Purely Commentary
Plea for Unity in Jewish
Ranks . . . Birch Society's
Bigotry and Anti-Semitism
By Philip
Slomovitz
"But the Zionists of the United States, Britain,
supervise the fund-rasing activities without which
and elsewhere in the world became largely respon-
During the year we are about to welcome, and
our' people would • suffer in the local as well as
sible for Hitler's going beserk, when Roosevelt and
u s' in the years ahead, it will be vitally important for
the worldwide areas.
Churchill at Casablanca in 1944 demanded uncon-
our people to have a measure of unity that is so
. We pray for the type of unity that will prevent
ditional surrender by the Germans. No more savage
necessary in a struggle for survival and for just
harm to Jewry. May the Kamtza-Bar Kamtza lesson
or senseless decision was ever reached by an
5 rights for those of our kinsmen who must lean
serve us to avoid disharmony for all time to come.
American President .. •
714., upon us for sustenance and protection.
*
*
*
"But to return to the Eichmann case. If there
There' are too many danger spots on the horizon
The Menace of the Birchers
were six million Jews within reach of Hitler, which
that we should dare run the risk of disunity. There
There no longer is any doubt that the John Birch
number is widely questioned, and if they have all
. are too many occasions for doubts relative to mat-
Society, formed by the head of a national candy
disappeared, where are they?
-
ters
of
policy
in
facing
issues
involving
our
rela-
•
firm, is a menace to democracy and to the security
tionships with our neighbors and with world govern-
"It is of interest than in recent years the Un-
of our land.
ments, that we should be able to afford rifts in
ited States government abolished the rule that any
. A group aligned with this society met here last
alien applying for citizenship or any person re-
Jewish ranks.
week, and a courageous politician, Michigan's Lieu-
ported in the census, must state his religion or
A certain amount of strength is needed in Jewish
tenant Governor T. John Lesinski, had the courage
race. We know no evidence that the abolishing of
w communal activities to keep us together, to avoid
to tell a group, some of whom were antagonistic
any such rule was ever seen discussed before.
disharmony. to provide the type of unity of which
to him, that:
we are aften accused in a negative fashion by our
"Then in May, 1958, Representative Francis
"America is a land to be protected from many
Walter in the Reader's Digest stated that there
enemies.
of its wayward children, from the excesses of its
were then from three to five million aliens in the
Without internal amity there can be no unity,
moral delinquents.
r,•4
United States illegally.
and without unity in Jewish ranks we become help-
"We don't have a hand-washing Pontius Pilate,
"Is it not likely that many of these six million,
less on all fronts.
that a wealthy
but we have an Orville Faubus.
claimed to have been killed by Hitler and Eich-
f::(4
We are told in this Talmudic story Judaea
"This country has no Adolf Hitler, but it has an
against
mann, are right here in the United States and are
in the days of the insurrection by
bearing on current
irresponsible candymaker who has the presumptu-
now joining in the agitation for more and more
c.T.; Rome, in the year 66, has a
ousness to suggest that our chief justice of the
support of the State of Israel—even if the American
experiences. It is the story of Kamtza and Bar
Supreme Court shold be impeached; that President
Republic goes down?
fr4 Kamtza.
Eisenhower was a Communist or Communist sym-
a wealthy
"How can we Americans expect to preserve our
We are told in this Talmudic story that invite to a
pathizer; and that Mr. Eisenhower's brother was
E4
had
intended
to
country
and its liberties if we permit Zionist in-
Jerusalem
of
resident
card-carrying Communist.
the invitation instead
a
to
flout some of the vital principles on
friend
Kamtza,
and
fluence
banquet his
"This land has no storm troopers, either, but it
Bar Kamtza
which the United States was founded?
went to his enemy Bar Kanitza. When
has its Ku Klux Klan. Some of the teeth are pulled
"Meanwhile most of the American press has
came, he was denied admittance. There were people
from the Grand Dragon, but the will is still there.
there with whom he was well acquainted, and to
been trying Eichmann in various columns, news
costs
"These
are
the
kinds
of
men
who
like
to
indict
to
pay
all
spare himself humiliation he offered
dispatches, special articles, etc. Nearly every piece
their enemies through use of the phrase 'soft on
stay at the
printed mentions 'six million Jews.' The publicity
of the banquet, - only to be allowed to
communism.'
I
say
they
are
soft
on
democracy."
feast. But the host was adamant.
has been wellnigh nauseating to Americans who
We retain hope that those who are being misled
Bar Kamtza, seeking revenge, went to the Roman
are deeply concerned with the Communist and
by a disruptive force can yet be guided away from
was planned
economic threat to their own country.
emperor and warned him that a rebellion
un-American movements.
proof, he said that if
"There are probably three objectives Of this
against him by the Jews. As offering
Nevertheless,
it
is
regrettable
that
those
who
met
to the Temple
the emperor were to send an
publicity campaign. First to humiliate and antago-
not
here,
those
who
are
meeting
elsewhere,
have
in Jerusalem it would be rejected. The 'emperor
nize the German people and to alienate Germany—
yet disavowed the movement's vile libels of brand-
Temple, but
thereupon sent a calf as a gift to the
one of the staunchest allies we have anywhere;
ing former President Eisenhower, Chief Justice
it
mutilate
it,
making
Bar Kamtza managed to
second to impress the world with the might of Israel
Warren,
the
late
John
Foster
Dulles
and
others
as
Kamtza
Bar
unacceptable for Jewish sacrifical use.
and third to distract the attention of the American
emperor
sent
communists.
made known the rejection and the sack Jerusalem.
people while our one-worlders advance their plans."
A special study of the John Birch Society has
to
Vespasian
Nero and afterward
Such is the measure of indecency to which anti-
been
made
by
Gene
Grove,
who,
in
an
article
in
is
ascribed
to
The destruction of Judaea thus
the
Progressive
Magazine,
under
the
heading
"An
Semites
Will stoop.
lack
from a
. enmity among Jews, treachery emanating from
Evening at the John Birch Sociey," reveals some
Zionists and Zionism have become the new vic-
hatred
the
role
of
informers
resulting
of unity,
interesting date. Grove quotes statements that were
tims in the malicious anti-Semitic campaign.
and dissention.
made by Birch leaders, including Merwin K. Hart,
International courts have investigated the Nazi
This oft-quoted tale of Kamtza and Bar, Kamtza
head of the National Economic Council, which also
crimes and scores of Hitlerites have been given
deserves utilization in application to our current
and
stands condemned as spreading anti-Semitism
death sentences as punishment for the mass mur-
problems.
religious projudice. At the , meeting described in
ders committed in the late 1930s and the early
Whatever tendencies may be in evidence of pos-
this article, Hart distributed some of his literature,
1940s. Yet there are demented people who suggest
sible divisions in our ranks should be avoided.
bulletin
that
contained
the
following:
including a
that millions of Jews had escaped the holocaust
While conformity must be ruled out, and differ-
"We certainly hold no brief for Hitler. He be-
and have invaded the United States !
ences of opinion on major issues. can not be aban-
came a monster toward the end, as shown by the
It is this type of insanity that must be overcome
doned, there must be agreement in principle on
savage killing of more than 4,000 Germans for
when dealing with groups that are bent upon spread-
major issues facing our people.
alleged involvement in the attempted 'assassination
ing hatred. It is this new hate movement against
. We plead for unity in our ranks—in the reten-
of himself in 1944, as well as the killing of many
which we must now be vigilantly on guard.
tion of strength for the democratically-functioning
Jews and non-Jews.
movements, in 'upholding the hands of those who
H
Jewish Athletes Star in Maccabiah
Americans Win Most Gold Medals
in 6th World Games at Ramat Gan
and Dave Karetsky, both of
New York, in the men's com-
petitions. In the women's swim-
ming contests, victories were
scored by 13-year-old Maggie
Rosenberg of Oakland, Calif.
and Debby Lee of Palo Alto,
Calif.
The United States also won
the women's team foil fenc-
ing by defeating Israel, 54,
in the final. The American
team had to concede three
points in advance because it
also won five gold medals in
1 swimming, four in addition to
TEL AVIV—Jewish athletes I Gubner's in weightlifting, two
fencing and one in shooting.
from the United States, corn- I in
The Americans were over-
peting against representatives whelming in swimming, taking
from 25 other countries during 117 victories, while Canada was
I
the Sixth World Maccabiah next
in these events with two
Games at the Ramat Gan Sta-Iwins. Stars in swimming for the
dium near here, were counting Americans were Dave Abramson
up their hOnors Tuesday and
found they had come out with
most gold medals during the
_week-long contests that ended
JERUSLEM—President Ben- majority in the next cabinet.
Monday.
The Liberals argued that
U. S. teams garnered a total Zvi opened formal consultations since the election had reduced
of 54 gold medals—with Israel Tuesday with leaders of Israel's by five the number of seats
being second overall winner political parties on the forma- formerly held by Mapai, that
with 29 gold medals. The Amer- tion of a new government.
party should forego its insis-
icans won 29 silver and 24
tence on a majority in the next
He
met
Tuesday
with
leaders
bronze medals. Israel got 47
cabinet. This position was taken
of Prime Minister David Ben by the Liberals at a meeting
silver and 38 bronze medals.
In Monday's final day of com- Gurion's Mapai, Herut, the Monday night with Mapai ne-
petition, U. S. teams led by Liberals and the National Re- gotiators, the first formal full-
Gary Gubner and Dick Savitt, ligious Party, and with repre- scale meeting between the two
both of New York, won 16 gold sentatives of the eight other parties to discuss a partnership
medals. Gubner won an unusual parties, including two A r a b in a new coalition under Ben-
triple—winning the shot put groups, Wednesday.
Gurion.
and discus titles in track and
The - Liberals argued further
He is expected to complete
field then following through by his first round of consultations that Mapai should accept a
taking first place in heavy- before Rosh Hashanan in a bid parity status with other parties
weight weightlifting.
to speed the formation of a new within the coalition with Ben-
Savitt, who had won the government.
Gurion given a decisive vote in
Wimbleton tennis champion-
the event of a tie. This view
The
Mapai
deputation
pro-
ship in 1951, took two tennis
was conveyed by the Liberals
posed
to
the
president
that
titles here. In singles, he beat
to President Ben-Zvi at the
Ben
Gurion
be
given
the
task
Mike Franks of Los Angeles,
meting Tuesday.
of
seeking
to
form
a
new
11-9 and 6-4. Then he and
The Herut delegation asked
government. They interpreted
Franks defeated Julie Mayers
the president to limit to 14
Aug.
15
election
results,
and Rod Mandelstam of South
days the period in which the
which gave Mapai 42 of the
Africa in the Men's doubles,
premier designate would
120
parliamtentary
seats,
as
•
6-1 and 6-4.
have to form a new govern-
Mapai
a
public
support
for
During the final day, the -U.S.
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
I
had only two fencers, Mrs. finished second in the hop-step-
Myrel Fried of Pittsburgh and and-jump and garnered a silver
medal as a member of the sec-
Vivian Sokel of New York.
relay team.
The shooting contests were ond-place
Previously, Herman had won
dominated by Milton Friend the broad jump and retained
of Malden, Mass., formerly a his decathlon title.
member of the U. S. Army's
Americans also swept six of
international rifle team.
In gymnastics, Ron Barak of seven gold medals in swimming
Los Angeles acquired a total of and diving. Kathy Flicker, 14,
eight gold medals, one silver of Milburn, N. J., and Dickie
and one bronze. Mike Herman Morse, 17, of Nashville, each
of Yonkers, N. Y., won his third collected three meter diving
gold medal in track and field, gold medals.
Israel Cabinet
Ben-Zvi Speeds Formation of ment New
able majority of the 120
with the further under-
4.4
Knesset seats.
standing that if the designate
Neither the three religious
failed to accept talks within
three days this should be re- parties, nor the two lef test
garded as a refusal to seek parties—Mapam, and Achdut
to form a government and A v o d a h—who together with
another designate sould be Mapai could muster 64 and 63
called on. of the 120 seats, would feel
The National Religious Party comfortable in a narrow coali-
Told Ben-Zvi it favored the tion with Mapai, their leaders
broadest possible coalition and have indicated.
Israel's new, fifth Knesset,
intimated it was ready to par-
ticipate in such a coalition un- elected Aug. 15, opened Sept. 4
with a formal address by Presi-
der Ben-Gurion's leadership.
The Prime Minister has re- dent Ben-Zvi. Expressing h is
framed from indicating any best wishes to Parliament, B en-
preferences among the possible Zvi voiced hopes for a stable
partners for his Mapai Party in government, and called upon
his next coalition, but there all the nations in the world to
have been considerable inform- concert their efforts to secure
al contacts among the various peace among all peoples.
Kaddish Luz, of the Mapai
parties in anticipation of the
Party, was re-elected Speaker
formal negotiations to come.
Mapai feelers among pros- of the House, all members vot-
pective coalition par t n e r s ing for him except the five Com-
were reported to have indica- munists in the Knesset. Seven
elected.
ted a demand for a coalition deputy speakers were in the
much wider than that re- Of the 120 members
quired for a merely comfort- Knesset, 10 are women.
•