The original documents are located in Box D32, folder “Cleveland Region, Zionist Organization of America, Cleveland, OH, March 19, 1972” 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 The Council donated to the United States of America his copyrights in all of his unpublished writings in National Archives collections.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. Digitized from Box D32 of The Ford Congressional Papers: Press Secretary and Speech File at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library AS AN INDIVIDUAL; I AA DEEPLY HONORED TO BE SELECTED BY THE CL:V~LAND REGION OF THE ZIONIST ORGAN,ZATION OF AMERICA AS THE SEC"ND ANNUAL RECIPIENT OF THE RABBI A3BA HILLEL SILVER A ARD . AS THE LEADER OF ~y PARTY IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES) I ISH TO ACCEPT THIS A ARD NOT ONLY IN Y OWN NA~E BUT ON BEHALF OF ALL THOSE ~EMBERS OF THE CONGRESS HO CHERISH THE MEMORY OF RABBI SILVER ANO THE HISTORIC ROLE HE PLAYED I·l BRINGING ABOUT A CONFLUENCE IN THE GREAT STREAPAS OF ZIONISM AND A!~ER ICANIS n. IT APPEARS THAT I AM THE SECOND ~~......., TO BE SELECTED FOR THIS A1 ARD . ~,,..4.,. ~'P-u -2- SENATE AND HOUSE REPU~LICA~ S NOW SHARE IJ IN THIS HONOR IN VIEW OF THE PRESENTATION LAST YEAR TO THE DISTINGUISHED SENATOR FROM OH I 0J 80 TAFT • MY PARTY RP.1E BERS -- ~ITH REVERENCE AND AFFECTION -- THE SACRED BLESSINGS INVOKED ON OUR NATIONAL POLIT,CAL CONVENTIONS BY RA9BI SILVER WHEN HE LED US IN PRAYER . HIS SPIRIT ILL CONTINUE TO GUIDE US . I A~ MOVED BY THE RABBI ABBA HILLEL SILVER AWARD AND THE IMPORTANC~ OF CO ~~~E 1AORAT ING THE HISTORIC ROLE OF DR . SILVER IN THE DEVELOP~ENT OF ISRAELI - A~ERICAN RELATIONS . IT WOULD SE ' FITTING TO CELEBRATE THIS CO~ING YEAR; THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL J ' ITH A GESTURE HONORING DR . SILVER . -3- THE UNIQUE CELEBRATION OF THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL THAT I PROPOSE .~OULD GIVE N.E\Y 0 IMENS ION AND MEANING TO THE RELATIONSHIP LINKING OUR TWO COUNTRIES . IT WOULD BE IN THE SERVICE OF PEACE AND THE NOR.!aAL IZAT ION OF RELATIONS A~ONG THE PEOPLES OF TH~ WORLD . I ·PROPOSE THAT THE UNITED STATES GOVERN~ENT TAKE ACTION Y THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL IN 1973 TO RECOGNIZE JERUSALEM AS THE H'STORIC AND LAWFUL CAPITAL OF ISRAEL BY ~OVING THE UNITED STATES EMBASSY FRO¥ T~L AVIV TO JERUSALEA . IT HAS BECO~~E A~CHRON I ST I C AND EVEN AN ' I~PEDI ~ENT TO A REGIONAL PEACE SETTLE~ENT FOR THE UNITED STATES TO CONT'NUE ·~A!NTAI~'ING THE FICTION THAT JI:RUSALE ~ !S NOT THE CAPITAL OF ISRAEL . -4- THE GOVERN~ENT OF ISRAEL IS LOCATED IN JERUSALE .• THE ISRAELI PARL IA~-~ENT J THE OFF I.CES OF THE PR I~ ~~E , ~IN ISTER AND PRES IDENT J AND THE ISRAEL I FOREIGN ~INISTRY A~D OTHER AGENCIES OF GnV~RNAENT ARE IN JERUSALE~ . JERUSALEM IS THE H'STORICJ B'BLICALJ AND REVERED CAPITAL OF THE JEWISH NATION . THE RE - BOR~ STATE OF ISRAEL; APPROACHING ITS SILVER ANNIVERSARY J HAS ESTABLISHED ITS PER·\~ANE~'Cc­ TO THE EXTENT THAT OUR GOVERNMENT SHOULD RECOGNIZE THE CAPITAL CITY OF ISRAEL) JERUSALEM, AND MOVE OUR EMBASSY TO THE CITY DESIGNATED BY THE SOVEREIGN STATE OF ' ISRAEL AS ITS CAPITAL . ISRAELI - A~ERICAN RELATIONS HAVE REACHED A PO,NT WHEREIN IT IS ABSURD TO GO ON 'ITH THE OLDJ ~AKESHIFT ARRANGE~ENT OF .. -5- ~AINTAINING OUR E~BASSY IN TEL AVIV IN DEFIANCE OF THE FACTS OF LIFE . TO CONT NUE ITH THE PR.ESENT ARRANGEMENT IGHT TEND TO INDICATE THAT THERE IS SO~ETHING TE .PORARY ABOUT THE LOCATION OF ISRAEL' S CAPITAL . THIS SITUATION DOES NOT ENCOURAGE THE ARABS TO TRANSLATE THE PRESENT CEASE -FIRE ARRANGE~ENTS INTO A PERMANENT AND LASTING PEACE . IT IS E!l~BARRASS ING TO THE STATE OF ISRAEL ANO TO OUR A'1BASSAOOR IN TEL AVIV WHEN HE HAS TO RIDE BACK AND FORTH FROM ONE CITY TO ANOTHER TO ~AINTAIN A DIPLO lATIC ~YTH . BY MOVING OUR E~SASSY ' TO JERUSALE~, WE ILL DEMONSTRATE THAT OUR FRIENDSHIP HAS REACHED THE PHASE IN WHICH E ACCEPT ISRAEL' S RIGHT TO DESIGNATE HER CAPITAL . PRESIO~NT NIXON SET AN EXAMPLE OF REV IEWING 0 IPLO. AAT IC CONTACTS AND -6- RELATIONS ~ITH THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN PEKING . E CAN DO NO LESS :ITH A NATION ~liTH HO~\J' ' E HAVE EN.JOYED A CLOSE FRIENDSHIP IN THIS LAST QUARTER -CENTURY . I HOPE THAT PRESIDENT NIXON' BY THE YEAR 1973, r GOES TO JERUSALEM. TO DEDICATE A NEW. UNITED STATES E~8ASSY IN THAT CITY, A ;. .CITY OF GOO AND MANl A CITY PRECIOUS T£ ALL A.J.ER I CANS J CHR I ST I AN AND JE I SH ALI KE.z A CITY THAT WE CAN VERY APPROPRIATELY . ~ RECOGNIZE AS A ORLD CAPITAL DEVOTED TO THE IDEAL OF PEACE AND THE BROTHERHOOD OF ·1AN UNDER THE FATHERHOOO OF GOD . I INT END TO ;~AKE ~y VIEWS KNOWN TO OUR SECRETARY OF STATE . WE REMAIN ' ~INDFUL , HO~EVER 1 OF THE SPIRITUAL AND UNIVERSAL SIGNIFICANCE OF JERUSALEJ. AND 'TS SACRED MEANING TO THREE FAITHS -­ CHRIST I AN I TY 1 ISLA ~ ~ SS -: LO~ ' AND JUDA IS . ' -7- THERE IS Nn QUEST~~ HND THAT THE STATE OF ISRAEL WILL RESPECT THE RELIGIOUS A CONSIDERATIONS INVOLVING THE HOLY SHRINES OF OTHER FAITHS' THE ACCESS TO SUCH SHRINES' AND RELATED FACTORS OF INTERFAITH CONCERN . AS E APPROACH THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF ISRAEL) A NEW ASSESS~ENT OF 'SRAELI - A~ERICAN RELATIONS IS IN ORDER . WE HAVE MOVED MUCH CLOSER TOGETHER IN THE WAKE OF THE SIX DAY WAR OF 1067. THERE IS CONCERN- LEST ISRAEL IN THE WAR BUT LOSE THE PEACE . THERE 'AS FEAR THAT THE UNITED STATES MIGHT SELL ISRAEL DOWN THE ' RIVER , THAT ISRAEL ~IGHT BE FORCED TO ~AKE ONE -SIDED CONCESSIONS) THAT THE UNITED STATES '~IGHT NOT PROVIDE THE REQUIRED PHANTOM JETS AND OTHER AR~~S TO MAINTAIN THE ESSENTIAL ~AILITARY BALANC~ . -8- PRO -CO .MUNIST ARAB GUERRILLAS WERE A DANGEROUS FACTOR . THE SOVIET ROLE 'AS UNPREDICTABLE . SOVIET TROOPS AND AI RMEN ARRIVED IN EGYPT . AN O~H NOUS CRISIS EXISTED ALONG THE SUEZ CANAL . TODAY; IF I ~AY BE PERMITTED' WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE SILVER LINING . THE A~ERICAN - INSP REO CEASE -FIRE AT THE SUEZ CANAL HAS BROUGHT TWENTY ~ONTHS OF RESPITE FR ARFARE ON THAT DANGEROUS FRONT . WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED NOT ONLY FOR A STRONG AND SECURE ISRAEL BUT ALSO FOR A CREDIBLE AND POWERFUL UNITED STATES PRESENCE IN THE ~EOITERRANEAN) THE ' MIDDLE EAST' AND THE PERSIAN GULF . A~ERICAN INTERESTS ARE AT STAKE . 'E CANNOT ALLOW A POWER VACUU~~ TO DEVELOP . ISRAEL AND JORDAN ARE NOW SHOWING SIGNS OF BUILDING ON A SITUATION THAT E -8- PRO -co· MUNIST ARAB GUERRILLAS WERE A DANGEROUS FACTOR . THE SOVIET ROLE AS UNPREDICTABLE . SOVIET TROOPS AND AI RMEN ARRIVED IN EGYPT . AN O~H NOUS CRISIS EXISTED ALONG THE SUEZ CANAL . TODAY) IF I .AY BE PERM ITTEO _, WE ARE BEGINNING TO SEE THE SILVER LINING . THE A~ERICAN - INSP REO CEASE -FIRE AT THE SUEZ CANAL HAS BROUGHT TWENTY ~ONTHS OF RESPITE FRO~ WARFARE ON THAT DANGEROUS FRONT . WE HAVE RECOGNIZED THE NEED NOT ONLY FOR A STRONG AND SECURE ISRAEL BUT ALSO FOR A CREDIBLE AND POWERFUL UNITED , STATES PRESENCE IN THE ~EDITERRANEAN) THE AIDDLE EAST' AND THE PERSIAN GULF . AMERICAN INTERESTS ARE AT STAKE . 'E CANNOT ALLOW A POWER VACUU~~ TO DEVELOP . ISRAEL AND JORDAN ARE NOW SHOWING SIGNS OF BUILDING ON A SITUATION THAT E .. -9- HOPE IS STABILIZING . A NE~ EVOLUTION OF THINKING APPEARS Tn SE BRINGING ISRAEL AND JORDAN CLOSER TOGETHER . AT LEAST? THE SHOOTING HAS STOPP:D . UJ US HOPE THAT TALKING IS POSSIBLE AND THAI PROOUCT!VE RESULTS MAY BE ACHIEVED BY THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY YEAR . THE UNITED STATES HAS NOT BECOME A SUBSTITUTE IN PEACE NEGOTIAT,ONS FOR ANY COUNTRY DIRECTLY INVOLVED . OUR AD INISTRATION IS CONVINCED --THAT ISRAEL ~UST 9E PER ITTED TO SETTLE DIFFERENCES DIRECTLY VITH HER NEIGHBORS . THE FAILURE TO "~AKE INO ING AND CONTRACTUAL PEACE ' AGREE~ENTS IN 1949 RESULTED IN TWO ADDITIONAL WARS -- 1956 AND 1q67 . THAT ~ISTAKE ~UST NOT BE REPEATED . WE HAVE HELPED STABILIZE THE SITUATION THROUGH A ASSIVE NEW FLOW OF .. - 10 - ECONOMIC AND ~ILITARY ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL . IT BEGAN IN 1969 . FRO j THE YEAR 1969 TO THE END OF 1q72 WE miLL HAVE PROV I OED ISRAEL .. ITH ft~ORE ECONOMIC AND ~'ILITARY AID THAN IN THE ENTIRE PERIOD tRO~~ 1948 TO 1os • PRES I DENT NIXON HAS ,.EPT HI S WORD ON THE CO~ ~IT nENTS HE ~~ADE IN 1968 . THE NIXON AD dNISTRATION ' S FOUR YEAR TOTAL OF ECON0.11C AND ~ILITARY ASSISTANCE TO ISRAEL WILL 9E LARGER THAN THE COMBINED FIGURE FOR THE 20 -YEAR PERIOD OF 1948 THROUGH 1968 . THIS IS A GOOD RECORD FOR A GOOD CAUSE . , 'VE REAL IZE THAT · E CANNOT FORECAST THE OUTCOME nF PRESIDENT NIXON ' S TALKS VII TH THE RUSS IANS IN ~ OSCO\ TH IS l .~A Y• BUT WE ARE ALL FREE TO SPECULATE ON SOME <,.