Jewish Official Calls Shriver Strongly ‘pro-jewish, Pro-israel’

Sargent Shriver, who was announced by Sen. George McGovern last night as his choice for the Democratic nomination for Vice-President, is regarded by close associates as “as close to 100 percent pro-Jewish and pro-Israel as you can get,” a prominent Jewish organizational official told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today. The source, who asked that his name be withheld, said that the nominee has been friendly to Jewish causes and on intimate terms with Jewish leaders in his previous posts as Chicago school board chairman, as first director of the Peace Corps, as director of the Office of Economic Opportunity and as UN Ambassador to France.

The official said that as Peace Corps director, Shriver insisted on implementing an official non-discrimination policy in assignment of Peace Corps members despite criticism from Sen. J. William Fulbright, Senate Foreign Relations committee chairman, who reportedly told Shriver in 1961 that Peace Corps activities in Arab countries could be imperiled if the Peace Corps sent Jewish members to such countries.

Shriver is chairman of the International Patrons of the Israel Museum. He is the recipient of the Hannah G. Solomon Award in 1972 of the National Council of Jewish Women and holds honorary degrees from Yeshiva University and the Jewish Theological Seminary. He is a close friend of Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem, the informant said. The nominee, his wife Eunice, and two of their children visited Israel last summer and received much favorable attention, While Shriver was envoy to France, he used his good offices to represent Jewish and Israeli interests, the informant here said.