE HEART-RENDING PROBLEMS
THAT DISTURB US ALL AS WE LOOK AT THAT
DEEPLY TROUBLED REGION OF THE WORLD.
IT IS ESPECIALLY FITTING THAT WE
TAKE A FRESH LOOK AT THE MIDDLE EAST TONIGHT,
FOR ONLY A SHORT TIME AGO SECRETARY OF STATE
ORD
WILLIAM ROGERS MADE TRIPS TO BOTH ISRAEL AND
EGYPT, AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER EGYPTIAN
Digitized from Box D31 of the Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
-2-
PRESIDENT ANWAR SADAT SHOOK UP HIS CABINET
AND THEN PROMPTLY SIGNED A 15-YEAR TREATY
OF COOPERATION AND FRIENDSHIP WITH THE
SOVIET UNION.
HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT EVENTS HAVE
TRANSPIRED IN RECENT WEEKS. AND IT MAY BE
THAT A NEW SCENARIO WILL BE PLAYED OUT IN
THE MONTHS AHEAD.
WHEN SADAT STAGED HIS CABINET
COUP, THE IMMEDIATE REACTION OF MANY OB-
SERVERS WAS TO LABEL IT A PRO-AMERICAN
DEVELOPMENT. SADAT'S OUSTER OF THE LEFTISTS
AND HIS STUNNING CONSOLIDATION OF POWER
DIRECTLY FOLLOWED ROGERS VISIT. THERE WAS
TALK OF AN EASING OF TENSIONS IN THE MIDDLE
EAST. THERE WAS hopeful SPECULATION THAT SADAT'S
OUSTER OF PRO-SOVIET EGYPTIAN OFFICIALS
COULD LEAD TO PROGRESS IN NEGOTIATIONS
TOWARD AN ARAB-ISRAELI PEACE SETTLEMENT.
-3-
THEN SOVIET PRESIDENT PODGORNY
MADE HIS HURRIED TRIP TO CAIRO, AND WHAT
WAS THE UPSHOT? A TREATY THAT SOLIDIFIES
FOR AT LEAST 15 YEARS THE SOVIET HOLD ON
EGYPT. IF THE WORLD NEEDED ANY PROOF OF IT,
THE 15-YEAR SOVIET-EGYPTIAN TREATY TELLS US
THAT THE SOVIET INVESTMENT IN EGYPT IS
PAYING OFF FOR THE RUSSIANS. IT TELLS US
THAT EGYPT IS INDEED A CLIENT STATE DEEPLY
INDEBTED TO THE SOVIET UNION AND VERY MUCH
clearly
CONSCIOUS OF THAT DEBT. IT ALSO, INDICATES
THAT ANY MOVE EGYPT MIGHT MAKE TOWARD A
SETTLEMENT WITH ISRAEL WILL FIRST BE CHECKED
OUT IN MOSCOW.
EGYPT HAS CLEARLY MOVED CLOSER TO
THE RUSSIAN CAMP, ALMOST IN FACT ASSUMING
THE STATUS OF A SATELLITE.
-4-
WITH THE SIGNING OF THE 1,5,,YEAR
SOVIET-EGYPTIAN TREATY, RUSSIA HAS finally ACQUIRED
THE STATUS OF A MIDDLE EASTERN POWER. THE
SOVIETS HAVE USED ARAB-ISRAELI TENSIONS TO
EXPAND INTO THE MIDDLE EAST. ISRAEL NOW
BECOMES THE FREE WORLD'S FOREMOST BULWARK
AGAINST COMMUNIST CONTROL OF THE MID-EAST.
I HAVE REPEATEDLY SAID THAT THE
SECURITY OF THE UNITED STATES IS TIED IN
WITH THE SECURITY OF ISRAEL. I SAY THIS BE-
CAUSE IT IS IN THE VITAL INTERESTS OF THE
UNITED STATES TO PREVENT SOVIET DOMINATION
OF THE MIDDLE EAST. FOR THE SOVIET UNION
TO GAIN A DOMINATING POSITION IN THIS AREA
THAT HAS SUCH HISTORICAL AND STRATEGIC
present + future
IMPORTANCE IS TO ENDANGER THE PEACE OF THE
WORLD. In this CRISIS
Ismil much a story america.
TIBRANY
The strength of both contributes F World Pince
america needs a strong
-5-
THE MIDDLE EAST HAS ALWAYS BEEN
A POTENTIAL TARGET FOR SOVIET EXPANSION--
AN EXTENSION OF ITS EUROPEAN SPHERE OF IN-
FLUENCE. THE RUSSIANS FAILED IN THEIR
FRONTAL ASSAULTS ON TURKEY AND IRAN, SO
NOW THEY HAVE LEAPFROGGED THOSE TWO NATIONS
TO ACHIEVE THE SOVIET UNION'S LONG-SOUGHT
OBJECTIVE OF BECOMING A MIDDLE EAST POWER.
THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION SEES
SOVIET INFLUENCE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AS A
REGRETTABLE FACT OF LIFE--A DEMONSTRATION
OF SOVIET POWER WHICH MUST BE DEALT WITH
THERE JUST AS ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE WORLD.
WE KNOW THAT THE RUSSIANS ARE
EMPLOYING GUNBOAT DIPLOMACY IN THE MEDITER-
RANEAN. BUT WE ARE MEETING THAT CHALLENGE
THE UNITED STATES JUST RECENTLY ANNOUNCED
incontance
MEASURES TO REINFORCE ITS NAVAL STRENGTH
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN THROUGH THE ALMOST
-6-
CONTINUOUS PRESENCE OF A HELICOPTER CARRIER
AND A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN HOURS OF
MARITIME AIR PATROLLING AND THE SHIP-OPERA-
TING DAYS OF SEA PATROLS.
I DON'T BELIEVE IT WAS JUST CO-
INCIDENCE THAT THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THESE
NEW MEASURES CAME JUST 24 HOURS AFTER THE
SIGNING OF THE 15-YEAR SOVIET-EGYPTIAN
TREATY.
We
did.
WE HAD TO ACT IN MY VIEW, THE
SOVIET BUILDUP IN THE MEDITERRANEAN IS A
DIRECT THREAT TO THE BALANCE OF POWER NOT
ONLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST BUT BETWEEN THE
NATO ALLIANCE AND THE WARSAW PACT COUNTRIES.
THE SOVIET-EGYPTIAN TREATY ALSO
THREATENS THE BALANCE OF POWER IN THE MID-
EAST. WHILE IT COULD BE SAID MERELY TO
RATIFY THE STATUS QUO, THE FACT REMAINS THAT
-7-
IT ASSURES EGYPT OF A FREE-FLOWING CONTIN-
UING SUPPLY OF MILITARY AID. AS FOR ISRAEL,
THE UNITED STATES MUST GUARANTEE HER AN
ASSURED SUPPLY OF JETS AND OTHER MILITARY
NEEDS AS A COUNTER TO RUSSIAN EFFORTS ON
BEHALF OF EGYPT. THE BEST WAY TO ASSURE
military
ISRAEL OF THIS AID IS A PACKAGE LEND-LEASE
ARRANGEMENT releable AN ARRANGEMENT THAT WILL MEAN
MMEDIATE HELP AS IT BECOMES NECESSARY.
THE FACT THAT THE SOVIET-EGYPTIAN
TREATY ENSURES A VIRTUALLY PERMANENT SOVIET
PRESENCE IN EGYPT DOES NOT, IN MY VIEW
WIPE OUT ALL CHANCES FOR AN ARAB-ISRAELI
PEACE SETTLEMENT. HOW MANY TIMES WILL THE
RUSSIANS BE WILLING TO GO THROUGH A FIASCO
LIKE THE SIX-DAY WAR OF JUNE 1967 ?
WE SHOULD NOT DESPAIR IN OUR PUR-
SUIT OF PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST. THE PRO-
BLEMS OF THE HOUR SHOULD SPUR US TO GREATER
-8-
EFFORTS.
FOR THE SHORT TERM, THE SITUATION
HAS BOTH PLUSES AND MINUSES. WE CAN TAKE
HOPE FROM THE FACT THAT THE FIGHTING HAS
NOT RESUMED DESPITE THE ABSENCE OF A WRITTEN
CEASE-FIRE. TEN MONTHS OF NO ACTIVE WARFARE
IS DEFINITELY BENEFICIAL. BECAUSE THE GUNS
HAVE BEEN SILENT, I REMAIN THE ETERNAL
OPTIMIST. HOWEVER, WE SHOULD WORK
CEASELESSLY TO CREATE THE FRAMEWORK FOR DIRECT
NEGOTIATIONS BETWEEN THE PARTIES TO THE
CONFLICT.
NATIONS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUALS--
IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND ELSEWHERE--SURELY
RECOGNIZE THAT PEACE IS ESSENTIAL IF THEY
ARE TO MAKE THE EARTH A BETTER PLACE TO
LIVE.
THE ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS OF A PEACE
SETTLEMENT IN THE MIDDLE EAST ARE SPELLED
OUT IN THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL
-9-
RESOLUTION OF NOVEMBER 22,1967. THE
PROBLEM LIES IN DIFFERING INTERPRETATIONS
OF THAT RESOLUTION: HOW TO CREATE A STATE OF
PEACE, HOW TO PRESERVE THE PEACE, AND IN
PRACTICAL WAYS, HOW TO GUARANTEE IT.
IN MY VIEW, THE UNITED NATIONS
RESOLUTION DID NOT ENVISAGE TOTAL ISRAELI
WITHDRAWAL FROM ALL OCCUPIED TERRITORIES
IT EMPHASIZED THE SECURITY ASPECT OF ANY
SETTLEMENT THAT MIGHT BE ENTERED INTO.
FROM THE VERY BEGINNING THE UNITED STATES
ANTICIPATED THAT THERE WOULD HAVE TO BE
SECURITY ARRANGEMENTS.
YOU ALL KNOW THAT AS A RESULT
OF THE UNITED STATES INITIATIVE IN JUNE
1970, ISRAEL, EGYPT AND JORDAN ACCEPTED
MEDIATION BY GUNNAR JARRING; EGYPT AND
JORDAN ACKNOWLEDGED THE PRINCIPLE OF
ENTERING INTO A PEACE WITH ISRAEL; AND
ISRAEL ACCEPTED THE PRINCIPLE OF WITHDRAWAL
-10-
NOT TOTAL WITHDRAWAL, BUT WITHDRAWAL TO
SECURE BORDERS.
A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR AGO
THERE WAS ACTIVE FIGHTING ALONG ALL FRONTS,
AND THERE WAS GUERRILLA WARFARE IN JORDAN.
THE SITUATION TODAY IS FAR PRE-
FERABLE. A GENUINE NEGOTIATING PROCESS
HAS STARTED. EGYPT HAS ACCEPTED A COMMIT-
MENT TO PEACE WITHOUT INSISTING ON WITH-
DRAWAL FROM OTHER THAN EGYPTIAN TERRITORY.
BUT, LET THERE BE NO MISTAKE
ABOUT IT, THERE IS ALWAYS THE DANGER THAT
EGYPT WILL AGAIN RESORT TO WAR AS A
SOLUTION.
WHILE THE UNITED STATES INITIATIVE
IN 1970 HALTED A PROGRESSIVE MILITARY
DETERIORATION, THE FACT REMAINS THAT THE
EGYPTIANS AND SOVIETS VIOLATED THE CEASE-
OHD
LIBRARY
-11-
FIRE AND BUILT UP THE EGYPTIAN ARSENAL OF
GROUND-TO-AIR MISSILES TO THE POINT WHERE
IT IS THE LARGEST CONCENTRATION OF SUCH
MISSILES IN THE WORLD.
WHILE THE UNITED STATES SHOULD
BEND EVERY EFFORT TO BRING THE ARAB-ISRAELI
CONFLICT TO PEACEFUL RESOLUTION, I WANT TO
MAKE MY OWN POSITION UNMISTAKEABLY CLEAR.
ISRAEL SHOULD NOT WITHDRAW FROM ONE INCH
OF OCCUPIED TERRITORY UNLESS THERE IS
CREDIBLE EVIDENCE THAT SUCH ACTION WILL
PRODUCE A REAL PEACE TREATY AND THAT THE
ARABS WILL NORMALIZE RELATIONS WITH HER.
ONE CANNOT RULE OUT THE POSSIBILITY
OF AN INTERIM AGREEMENT TO OPEN THE SUEZ
CANAL. EGYPT WANTS THE CANAL OPEN. ISRAEL
SEEMS TO BE WILLING. RUSSIA AND THE UNITED
STATES WOULD BENEFIT FROM AN OPENING OF THE
-12-
CANAL. CONTINUED NEGOTIATIONS ARE VERY
MUCH IN ORDER.
LET ISRAEL NOW PUT INTO THE
NEGOTIATIONS WHAT IT WANTS TO ASSURE SECURITY.
THERE MUST BE A WAY TO WORK OUT AN
AGREEMENT.
THE CURRENT SEARCH FOR AN INTERIM
AGREEMENT COULD BE A STEP TOWARD THE
ATTAINMENT OF PEACE. THIS IS AN EXPLOR-
ATION IN DIPLOMACY THAT WOULD NOT HURT
ISRAEL'S INTERESTS.
CERTAINLY AT THIS POINT IN THE
UNITED STATES--ISRAELI RELATIONSHIP, NO
AMERICAN STILL ENTERTAINS THE IDEA THAT
THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION WOULD BE A PARTY
TO ANY ATTEMPT TO IMPOSE A PEACE ON THE
PARTIES IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
AS PRESIDENT NIXON HAS SAID,
-13-
PEACE CAN BE ACHIEVED ONLY THROUGH THE
RESOLUTION OF CONFLICTING FORCES AT WORK
IN EACH PART OF THE WORLD.
THE NIXON ADMINISTRATION WILL
DILIGENTLY AND WITH ALL ITS RESOURCES
HELP WHERE IT CAN. WE WILL HELP IN
PROVIDING SECURITY WHERE IT IS NEEDED, AND
WE WILL HELP IN WORKING TOWARD AGREEMENT.
BUT WE CAN ONLY HELP.
THE REAL INTERESTS OF ARABS AND
ISRAELIS, OF RUSSIANS AND AMERICANS, REQUIRE
PEACEFUL COEXISTENCE. THE UNITED STATES
IS COMMITTED TO PEACEFUL AND HONORABLE
DEALINGS WITH ALL MEN. WE ARE DOING
EVERYTHING WE CAN, AS MEN OF CONSCIENCE AND
INTEGRITY, TO PROMOTE PEACE.
AND IN ISRAEL, THAT LAND WHERE THE
PROPHETS DREAMED THAT NATION SHOULD NOT
LIFT UP SWORD AGAINST NATION, LET THERE BE
LIBRARY
PEACE.
-14-
FOR ISRAEL, A NATION OF PEOPLE
WHOSE SUFFERING MERITS A LIFE MORE CREATIVE
THAN PERPETUAL SERVICE IN AN ARMED CAMP,
LET THERE BE PEACE. FOR THE ARABS, WHOSE
POVERTY AND FRUSTRATION REQUIRE SCHOOLS AND
HOSPITALS AND A DECENT LIFE RATHER THAN
THE ENDLESS PURCHASE OF JETS AND GUNS, LET
THERE BE PEACE.
ISRAEL COULD BE A LIGHT UNTO THE
NATIONS OF THAT REGION IF THE ARABS WOULD
ACCEPT FELLOW HUMAN BEINGS OF THE JEWISH
FAITH AS ENTITLED TO NATIONHOOD AS ANY
OTHER PEOPLE. THE GENIUS AND PRODUCTIVITY
OF THE ISRAELIS COULD HELP OTHERS MAKE THEIR
DESERTS BLOOM.
INSTEAD OF THE CRADLE OF CIVILI-
ZATION BECOMING ITS GRAVE, LET THE CRADLE
OF CIVILIZATION GIVE RISE TO TWO PEOPLES,
-15-
ARAB AND JEWISH, EACH IN THEIR OWN COUNTRIES,
WITH COMMERCE AND TRAVEL FLOWING ACROSS
PEACEFUL BORDERS, AND WITH A NEW SENSE OF
MUTUAL RESPECT IN KEEPING WITH OUR DREAM
OF THE BROTHERHOOD OF MAN UNDER THE FATHERHOOD
OF GOD.
I WANT TO ADD A SPECIAL AND VERY
PERSONAL WORD TO THIS AUDIENCE. MANY OF
YOU HAVE DEVOTED YOUR LIVES TO THE ISRAELI
CAUSE. YOU HAVE SEEN IN ISRAEL A REDEMP-
TION OF FREEDOM AND HUMAN DIGNITY, THE
REBIRTH OF A PEOPLE. BUT WE ARE NOW WITNESS-
ING PAINFUL DAYS, TRAGIC DAYS, IN WHICH
THE POWERS AND PRESSURES OF THE WORLD APPEAR
TO BE CONVERGING ON THE MIDDLE EAST.
ISRAEL WAS REBORN IN BLOOD AND
FIRE. ISRAEL IS TODAY STRUGGLING IN AN ORDEAL
OF BLOOD AND FIRE. BUT THIS TIME IT IS
DIFFERENT. THE STATE OF ISRAEL HAS PROVED
ITS METTLE. ISRAEL IS A NATION AMONG NATIONS.
-16-
AS AMERICANS YOU CAN TAKE PRIDE,
YOU DEDICATED SUPPORTERS OF ISRAEL, IN
THE NATION YOU HAVE HELPED TO BUILD. BUT
THE WATCHMAN OF ISRAEL DOES NOT SLEEP.
TRYING DAYS STILL LIE AHEAD.
AND IN YOUR HEART OF HEARTS YOU CAN DRAW
FAITH AND SUSTENANCE AND ASSURANCE FROM
ONE FACT. THIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF
AMERICA. THIS IS OUR COUNTRY AND WE, JEWS
AND NON-JEWS, PEOPLES OF ALL PARTS OF
THIS COUNTRY, THE SILENT AMERICANS AND THE
ARTICULATE AMERICANS, WILL NOT LET ISRAEL
DOWN.
--END--
LIBRARY
M Office Copy
ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH. HOUSTON, TEX,
KFAR SILVER HILLER DINNER
7:00 p.m., SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 1971
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
Shalom!
I find it most natural to use the traditional Hebrew greeting, since I have
spoken before many Jewish organizations in recent months. Also, I am a great
believer in peace, as I am certain each of you are.
I have come to you tonight to speak of peace--of war and peace-- of the
Middle East and the heart-rending problems that disturb us all as we look at that
deeply troubled region of the world.
It is especially fitting that we take a fresh look at the Middle East tonight,
for only a short time ago Secretary of State William Rogers made trips to both
Israel and Egypt, and shortly thereafter Egyptian President Anwer Sadat shook up
his cabinet and then promptly signed a 15-year treaty of cooperation and friendship
with the Soviet Union.
Highly significant events have transpired in recent weeks. And it may be
that a new scenario will be played out in the months ahead.
When Sadat staged his cabinet coup, the immediate reaction of many observers
was to label it a pro-American development. Sadat's ouster of the leftists and his
stunning consolidation of power directly followed Rogers' visit. There was talk
of an easing of tensions in the Meddle East. There was speculation that Sadat's
ouster of pro-Soviet Egyptian officials could lead to progress in negotiations
toward an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Then Soviet President Fodgomy made his hurried trip to Cairo, and what was
the upshot? A treaty that solidifies for at least 15 years the Soviet hold on
Egypt. If the world needed any proof of it, the 15-year Soviet-Egyptian treaty
tells us that the Soviet investment in Egypt is paying off for the Russians. It
tells us that Egypt is indeed a client state deeply indebted to the Soviet Union
and very much conscious of that debt. It also indicates that any move Egypt might
make toward a settlement with Israel will first be checked out in Moscow.
Egypt has clearly moved closer to the Russian camp, almost in fact assuming
the status of a satellite.
With the signing of the 15-year Somet-Egyptian treaty, Russia has acquired
(more)
GERALD FORD LIBRARY
-2-
the status of a Middle Eastern power. The Soviets have used Arab-Israeli tensions
to expand into the Middle East. Israel now becomes the Free World's foremost
bulwark against Communist control of the Mideast.
I have repeatedly said that the security of the United States is tied in
with the security of Israel. I say this because it is in the vital interests of
the United States to prevent Soviet domination of the Middle East. For the Soviet
Union to gain a dominating position in this area that has such historical and
strategic importance is to endanger the peace of the world.
The Middle East has always been a potential target for Soviet expansion--an
extension of its European sphere of influence. The Russians failed in their
frontal assaults on Turkey and Iran, so now they have leapfrogged those two nations
to achieve the Soviet Union's long-sought objective of becoming a Middle East power.
The Nixon Administration sees Soviet influence in the Middle East as a
regrettable fact of life--a demonstration of Soviet power which must be dealt with
there just as anywhere else in the world.
We know that the Russians are employing gunboat diplomacy in the Mediterranean,
But we are meeting that challenge. The United States just recently announced
measures to reinforce its naval strength in the Mediterranean through the almost
continuous presence of a helicopter carrier and a substantial increase in hours of
maritime air patrolling and the ship-operating days of sea patrols.
I don't believe it was just coincidence that the announcement of these new
measures came just 24 hours after signing of the 15-year Soviet-Egyptian treaty.
We had to act. In my view, the Soviet buildup in the Mediterranean is a
direct threat to the balance of power not only in the Middle East but between the
NATO alliance and the Warsaw Pact countries.
The Soviet-Egyptian treaty also threatens the balance of power in the Mideast.
While it could be said merely to ratify the status quo, the fact remains that it
assures Egypt of a free-flowing continuing supply of military aid. As for Israel,
the United States must guarantee her an assured supply of jets and other military
needs as a counter to Russian efforts on behalf of Egypt. The best way to assure
Israel of this aid is a package lend-lease arrangement, an arrangement that will
mean immediate help as it becomes necessary.
The fact that the Soviet-Egyptian treaty ensures a virtually permanent
Soviet presence in Egypt does not, in my view, wipe out all chances for an Arab-
Israeli peace settlement. How many times will the Russians be willing to go through
a fiasco like the six-day war of June 1967?
(more)
GERALD LIBRARY FORD
-3-
We should not despair in our pursuit of peace in the Middle East. The
problems of the hour should spur us to greater efforts.
For the short term, the situation has both pluses and minuses. We can take
hope from the fact that the fighting has not resumed despite the absence of a
written cease-fire. Ten months of no active warfare is definitely beneficial.
Because the guns have been silent, I remain the eternal optimist. However, we should
work ceaselessly to create the framework for direct negotiations between the parties
to the conflict.
Nations as well as individuals--in the Middle East and elsewhere--surely
recognize that peace is essential if they are to make the earth a better place to
live.
The essential elements of a peace settlement in the Middle East are spelled
out in the United Nations Security Council resolution of November 22, 1967. The
problem lies in differing interpretations of that resolution: How to create a state
of peace, how to preserve the peace, and in practical ways, how to guarantee it.
In my view, the UN resolution did not envisage total Israeli withdrawal from
all occupied territories. It emphasized the security aspect of any settlement that
might be entered into. From the very beginning the United States anticipated that
there would have to be security arrangements.
You all know that as a result of the United States initiative in June 1970,
Israel, Egypt and Jordan accepted mediation by Gunnar Jarring; Egypt and Jordan
acknowledged the principle of entering into a peace with Israel; and Israel accepted
the
principle of withdrawal not total withdrawal, but withdrawal to secure borders.
A little more than a year ago there was active fighting along all fronts,
and there was guerrilla warfare in Jordan.
The situation today is far preferable. A genuine negotiating process has
started. Egypt has accepted a commitment to peace without insisting on withdrawal
from other than Egyptian territory.
But, let there be no mistake about it, there is always the danger that
Egypt will again resort to war as a solution.
While the U. S. initiative in 1970 halted a progressive military
deterioration, the fact remains that the Egyptians and Soviets violated the cease-
fire and built up the Egyptian arsenal of ground-to-air missiles to the point where
it is the largest concentration of such missiles in the world.
While the United States should bend every effort to bring the Arab-Israeli
(more)
GERALD
-4-
conflict to peaceful resolution, I want to make my own position unmistakably clear.
Israel should not withdraw from one inch of occupied territory unless there is
credible evidence that such action will produce a real peace treaty and that the
Arabs will normalize relations with her.
One cannot rule out the possibility of an interim agreement to open the Suez
Canal. Egypt wants the canal open. Israel seems to be willing. Russia and the
United States would benefit from an opening of the canal. Continued negotiations
are very much in order. Let Israel now put into the negotiations what it wants to
assure security. There must be a way to work out an agreement.
The current search for an interim agreement could be a step toward the
attainment of peace. This is an exploration in diplomacy that would not hurt
Israel's interests.
Certainly at this point in the U.S.-Israel relationship, no American still
entertains the idea that the Nixon Administration would be a party to any attempt
to impose a peace on the parties in the Middle East.
As President Nixon has said, peace can be achieved only through the resolution
of conflicting forces at work in each part of the world.
The Nixon Administration will diligently and with all its resources help
where it can. We will help in providing security where it is needed, and we will
help in working toward agreement. But we can only help.
The real interests of Arabs and I raelis, of Russians and Americans, require
peaceful coexistence. The United States is committed to peaceful and honorable
dealings with all men. We are doing everything we can, as men of conscience and
integrity, to promote peace.
And in Israel, that land where the
amed that nation should not lift
up sword against nation, let there be
For Israel, a nation of people whos fering merits a life more creative
than perpetual service in an armed camp let there be peace. For the Arabs, whose
poverty and frustration require schools and hospitals and a decent life rather than
the endless purchase of jets and guns, let there be peace.
Israel could be a light unto the nations of that region if the Arabs would
accept fellow human beings of the Jewish faith as entitled to nationhood as any
other people. The genius and productivity of the Israelis could help others make
their deserts bloom.
Instead of the cradle of civilization becoming its grave, let the cradle of
(more)
GERALD R. LIBRARY FORD
--5--
civilization give rise to two peoples, Arab and Jewish, each in their own countries,
with commerce and travel flowing across peaceful borders, and with a new sense of
mutual respect in keeping with our dream of the brotherhood of man under the
Fatherhood of God.
I want to add a special and very personal word to this audience. Many of
you have devoted your lives to the Israeli cause, You have seen in Israel a
redemption of freedom and human dignity, the rebirth of a people. But we are now
witnessing painful days, tragic days, in which the powers and pressures of the
world appear to be converging on the Middle East.
Israel was reborn in blood and fire, Israel is today struggling in an ordeal
of blood and fire. But this time it is different. The State of Israel has proved
its mettle. Israel is a nation among the nations.
As Americans you can take pride, you dedicated supporters of Israel, in the
nation you have helped to build. But the watchman of Israel does not sleep.
Trying days still lie ahead. And in your heart of hearts you can draw
faith and sustenance and assurance from one fact. This is the United States of
America. This is our country and we, Jews and non-Jews, peoples of all parts of
this country, the silent Americans and the articulate Americans, will not let Israel
down.
####
GERALD LIBRARY FORD
Officiapy
ADDRESS BY REP. GERALD R. FORD, R-MICH.
KFAR SILVER HILLER DINNER
7:00 p.m., SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 1971
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
Shalom!
I find it most natural to use the traditional Hebrew greeting, since I have
spoken before many Jewish organizations in recent months. Also, I am a great
believer in peace, as I am certain each of you are.
I have come to you tonight to speak of peace--of war and peace-- of the
Middle East and the heart-rending problems that disturb us all as we look at that
deeply troubled region of the world.
It is especially fitting that we take a fresh look at the Middle East tonight,
for only a short time ago Secretary of State William Rogers made trips to both
Israel and Egypt, and shortly thereafter Egyptian President Anwar Sadat shook up
his cabinet and then promptly signed a 15-year treaty of cooperation and friendship
with the Soviet Union.
Highly significant events have transpired in recent weeks. And it may be
that a new scenario will be played out in the months ahead.
When Sadat staged his cabinet coup, the immediate reaction of many observers
was to label it a pro-American development. Sadat's ouster of the leftists and his
stunning consolidation of power directly followed Rogers' visit. There was talk
of an easing of tensions in the Meddle East. There was speculation that Sadat's
ouster of pro-Soviet Egyptian officials could lead to progress in negotiations
toward an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Then Soviet President Fodgomy made his hurried trip to Cairo, and what was
the upshot? A treaty that solidifies for at least 15 years the Soviet hold on
Egypt. If the world needed any proof of it, the 15-year Soviet-Egyptian treaty
tells us that the Soviet investment in Egypt is paying off for the Russians. It
tells us that Egypt is indeed a client state deeply indebted to the Soviet Union
and very much conscious of that debt. It also indicates that any move Egypt might
make toward a settlement with Israel will first be checked out in Moscow.
Egypt has clearly moved closer to the Russian camp, almost in fact assuming
the status of a satellite.
With the signing of the 15-year Somet-Egyptian treaty, Russia has acquired
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GERALD FORD LIBRARY
-2-
the status of a Middle Eastern power. The Soviets have used Arab-Israeli tensions
to expand into the Middle East. Israel now becomes the Free World's foremost
bulwark against Communist control of the Mideast.
I have repeatedly said that the security of the United States is tied in
with the security of Israel. I say this because it is in the vital interests of
the United States to prevent Soviet domination of the Middle East. For the Soviet
Union to gain a dominating position in this area that has such historical and
strategic importance is to endanger the peace of the world.
The Middle East has always been a potential target for Soviet expansion--an
extension of its European sphere of influence. The Russians failed in their
frontal assaults on Turkey and Iran, so now they have leapfrogged those two nations
to achieve the Soviet Union's long-sought objective of becoming a Middle East power.
The Nixon Administration sees Soviet influence in the Middle East as a
regrettable fact of life--a demonstration of Soviet power which must be dealt with
there just as anywhere else in the world.
We know that the Russians are employing gunboat diplomacy in the Mediterranean.
But we are meeting that challenge. The United States just recently announced
measures to reinforce its naval strength in the Mediterranean through the almost
continuous presence of a helicopter carrier and a substantial increase in hours of
maritime air patrolling and the ship-operating days of sea patrols.
I don't believe it was just coincidence that the announcement of these new
measures came just 24 hours after signing of the 15-year Soviet-Egyptian treaty.
We had to act. In my view, the Soviet buildup in the Mediterranean is a
direct threat to the balance of power not only in the Middle East but between the
NATO alliance and the Warsaw Pact countries.
The Soviet-Egyptian treaty also threatens the balance of power in the Mideast.
While it could be said merely to ratify the status quo, the fact remains that it
assures Egypt of a free-flowing continuing supply of military aid. As for Israel,
the United States must guarantee her an assured supply of jets and other military
needs as a counter to Russian efforts on behalf of Egypt. The best way to assure
Israel of this aid is a package lend-lease arrangement, an arrangement that will
mean immediate help as it becomes necessary.
The fact that the Soviet-Egyptian treaty ensures a virtually permanent
Soviet presence in Egypt does not, in my view, wipe out all chances for an Arab-
Israeli peace settlement. How many times will the Russians be willing to go through
a fiasco like the six-day war of June 1967?
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We should not despair in our pursuit of peace in the Middle East. The
problems of the hour should spur us to greater efforts.
For the short term, the situation has both pluses and minuses. We can take
hope from the fact that the fighting has not resumed despite the absence of a
written cease-fire. Ten months of no active warfare is definitely beneficial.
Because the guns have been silent, I remain the eternal optimist. However, we should
work ceaselessly to create the framework for direct negotiations between the parties
to the conflict.
Nations as well as individuals--in the Middle East and elsewhere--surely
recognize that peace is essential if they are to make the earth a better place to
live.
The essential elements of a peace settlement in the Middle East are spelled
out in the United Nations Security Council resolution of November 22, 1967. The
problem lies in differing interpretations of that resolution: How to create a state
of peace, how to preserve the peace, and in practical ways, how to guarantee it.
In my view, the UN resolution did not envisage total Israeli withdrawal from
all occupied territories. It emphasized the security aspect of any settlement that
might be entered into. From the very beginning the United States anticipated that
there would have to be security arrangements.
You all know that as a result of the United States initiative in June 1970,
Israel, Egypt and Jordan accepted mediation by Gunner Jarring; Egypt and Jordan
acknowledged the principle of entering into a peace with Israel; and Israel accepted
the
principle
of
withdrawal
not total withdrawal, but withdrawal to secure borders.
A little more than a year ago there was active fighting along all fronts,
and there was guerrilla warfare in Jordan.
The situation today is far preferable. A genuine negotiating process has
started. Egypt has accepted a commitment to peace without insisting on withdrawal
from other than Egyptian territory.
But, let there be no mistake about it, there is always the danger that
Egypt will again resort to war as a solution.
While the U. S. initiative in 1970 halted a progressive military
deterioration, the fact remains that the Egyptians and Soviets violated the cease-
fire and built up the Egyptian arsenal of ground-to-air missiles to the point where
it is the largest concentration of such missiles in the world.
While the United States should bend every effort to bring the Arab-Israeli
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-4-
conflict to peaceful resolution, I want to make my own position unmistakably clear.
Israel should not withdraw from one inch of occupied territory ugless there is
credible evidence that such action will produce a real peace treaty and that the
Arabs will normalize relations with her.
One cannot rule out the possibility of an interim agreement to open the Suez
Canal. Egypt wants the canal open. Israel seems to be willing. Russia and the
United States would benefit from an opening of the canal. Continued negotiations
are very much in order. Let Israel now put into the negotiations what it wants to
assure security. There must be a way to work out an agreement.
The current search for an interim agreement could be a step toward the
attainment of peace. This is an exploration in diplomacy that would not hurt
Israel's interests.
Certainly at this point in the ,-Israel relationship, no American still
entertains the idea that the Nixon Administration would be a party to any attempt
to impose a peace on the parties in the Middle East.
As President Nixon has said, peace can be achieved only through the resolution
of conflicting forces at work in each part of the world.
The Nixon Administration will diligently and with all its resources help
where it can. We will help in providing security where it is needed, and we will
help in working toward agreement. But we can only help.
The real interests of Arabs and Israelis, of Russians and Americans, require
peaceful coexistence. The United States is committed to peaceful and honorable
dealings with all men. We are doing everything we can, as men of conscience and
integrity, to promote peace.
And in Israel, that land where the prophets dreamed that nation should not lift
up sword against nation, let there be peace.
For Israel, a nation of people whose suffering merits a life more creative
than perpetual service in an armed camp let there be peace. For the Arabs, whose
poverty and frustration require schools and hospitals and a decent life rather than
the endless purchase of jets and guns, let there be peace.
Israel could be a light unto the nations of that region if the Arabs would
accept fellow human beings of the Jewish faith as entitled to nationhood as any
other people. The genius and productivity of the Israelis could help others make
their deserts bloom.
Instead of the cradle of civilization becoming its grave, let the cradle of
LIBRARY
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civilization give rise to two peoples, Arab and Jewish, each in their own countries,
with commerce and travel flowing across peaceful borders, and with a new sense of
mutual respect in keeping with our dream of the brotherhood of man under the
Fatherhood of God.
I want to add a special and very personal word to this audience. Many of
you have devoted your lives to the Israeli cause. You have seen in Israel a
redemption of freedom and human dignity, the rebirth of a people. But we are now
witnessing painful days, tragic days, in which the powers and pressures of the
world appear to be converging on the Middle East.
Israel was reborn in blood and fire, Israel is today struggling in an ordeal
of blood and fire. But this time it is different. The State of Israel has proved
its mettle. Israel is a nation among the nations.
As Americans you can take pride, you dedicated supporters of Israel, in the
nation you have helped to build. But the watchman of Israel does not sleep.
Trying days still lie ahead. And in your heart of hearts you can draw
faith and sustenance and assurance from one fact. This is the United States of
America. This is our country and we, Jews and non-Jews, peoples of all parts of
this country, the silent Americans and the articulate Americans, will not let Israel
down.
#
naffice Copy
ADDRESS
BY
REP.
GERALD
R.
FORD,
R-MICH.
HOUSTON,
TEX,
KFAR SILVER HILLER DINNER
7:00 p.m., SUNDAY, JUNE 6, 1971
FOR RELEASE ON DELIVERY
Shalom!
I find it most natural to use the traditional Hebrew greeting. since I have
spoken before many Jewish organizations in recent months. Also, I a great
believer in peace, as I am certain of you are.
I have come to you tonight to speak of peace--of war and peace-- of the
Middle East and the heart-rending problems that disturb us all as we look at that
deeply troubled region of the world.
It is especially fitting that we take a fresh look at the Middle East tonight,
for only a short time ago Secretary of State William Rogers made trip' to both
Israel and Egypt, and shortly thereafter Egyptian President Anwer Sadat hook up
his cabinet and then promptly signed a 15-year treaty of cooperation and friendship
with the Soviet Union.
Highly significant events have transpired in recent weeks. And it may be
that a new scenario will be played out in the months ahead.
When Sadat staged his cabinet coup, the immediate reaction of many observers
was to label it a pro-American development. Sadat's ouster of the leftists and his
stunning consolidation of power directly followed Rogers' visit. There was talk
of an easing of tensions in the Meddle East. There was speculation that Sadat's
ouster of pro-Soviet Egyptian officials could lead to progress in negotiations
toward an Arab-Israeli peace settlement.
Then Soviet President Fodgorny made his hurried trip to Cairo, and what was
the upshot? A treaty that solidifies for at least 15 years the Soviet hold on
Egypt. If the world needed any proof of it, the 15-year Seviet-Sgyptian treaty
tells us that the Soviet investment in Egypt is paying off for the Russians. It
tells us that Egypt is indeed a client state deeply indebte to the Soviet Union
and very much conscious of that debt. It also indicates that any move Egypt might
make toward a settlement with Israel will first be checked out in Moscow.
Egypt has clearly moved closer to the Russian camp, almost in fact assuming
the status of a satellite.
With the signing of the 15-year Sowiet-Egyptian treaty, Russia has acquired
(more)
GERALD R.FORD LIBRUM