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THE DE TROIT JEWISH NEW S — Fri day, Ju ly 10, 1959 —

Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

John Foster Dulles' Jewish Attitudes

Kozlov Denies Synagogues Are Forcibly
Closed in Soviet Union; Maintains Jews
Live Better Life in Russia Than in Israel

SAN FRANCISCO, (JTA) — ish. The wife of the member the meager remains of organ-
A number of our readers indicated that they had waited Soviet First Deputy Premier of the Presidium of the Su, ized Jewish religious life which
for editorial expressions regarding the late Secretary of State
Kozlov, in a statement preme Soviet (Andrei A.) have still been permitted."
John Foster Dulles and his attitudes towards the Jewish people Frol
Dr. Prinz asserted that the
and on Israel. One young chap even accused us of hypocrisy made to newspapermen escort- Andreyev is also Jewish. i synagogue in Kremenchug,
for having published statements of tribute to the late Secretary ing him on his present visit to "God give it that the Jews in
where 20,000 Jews live, was the
of State by Israel's Prime Minister and the then Ambassador the United States, said t h a t any other country should enjoy
synagogues are not forcibly the same life as they do in the only one in the city and that
to the United States, David Ben-Gurion and Abba Eban.
You don't speak ill of the dead, but where there are dif- closed in the Soviet Union, but Soviet Union. At the least, they the Soviet officials had refused
ferences of opinion they are discussable in principle. There avoided answering the charge live a much better life in the to permit it to be reopened for
have been differences of opinion with Mr. Dulles and he knew that Jews in the USSR were be- Soviet Union than they do in worship. Noting Chat 80,000 Jew-
the Jewish attitudes. When tributes to an eminent statesman ing omitted from the lists of Israel. By the way, there were ish victims of Nazis and Ukrain-
are expressed, however,'- it ill becomes anyone to question the scientists. He went out of his Jews who at their own request ians were buried in the Babiyar
news value of statements by diplomats. Furthermore, a man's way to state that Soviet Jews left the Soviet Union for Israel. grave, the AJC p r e s i d e n t
activities during his lifetime should be judged in their totality. 'live a much better life than Then many of them wrote showed widespread vandalism
It is well to take into account the tribute that was paid to do Jews in Israel." letters to the Soviet Union say- pictured in the area and said
Kozlov was rep 1 y i n g to ing they were having a bad "no effort" had been made by
Dulles Walter Lippman, who concluded an interesting article
with the statement that what "the historians must bear in mind charges on anti-Jewish discrimi- time and wanted to come back." Soviet officials to correct the
desecrations. Other pictures dis-
is that they should not judge John Foster Dulles only by his nation in the Soviet Union Jewish Congress Challenges
policies, which are controversial and perhaps transient. They made by three prominent Amer_ Kozlov's Assertions with Photos played at the press conference
NEW YORK, (JTA) — The showed a desecrated cemetery
should judge him also for his public character and his public ican non-Jews on the basis of
virtue. which were excellent and a noble example to his people." a "dispassionate, well-document- American Jewish Congress chal- in Kiev, w h i c h has 200,000
We accept this conclusion in the spirit in which it was eci study" in Soviet Survey, pub- lenged denials by First Deputy Jews. and another vandalized
accepted by World Jewry, the organ of the World Jewish Con- fished by the Congress for Cul- Frol R. Kozlov of suppression burial ground in Bendery near
gress, from which we quote the following editorial tribute:
tural Freedom. (See JTA Bul- of Jewish cultural and religious the Rumanian border.
letin of Friday. July 3). The life in the Soviet Union with I Dr. Prinz. in replying to
"Despite his propensity to evoke antagonism during his
period of service as American Secretary of State, there has
three non-Jewish personalities a display of photographs said Kozlov's statement. -'asserted
been universal sorrow at the passing of John Foster Dulles,
—Dr. Donald Harrington. Dr. to show the desecrati i of syna- I that - no one" had claimed that
John Holmes and N o r m a n gogues and cemeteries in Rus- j the synagogues in Moscow,
'''"'\a sorrow in which Jews share.
Leningrad and Kiev had been
"He viewed the cold war not so much as a political and
to have —
the
Soviet ban
of j Dr.
Prinz,
closed. lie said that "the infor-
economic conflict but more basically as a clash between the Thomas
appealed
to Kozlov
sia Joachim
during the
past president
year.
-
Western, or Judeo-Christian, civilization and godless Corn- Jewish culture lifted and to of the AJC. exhibited copies of mation available shows that in
munism. This concept which he held with such tenacity left abolish all other restrictions the originals at a press confer- j these main centers. which are
him no room for maneuver and several times he almost leapt against Jews in the Soviet ence. declaring he was satisfied regularly visited by tourists, the
over the brink into the abyss of a hydrogen war, taking us Union. The statement by Mr. with the authenticity of the pic- authorities took some care to
Kozlov r e p 1 y i n g to these tures which he said were taken f avoid steps which might 'leak
all with him.
by tourists who made prints i out.' " • He added that while
"In his zeal to recruit as many states as he could for hischarges reads:
available to him. He charged restrictions on the baking of
ideological camp against world Communism, Dulles was pre-
"These reports on Jews are that the "pictorial evidence" matzo were lifted in Moscow
pared to go to great lengths to retain the Arabs in the Western
a slander on the Soviet Union was another indication that "the and Leningrad. they remained
sphere of influence. This determination colored his attitude
and on its policies toward Jews. Soviet Union has now apparent- in force in Odessa. Kharkov,
to Israel, and Israel found itself at times engaged in fierce
opposition to his Middle Eastern policy. Let it be said, however, In the Soviet Union, Jews. like ly undertaken to fragmentize Kishinev and Rostov
that to him the existence of Israel was axiomatic, and this he any other nationality, occupy r.............—...........................—
..........--..........---."....-...... ..
their worthy place in society.
stated publicly on several occasions. He was by no means
i
We
have
ministers
and
deputy
unfriendly to Jews. In a lecture to the English-Speaking Union
Boris Smolor's
I
i
in London, before he became Secretary of State; Dulles em- ministers who are of Jewish
phasized that 'Our Christian concept of the world leaves no nationality. We have some pro-
‘ Between
room for racial hatred and the oppression of minorities. ' As I minent men of science, includ- I
i w
1 ing Lenin Prize winners, who
always, he lived up to his teachings.
"As an epitaph for Dulles, it may be apt to reverse the are of Jewish nationality. Some
. . .
words of the Bard: The good that he did will live after him, of our ablest artistically crea-
five people are Jews.
(Copyright, 195,
the evil will be interred with his bones."
,.;.,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, inc.)
....:-........
"As to the accusation regard-
We were much more interested. however, in a statement by
the former Israeli Ambassador to the United States. Eban had ing the slights toward the reli- Washington Trends:
American Jews interested in making investments in Israel
written to the London Jewish Chronicle, differing with the , gious feelings of Jews. that is
viewpoints of its Washington correspondent on Mr. Dulles' completely a fabrication. They will be interested to learn that they have the full backing of
the
United
States Government to do so . . . In fact, the U.S.
"connection with Israel's problems." Eban clarified the issue =are completely free in the prac-
and called attention to the following four elements:
tice of their religion. No syna- Government has now, without any publicity, adopted a policy of
pro-
gogues have been closed in the stimulating American investments in Israel . .. The policy make
"(1) The late Secretary of State's tribute to Israel's vitality
Soviet Union. These charges are vides for giving American loans to private firms willing to Israeli
and courage in his book 'War and Peace,' which was published
slander. There are synagogues investments in Israel ... . These loans would be given in
in 1950 and republished a few years thereafter.
to
in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev, currency from the sale of U.S. agricultural surplus products
"(2) The defeat of the 'Bernadotte Plan' at the United
the Israeli government . . . This year, the U.S. Government sold
Nations session in December, 1948. Mr. Dulles was primarily for example.
to Israel surplus food valued at over $38,000,000. to be paid in
responsible for the abandonment of this plan, which sought
Al personally know a rabbi Israeli currency .. . Last year the amount was $41,000,000 . . .
to deprive Israel of the entire Negev area, or, at least, to
in Leningrad. When I worked The American program of granting loans in Israeli currency to
weaken her juridicial position therein. The circumstances are
fully set out in 'War and Peace' and in Mr. Moshe Sharett's there, he approached me and Americans for investments in Israel has now become operative
asked that the necessary ingred- . . The Israeli• government expects, of course, American in-
publication `Beshaar Haummot' (1958).
ients for matzos be put on sale vestors to invest — in addition to the Israeli currency from the
"(3) The Dulles memorandum - of February 11, 1957, on
`free and innocent passage in the Gulf of Aqaba and the Straits there. We did sell these ingred- U.S. loan—also a certain amount of money in American dollars
ients and the Jews were free to . . . Some American investment groups are looking into the
of Tiran.' This memorandum initiated the flow of shipping, first
celebrate the holiday in the possibilities of making substantial investments in Israel under
American and then European, Asian, and African, which has
the U.S. plan . .. Private American investment in Israel during
given Elath and the Southern Negev their present economic traditional way.
the last nine years is estimated to be about $90,000,000. of which
and maritime significance. Having worked closely with the late
"I had many friends with $20,000.000 came through the Ampal and the Palestine Economic
Secretary of State in this matter I can testify to his personal
whom I studied and who are Corporation . . . Israeli subsidiaries of American companies have
responsibility for this policy of maritime freedom.
still my friends of Jewish na- been a second major channel for private investment . .. Paper,
"(4) The maintenance of massive economic aid to Israel.
tionality. The same is true of rayon and tire industries were established on this basis, with
The 'reduction' from $72m. to $7 ,, ,2m., referred to by your the other members of our Gov-
the techniques and experience of the parent concerns applied in
correspondent, is purely imaginary.
ernment. It should suffice to the Israeli setting . . . The American-Israeli Paper Mill last
"The United States governmental aid to Israel in the fiscal
note that the wife of (Marshal year realized more than ten percent profit on its equity. and is
year 1958 amounted to $90m. and not, as your correspondent
Kliment Y.) Voroshilov (titular now raising additional funds in the U.S. for an expansion pro-
suggests, to $7 ,, ,.:m. The latter figure refers only to one of the
chief of state), who unfortu- gram . . . A Miami group of investors is now in control of some
components (`Special Assistance') of the American aid pro-
nately died recently, was Jew- of the best hotels. while a number of individual American Jews
gram to Israel; and the portrayal of the small part as though
have made direct investments in smaller Israeli enterprises .
it were the massive whole goes beyond the limits of what can
reasonably be left uncorrected. What was in fact a peak is 1 ship in New York by Herbert Secret Talks:
H. Lehman. It is possible that
A pleasant surprise may soon be in store for those who
described here as a nadir. The aid, in grant and loan for 1959,
he had other attitudes resulting would like to see the problem of the Palestine Arab refugees
already exceeds $50m."
Eban then appended to his letter the statement that "Mr. from his own firm religious con- settled .. . The problem may be on its way toward a settlement
Ben-Gurion's reference to a 'loyal and devoted friend of Israel' I victions. Perhaps he was affect- even before the end of this year, as the result of quiet talks
(in his tribute to the deceased Secretary of State) may be ed by the marriage in 1932 of now _going on between . Washington and Arab rulers . . The
more explicable if the facts that I have adduced are recollected his sister to a prominent Jewish talks concern the recommendation made last month by United
than if they are omitted." leader, David Blondheim, who NatiOns Secretary General Dag. Hammarskjold that the Palestine
These are valuable commentaries on the career of a man met a tragic death. Blondheim's refugees should be integrated into the productive life of the
who has served our country for a number of years in many wife resumed her maiden name Near East . . . This is taken to mean that the Arab countries,
capacities and whose activities as Secretary of State are receiv- two and a half years after his where the Palestine refugees are now living in camps, should
ing wide commendations. death and called herself Mrs. integrate them into their economy ... Hammerskjold estimated
There are, of course, many negative aspects in the Dulles Eleanor Dulles. She brought up that the "reintegration" process may cost up to $2,000,000,000,
career as they relate to Jewry and to Israel. We believe that their son under the name of which would enable the refugees to become permanently settled
and employed in productive work by 1965 ... The billion dollars
he erred in his•actions during the Sinai Campaign of 1956. He Dulles.
Having related these f a c t s. is no small figure, and some of the Arab countries where - the
certainly committed a horrible blunder when, during a Senate
hearing, he expressed the view that the reason the Arabs hate and taking into consideration Palestine Arabs live at present on UN relief as refugees feel
the Jews is because they crucified Mohammed. He was corrected the elements outlined by Mr. that they could use this huge sum of money for good purposes
at the time by an associate on the State Department staff, but Eban, we c o n c u r with Lipp- . . . High officials of these countries are now lending a sympa-
it took him an additional day to correct the record of his own man's tribute to Dulles' "public thetic ear to a plan quietly offered to them by the United States
comments. Perhaps Walter Lippman is right in his observation, character and public virtue" . . . This plan seems to provide that the United States would be
which was part of his tribute to Dulles, that "while Dulles did and we especially r e i t e r a t e ready to introduce a resolution at the UN General Assembly
not change his policies easily and quickly, he did change them World Jewry's views that the supporting a recommendation by Hammarskjold that the United
good that he did will live after Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Arab refugees — the
when he was convinced that a change was necessary."
There is no doubt that Dulles had his prejudices. He must him, the evil will be interred mandate of which expires in 1960 — should continue its relief
work .. .
have been embittered when he was defeated for the U.S. Senator- with his bones.

You
and Me'

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