Gerald Ford: "They Will See Something Is Being Done"

Monday, Jan. 20, 1975
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A. The Soviet Union wants to throw all of these issues into Geneva. [The Soviet proposal is to renew Middle East peace negotiations in Geneva under the chairmanship of the U.S. and the U.S.S.R.] We don't rule out Geneva at a point, but we do feel that in the interim before we go to Geneva, or they do reconvene Geneva on an active basis, we ought to try and make some other additional progress on a step-by-step basis.

Q. What of the arms buildup?

A. Well, they have generously supplied Syria. They have, of course, been negotiating with Egypt. I think it would be good if everybody had less arms in the Middle East, but that is not the way the world is out there.

Q. What are the prospects for war in the Middle East?

A. They are very, very serious. They get more serious every day that we don't get some action for further progress in the settlement of some of those disputes. Every day that passes becomes more dangerous.

Q. There has been a suggestion that the United States might formally guarantee Israel. Is that a possibility?

A. We have given everything except that. We have often made commitments that we consider Israel a necessary state in the Middle East, both as to integrity of territory and its existence. I wouldn't rule out [a guarantee] under some circumstances, but there has to be, in my judgment, some real progress there before that step would be taken.

Q. Are there any concrete limits on our commitment to Israel?

A. It so happens that there is a substantial relationship at the present time between our national security interests and those of Israel. But in the final analysis, we have to judge what is in our national interest above any and all other considerations.

Q. Turning to the trade bill and Jewish emigration from Russia. Many groups if not all citizens in the Soviet Union are, by our definition, unfree. Why is it right for the United States to make such an extraordinary effort for Soviet Jewish citizens?

A. There are a number of ethnic groups in this country who come from various parts of the Soviet Union who seriously ask that same question—Latvians, Estonians and others. Quite frankly, I think there is a stronger pressure group [in the U.S.] on behalf of Jewish emigration. Now, I am told, and I think the sources are accurate, that the Jewish population within Russia has always had serious problems, regardless of geographical or other considerations. So that may be a factor.

We have worked very hard in trying to get conditions that would increase the availability of applications for emigration, non-harassment and relatively free emigration. The great publicity that has been given by some, perhaps going beyond the facts, may well have hurt rather than helped Jewish emigration.

I saw a figure the other day for the calendar year 1974,1 think. Total Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union for that last year was 18,000. In 1973, it had gotten up to 35,000 or 36,000. [The President's recollected figures were slightly off—see THE WORLD.] We would certainly hope that it could go beyond 1974 and the higher, the better. But we really don't control that. And probably never will.