Purely Commentary

. By PHILIP SLOMOV1TZ

Nasser's 99.6% Vote—Shepilov and the Arabs
Lt. Col. Gamal Abdel Nasser, now President of Egypt,
boastS a great victory! He has received 99.6 per cent of the vote
in last week's election! But no one—not even Nasser—denies
that 90 per cent of his people are illiterate.
Who is fooling whom?
Nasser, in his boasts, must have forgotten the Russian prece-
dents: of only one candidate on the ballot and a "yes" or "no"
vote by the constituents. And, woe unto those who say NO!
Geoffrey Godsell, Mediterranean correspondent of the Chris-
tian Science Monitor, in a cable to his newspaper from Cairo
about the sensational Egyptian election, stated:
"The result of the plebiscite has surprised nobody here. Col.
Nasser's rule is still authoritarian, and he was the only candidate
for the presidency. The voters were restricted to saying yes or
no for him."
Yet, some radio commentators, and a few naive editorial
writers, posed as if they were surprised by the election results.
Meanwhile, the Arabs seem to have been let down by Soviet
Foreign Minister Dirnitri T. Shepilov's refusal, on his visits to
Arab countries, to commit the USSR on its position on Israel
vis-a-vis the Arabs. Perhaps there is some hope that even Russia
will refrain from being a party to instigating war in the Middle
East. One must never lose hope for peace.

American Jewish Committee Co. ndemns
Dr. Nahum Goldmann's Plan for a New
World Body; Jews Asked to Oppose It

In a "Statement , of Policy on once they come to perceive against the World Jewish Con-
gress idea.
the Attempt to Form a World its implications."
Last year, however, the
The new American Jewish
Jewish Body," the American Committee statement pursues a American Jewish Committee,
Jewish Committee this week long-standing policy of the or- together with several European
went on record rejecting "a ganization. It has opposed the Jewish organizations, convened
plan for a new world Jewish formation of the World Jewish a Consultative Conference in
body" advanced "under the Congress, although it had join- London, and the Jewish Day at
leadership of the president of ed the American Jewish Con- that time (on July 27, 1955)
the World Jewish Congress, gress, under the leadership of referred to that conference as
who also is president of the the late Dr. Stephen S. Wise "a private world Jewish con-
World Zionist Organization and and Judge Julian W. Mack, by gress." Controversies were
chairman of the Jewish sending delegates to the 1918 stirred by that conference and
Agency."
Versailles peace . conference. the Committee then was charg-
The Committee's statement The late Louis Marshall par- ed with attempting to form a
does not mention Dr. Nahum ticipated in that conference. world Jewish movement while
Goldmann, author of the plan, But it fought consistently publicly opposing the idea.
by name, although it lists the
office he holds.
"This plan," the "Statement
of Polic y" declares, "con-
travenes certain fundamental
*
concepts of our responsibili-
ties as American Jews. No
Mollet Exposes Nasser's 'Delusions'
single organization can speak
Speaking at a rally of his Socialist party, in Lille, France,
-
for the Jews of the United
M. Guy Mollet, French Premier, had this to say about Egypt's
States; for, they, like Ameri-
dictator, President Gamal Abdel Nasser:
cans of other faiths, differ
"I denounce the megalomania of Colonel Nasser. He hopes
to line up behind himself not only the Arab world but the among themselves on social,
economical and political
entire Moslem world. One would think oneself back in the
issues, and hold varying
Middle Ages. Today, Pan-Islamism is a threat to peace."
views of domestic and world
These are strong and bitter words. It is an unusual declara-
affairs. By the same token,
tion for the head of one state to make against another.
no single organization can
It ought to serve as a warning to all the Western powers, if
presume to speak for the
another war is to be prevented.
Jews of the world."
Israel is more seriously threatened than any other state. We
The statement proceeds to
pray that there should be an end, very soon, to name-calling
state the "bonds between Jews
and to war threats, in the interest of peace.
of various countries are ex-
*
clusively those of religion, cul-
The Remarkable Robert Briscoe of Dublin
ADOLF HAMBURGER, of Baltimore, Md., looks over
tural heritage . and common
Robert Briscoe of Dublin is a remarkable fellow.
plans for the special appeal for Israel Bond purchases to be
history. For example, while we
Not alone because he now is Lord Mayor of the capital of have been helpful to Israel, our made in Detroit synagogues during the High Holy Days.
Ireland—the first Jew to hold that office in the city whose relationship to the Jews there Hamburger, 1956 national chairman of the Israel Bond High
population is 90 per cent Catholic—but because of his back- rests solely on acknowledged Holy Day Appeals, was in Detroit on June 25 to address the
ground and interests.
bonds of common religion and organizational meeting of the local • committee. Pictured, left
He has visited the United States on four occasions—to assist history, and on philanthropic to right, are: HARRY FRIEDBERG, president, Cong. Bnai
the Zionist movement and the Irish Republicans. This is under- impulse. We reiterate that David; DAVID I. BERRIS, president, Young Israel Center and
standable: no Jew with courage and high dignity—especially if `citizens of the United States
co-chairman with Phillip Stollman of the Detroit High Holy
he was himself, as Briscoe was, a member of the Irish Republican are Americans and citizens of Day Religious Council; Hamburger, HARRY CITRIN, vice-
Army that fought for -freedom from England—can possibly stay Israel are Israelis; this we af- president, Cong. Beth Shmuel; and ZVI TOMKIEWICZ, execu-
out of the battle for freedom for Jews who sought to build and firm with all its implica- tive director of the Mizrachi Organization of Detroit.
have built the State of Israel.
tions . . .'"
■
■414■1■11111■04
■041■0■0■
■
It is no wonder that the Irish have seen fit to honor him
There is an expression of ap-
with so high an office. Briscoe distinguished himself as a preciation for what such a
Boris Smolar's
member of the Dail Eireann (the Irish Parliament) and of the
world organization might do in
Dublin City Corporation. He has put into effect a slum clear-
fostering "purely religious, fra-
ternal or philanthropic activi-
ance program in his native city and has introduced a program
ties," but the statement adds
of building homes for the working class.
Those who had an opportunity to meet this man will ever that "we would have difficulty
remember him as a modest and humble person. His Jewish in- in recognizing such a body, if
terests are not limited to Israel. He is active in philanthropic in the name of all Jews in all
(Copyright 1956,
and educational movements and the dignity he lends to his Jew- countries, it undertook even to
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
ishness has, in turn, won for him the respect that has resulted serve in a consultative capacity
in the great honor accorded him by the Catholic citizenry of Dub- to the United Nations."
The Committee declares its
Israel Trends
lin. He said last week that he was "humble in the face of such a
Israel is preparing to press the State Department anew for
unreserved opposition "to the
high honor" and that "it is a magnificent gesture that in Catholic
philosophy of world Jewish a decision on its request for . American arms . . . With the resig-
Ireland it is possible to elect to this important office a man of
nationalism." "In our view," nation of Moshe Sharett as Israel's Foreign Minister, the issue
a different faith, particularly my own, which proves that in this
it states, "the proposed world of whether or not the United States will act on Israel's arms
Catholic Ireland, tolerance exists."
application will soon come to the forefront in American-Israel
Jewish body will in time
-
He was an active leader in Ireland's Rnai Brith organiza-
relations . . . Israel will now seek clarity from the State Depart-
fully express that philoso-
tion, he is an observant Jew and he was always on call to render
ment on this issue with renewed vigor . . . At present, there are
phy."
services to major movements—Jewish and other.
An electrical engineer who has become associated with the
The Committee's statement possibilities for Israel to buy large quantities of arms from coun-
pharmaceutical industry, Briscoe has made important contribu- denies that it is "striving to tries other than the United States • . • But many people in Israel
tions to his country.
`go it alone,' and points to its are beginning to become interested in the attitude of the United
His wife also is a native of Dublin—the former Lilian Isaacs. participation in many world- States no less than in the arms which this country can provide
They have seven children, one daughter is a physician, one son wide Jewish efforts—the 1918 . . . The constant opposition which. the State Department dis-
Versailles Peace Conference, plays toward Israel's request for defensive weapons is beginning
is a Dutch KLM _airlines captain and another is a dentist. -
This remarkable man has earned it that we not only should efforts to secure equal rights to seem like a deliberate anti-Israel game, while Moscow is play-
acclaim him, but also his country, with the traditional salutation for Jews at the 1946 Paris ing its pro-Arab game . . . Such deliberate anti-Israel action
Erin go bragh-
peace conference and its share cannot be understood by thd average Israeli who until now was
*
*
*
in the Conference on Jewish very pro-American . . . Added to this is the feeling that the last
Material Claims Against Ger- meeting of the UN Security Council proved that the United
Young Rabbi Silver—in His Father's Footsteps
Many of the great Rabbis were proud of the fact that many and Austria. It affirms Nations is unable to ensure Israel's security The latest Amer-
they descended from many generations of rabbis and that they readiness to work together ican excuse for pushing Israel's arms request into the background
with other groups in similar was that any action on this request may proVe harmful to the
were continuing a family tradition.
. Dr. Abba Hillel Silver now is such - a proud Rabbi. He is matters in the future "within "peace mission" on which UN Secretary General Dag Hamrnarsk-
privileged to have his own son, Rabbi Daniel Jeremy Silver, as the framework of our Ameri- jold was sent to Israel and the Arab countries . . . Now, after
can citizenship obligations," the results of the mission have been reported to and acted upon
his associate rabbi at The Temple in Cleveland.
His comment was: "It is thrilling for me and I am deeply but declares itself firmly ,,op- by the Security Council, this excuse is no longer considered valid
posed to "any permanent or- in Israel . . . The Israel government intends to ask Secretary of
gratified to have my son associated with me."
Indeed, The Temple membership, too, should be gratified ganization which would act on State Dulles for a clear-cut answer as to whether or not he will
that one of its young people—Daniel Jeremy grew up at his the basis of majority vote and permit Israel to buy American jet planes, anti-tank guns and
father's side in the Cleveland Reform congregation—is following whose decisions would inevit- other weapons.
•
•
•
ably be considered as the
in his father's—their rabbi's—footsteps.
policy of the constituent or- Communal Trends
Both Silvers have earned our congratulations.
*
*
Dissatisfaction with national Jewish organizations is de-
*
ganizations in their respective
countries."
veloping in many Jewish communities which make annual
Samuel Feldstein—Dedicated Man
A prediction is made in the allocations to the national organizations. They object to the fact
Samuel Feldstein's death leaves a serious void in the ranks
of Detroit Jewry. He was a dedicated man, and his contribu- statement that the proposed that they are not consulted by the national groups on program-
tions to many local causes represent a lasting monument to organization would "prove self- ming and budgeting . . . They argue that it is far from satisfac-
defeating, being inherently in- tory to be called upon to assist in financing programs about
his memory.
He will especially be missed in the ranks of the Zionist consistent with the healthy in- which the local Jewish communities have no voice and little or
Organization of Detroit, the Allied Jewish Campaign and the tegration of Jews into the no opportunity for responsible evaluation or constructive criti-
Israel Bond Organization; but he also made his contributions Western democracies. The cism . . . Another issue now under discussion in many Jewish
statement concludes with the communities is whether some Jewish services are still proper
to the cultural life of our people.
appeal:
Jewish responsibilities . . This is a difficult question, because
He knew and loved the Hebrew language and its litera-
"We call upon our Jewish it challenges the long-standing concept that Jews take care of
ture, and at a recent Zionist meeting he recited from memory
brethren, regardless of the their own through their own agencies ... There are some Jewish
a 3,000-word Hebrew poem by Bialik—and he added to the
organizaticins with which community leaders who believe that Jewish services should be
glory of his cultural background by translating it promptly
retained, come' what may . • Others believe that some of the
they are voluntarily associ-
into a fluent English.
ated both here and abroad, to Jewish services are basically non-sectarian — such as hospital
He was deeply interested in the Jewish Publication Society
reject this plan. We believe services and mental hygiene — and should therefore be trans-
of America, and possessed every book published by the Society.
they will do so forthrightly, ferred to public or non-sectarian agencies.
His memory is blessed by his labors for Israel.

Baltimore Leader Sparks Planning
of Local Holy Day Bond Committee

r04

41111111.0

•11.1411•141.01111.1,

41411•1

1111•1 41

,

- 'Between You
... and Me'

