The Phoenix Jewish news., 1953-12-11
Capital Spotlight
Reds Viewed
AS parking
Arab Moves
By Milton Friedman
Copyright, 1858,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

WASHINGTON = If Director
Theodore c. Streibert of the United
States Information Agency is cor
rect, Israel is threatened by Arab
Communist mobs" which, accord
ing to Streibert, are attacking
Americans and u. S. installations
J in the Arab world Streibert has
described Arab Communist vio-
lence against Americans with spe-
cific reference to Jordan, Syria,
and Iraq.
Meanwhile, the state department
asked the United Nations Security
Council to censure Israel in the
Strongest terms for the Kibya
raid which was actually counter
action by Israelis brought about
by the Arab terrorism Streibert is
so upset about.
In speech at Boston, Streibert
described what he said were Arab
Communist attacks on U. S. over
seas library centers. Describing
the activities of Communist
mobs," Stceibert said: "It hardly
seems to be news any more. The
stoning of library center on Oc-
tober 21st, by mob in Amman,
Jordan, was barely mentioned in
the press. In the last five years
the information center at Baghdad
has suffered from three violent
mob attacks. The most recent one,
last year, ruined the library CEN
ter"
The Communists, said Strei-
bert, "do not limit their attacks
to our library installations - they
attack our prople as well. they
have killed a local employee in
Damascus"
REPORTING ON THE strength
of "The International Communist
Movement" a special subcommit-
tee on security affairs of the Sen
ate foreign Relations Committee
has published statistics showing an
estimated $4,000 active Commu-
nists in the Arab League states
surrounding Israel. This number is
larger than the present member
ship figure given for known men,
bers of the Communist party of
the United States.
The attacks on Israel, which re-
suited in the Kibya raid, originated
from West Jordan. 1t is exactly
this area which is mentioned by
the Senate report on Arab Com
munistS in Jordan: Communist
activity has noticeably increased
and is largely confined to West
Jordan. When Israel sought to de-
fend itself on this very frontier,
Dulles took steps to invoke world
opinion against the Jewish state.
Speaking of the current situation
in the Near East, the Senate CO.
mittee warned of Sources of Com
munist strength" 1t revealed that
in Jordan ''there are a few Com
muniStS and many sympathizers
among the Palestine (Arab) refu-
gees. Yet, when Israel refused de-
mands for the wholesale re-admis-
sion of such refugees, the state was
violently criticized behind the
closed doors of the state depart
ment.
CITING THE 5000 Communists
it said were in Lebanon, the Sem
ate report said "the Lebanese
Communist party has considerable
influence among certain labor or
ganizationS, youth groups, minori-
ties, and intellectual circles. Bel
rut is the center of Communist
propaganda activity in the Near
East"
1t is noted that the small Com
munist party in Israel already in
cludes 900 Arab members and is
recruiting new members from a.
mong the Arabs. Did the temper
ary cutting off of American aid to
Israel help the state combat the
anti-American propaganda of Is
raePs few but highly-vocal Com
munists? This is a question which
time may answer.
O
The capital of the Swiss-Israel
Trade Bank in Geneva has been in
creased from 2,030, 300 Swiss francs
to 4,065,000 francs.
American exports to Israel total
led $363, 900, 900 during the past four
years.
In 20 years, Youth Aliyah has
cared for and educated $4,000
children.