August 7, 1970
Page 27832
SEVENTY-TWO SENATORS SIGN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT ON THE MIDDLE EAST
Mr. BAYH. Mr. President, 9 weeks ago I joined 75 other Senators in expressing to the Secretary of State our "sense of urgency respecting the deteriorating situation in the Middle East." For the protection of America's own vital interests in the Middle East, therefore, we urged the administration to provide Israel with the aircraft needed for its defense.
On July 30, I was pleased to join with about an equal number of Senators in a followup message to the President of the United States expressing our support for his Middle East statement of July 1. At that time, the President wisely pointed to the need for a strong and secure Israel as the best deterrent to aggression in the Middle East.
We are all pleased, of course, that the American attempt to secure a cease-fire appears to be succeeding. A negotiated political settlement agreed to by the parties directly involved is, to my mind, the only true hope for a lasting peace in the Middle East. I am mindful of the fact, however, that until such an agreement is reached, the United States must take into account Israel's urgent need for aircraft and economic assistance.
I ask unanimous consent that the letter to Secretary Rogers and the President be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows:
UNITED STATES SENATE,
Washington, D.C.,
July 30, 1970.
The PRESIDENT,
The White House.
DEAR Mr. PRESIDENT: As you will recall, eight weeks ago, more than three-fourths of the Senate joined in a letter to Secretary Rogers to express our "sense of urgency respecting the deteriorating situation in the Middle East." We maintained that the United States, for the protection of its own interests, should provide Israel with the aircraft needed for its defense.
That letter has now been overtaken by events, especially by the increasingly overt intervention of the Soviet Union on behalf of the United Arab Republic – in an area you have so aptly described as "the hinge of NATO". These events place the situation in a more grave and even broader context than before. Now strategic interests of the United States and its allies are being challenged.
Under these circumstances, we believe that your television statements on July 1 were important expressions of United States' policy intentions with respect to the Middle East – which we support. You took account of Israel's urgent need for aircraft and other assistance in stating that, "once the balance of power shifts where Israel is weaker than its neighbors, there will be war".
Because of the danger of confrontation between our country and the Soviet Union in the Mideast, to which you referred, peace efforts by the United States should be pursued with all possible vigor, so that the integrity of every country in the area within mutually recognized and secure borders may be realized.
Our attempts to find peaceful solutions, however, should not be misinterpreted by the Soviet Union. A super-power confrontation in the Middle East should be avoided and we believe the Soviet Union could be deterred from bringing about such a confrontation as the result of a clearly expressed policy on the part of the United States to protect and defend its interests in the Middle East and Southern Europe. You may be assured of our support to this end.
SIGNERS OF THE LETTER
James B. Allen, Democrat, of Alabama. Gordon Allott, Republican, of Colorado. Howard H. Baker, Jr., Republican, of Tennessee. Birch Bayh Democrat. of Indiana. Wallace F. Bennett, Republican, of Utah. J. Caleb Boggs, Republican, of Delaware. Edward W. Brooke, Republican, of Massachusetts.
Quentin N. Burdick, Democrat, of North Dakota. Harry F. Byrd, Jr., Democrat, of Virginia. Robert C. Byrd, Democrat, of West Virginia.Howard W. Cannon, Democrat, of Nevada. Clifford P. Case, Republican, of New Jersey. Marlow W. Cook, Republican of Kentucky. Norris Cotton, Republican, of New Hampshire.
Alan Cranston, Democrat, of California. Thomas J. Dodd, Democrat, of Connecticut. Robert Dole, Republican, of Kansas. Peter H. Dominick, Republican, of Colorado. Thomas F. Eagleton, Democrat, of Missouri. Paul J. Fannin, Republican, of Arizona, Hiram L. Fong, Republican, of Hawaii. Charles E. Goodell, Republican, of New York.
Albert Gore, Democrat of Tennessee. Mike Gravel, Democrat, of Alaska. Edward J. Gurney, Republican, of Florida. Clifford P. Hansen, Republican, of Wyoming. Fred R. Harris, Democrat, of Oklahoma. Philip A. Hart, Democrat, of Michigan. Vance Hartke, Democrat, of Indiana. Spessard L. Holland, Democrat, of Florida. Roman L. Hruska, Republican, of Nebraska.
Daniel K. Inouye, Democrat, of Hawaii. Henry M. Jackson, Democrat of Washington.
Jacob K. Javits, Republican, of New York. B. Everett Jordan, Democrat, of North Carolina.
Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat, of Massachusetts.
Warren G. Magnuson, Democrat, of Washington.Charles MCC. Mathias, Jr., Republican of Maryland. Gale W. McGee, Democrat of Wyoming. George S. McGovern, Democrat of South Dakota. Thomas J. McIntyre, Democrat of New Hampshire. Lee Metcalf, Democrat of Montana.
Walter F. Mondale, Democrat of Minnesota. Joseph M. Montoya, Democrat of New Mexico.
Frank E. Moss, Democrat of Utah.
George Murphy, Republican of California. Edmund S. Muskie, Democrat of Maine. Gaylord Nelson, Democrat of Wisconsin. Robert W. Packwood, Republican of Oregon.
John O. Pastore, Democrat of Rhode Island. James B. Pearson, Republican of Kansas. Charles H. Percy, Republican of Illinois. Winston L. Prouty, Republican of Vermont. William Proxmire, Democrat of Wisconsin. Abraham Ribicoff, Democrat of Connecticut.
Jennings Randolph, Democrat of West Virginia. Richard S. Schweiker, Republican of Pennsylvania. Hugh Scott, Republican of Pennsylvania. Ralph T. Smith, Republican of Illinois. John Sparkman, Democrat of Alabama. William B. Spong, Democrat of Virginia. John Stennis, Democrat of Mississippi. Ted Stevens. Republican of Alaska. Stuart Symington, Democrat of Missouri. Herman Talmadge, Democrat of Georgia. Strom Thurmond, Republican of South Carolina.
John G. Tower. Republican of Texas. Joseph D. Tydings, Democrat of Maryland. Harrison A. Williams, Democrat of New Jersey. Ralph Yarborough, Democrat of Texas. Stephen M. Young, Democrat of Ohio.
MAY 26, 1970.
DEAR MR. SECRETARY: We feel compelled to express our sense of urgency respecting the deteriorating situation in the Middle East. The decision by the Soviet Union to undertake a direct military role in the Arab-Israel conflict by flying combat planes over Egypt represents, in our judgment, a significant change and a challenge to American strategic interests and a growing threat to world peace. Recent Soviet moves have encouraged Arab belligerence, and are creating a growing military imbalance in favor of the Arab states. Your decision in March to hold in abeyance the sale of additional jet combat aircraft to Israel under the then prevailing conditions has failed to induce the Soviet Union to exercise reciprocal restraint with respect to the arming of the UAR and the other Arab states. In addition, the Soviet Union has taken the unprecedented step of overtly involving an increasing number of its own military personnel in a state far from its own borders.
We believe. Mr. Secretary, that the United States should now announce its intention to provide Israel with the aircraft so urgently needed for its defense. Such action will serve as a significant element of a credible response to the reckless Soviet escalation of the Mideast conflict. We feel that the strengthening of Israel's military posture at this time is the best guarantee against the outbreak of major hostilities.
We also suggest prompt consultations with our NATO allies because of the dangers posed to their own security and economies by the Soviet build-up in the Middle East. We urge the United States to redouble its efforts to reestablish the cease fire as a preliminary step to eventual peace negotiations.
We would be grateful for an early opportunity to meet with you at your convenience, so that we may have a full exchange of views on all aspects of the issue which we believe is warranted by the critical situation that has now developed.
Sincerely,
SIGNERS OF THE LETTER
James B. Allen (Democrat of Alabama). Howard H. Baker, Jr. (Republican of Tennessee).
Birch Bayh (Democrat of Indiana). Wallace F. Bennett (Republican of Utah).
Alan Bible (Democrat of Nevada).
J. Caleb Boggs (Republican of Delaware).
Edward Brooke (Republican of Massachusetts).
Quentin N. Burdick (Democrat of North Dakota).
Harry F. Byrd, Jr. (Democrat of Virginia). Howard W. Cannon (Democrat of Nevada). Clifford P. Case (Republican of New Jersey).
Frank Church (Democrat of Idaho). Marlow W. Cook (Republican of Kentucky).
Norris Cotton (Republican of New Hampshire).
Alan Cranson (Democrat of California). Carl T. Curtis (Republican of Nebraska). Thomas J. Dodd (Democrat of Connecticut) .
Robert Dole (Republican of Kansas). Thomas F. Eagleton (Democrat of Missouri).
Sam J. Ervin, Jr. (Democrat of North Carolina).
Paul J. Fannin (Republican of Arizona). Hiram L. Fong (Republican of Hawaii). Barry M. Goldwater (Republican of Arizona).
Charles E. Goodell (Republican of New York).
Mike Gravel (Democrat of Alasaka). Edward J. Gurney (Republican of Florida). Clifford P. Hansen (Republican of Wyoming).
Fred R. Harris (Democrat of Oklahoma). Philip A. Hart (Democrat of Michigan). Vance Hartke (Democrat of Indiana). Spessard L. Holland (Democrat of Florida). Ernest F. Hollings (Democrat of South Carolina).
Roman L. Hruska (Republican of Nebraska).
Harold E. Hughes (Democrat of Iowa). Daniel K. Inouye (Democrat of Hawaii). Henry M. Jackson (Democrat of Washington).
Jacob K. Javits (Republican of New York).
Everett B. Jordan, Democrat, of North Carolina.
Edward M. Kennedy, Democrat, of Massachusetts.
Warren G. Magnuson, Democrat, of Washington.
Charles McC. Mathias, Republican. of Maryland.
Gale McGee, Democrat, of Wyoming. George S. McGovern, Democrat, of South Dakota.
Thomas J. McIntyre, Democrat, of New Hampshire.
Lee Metcalf, Democrat, of Montana. Jack Miller, Republican, of Iowa.
Walter F. Mondale, Democrat, of Minnesota. Joseph M. Montoya, Democrat, of New Mexico.
Frank E. Moss, Democrat, of Utah.
George Murphy, Republican, of California. Edmund S. Muskie, Democrat, of Maine. Gaylord Nelson, Democrat, of Wisconsin. Robert W. Packwood, Republican, of Oregon.
John O. Pastore, Democrat, of Rhode Island.
Claiborne Pell, Democrat, of Rhode Island. Charles H. Percy, Republican, of Illinois. Winston L. Prouty, Republican, of Vermont.
William Proxmire, Democrat, of Wisconsin. Jennings Randolph, Democrat, of West Virginia.
Abraham Ribicoff, Democrat, of Connecticut.
William B. Saxbe, Republican, of Ohio. Hugh Scott, Republican, of Pennsylvania. Richard S. Schweiker, Republican, of Pennsylvania.
Ralph T. Smith. Republican, of Illinois. John Sparkman, Democrat, of Alabama. William B. Spong, Democrat, of Virginia. Ted Stevens, Republican, of Alaska.
John Stennis, Democrat, of Mississippi. Stuart Symington, Democrat, of Missouri. Strom Thurmond, Republican, of South Carolina.
John G. Tower, Republican; of Texas. Joseph D. Tydings, Democrat, of Maryland. Harrison A. Williams, Jr., Democrat, of New Jersey.
Ralph Yarborough, Democrat, of Texas. Stephen M. Young, Democrat, of Ohio.