USSR's ‘Shocking Distortions' of Anti-Semitism
in U.S. Condemned by 3 National Organizations
Groups' Presidents Send
Charge to Izvestia Urging
Change in Soviet's Policies
Three leading American Jewish organizations charged
the Soviet government with "shocking distortions" about
anti-Semitism in the United States, in an effort to divert
world attention from the Soviet's official policy of preju-
dice and discrimination against its three million Jewish
citizens.
The charge, made in an open letter to Izvestia, offi-
cial, organ of the Soviet government, was signed by A. M.
Sonnabend, president of the American Jewish Committee,
Dr. Joachim Prinz, president of the American Jewish
Congress, and Label Katz, president of Bnai Brith.
The three leaders asserted that anti-Semitism in the
U.S. today, "is at its lowest level in American history."
This fact, they said, is in direct conflict with an article
in Izvestia (May 19, 1963), which had "outrageously dis-
torted the facts" in saying that "anti-Semitism has as-
sumed a truly colossal scope in America," and that "Jews
in the U.S. suffer incredible humiliation, discrimination
and anti-Semitism."
The three organizations, whose common purpose is
to combat anti-Semitism in the United States and
throughout the world, did not deny that "anti-Semitism is
present in America and that there are tragic imperfec-
tions in the relations between different groups in our
country." They said, however, that "through information
and education, community action, public opinion, and
with the help of law and government, we are working
for the improvement of our society." The letter added:
"We have the right freely to criticize and combat
imperfections, to make demands of our leaders and
government, to change institutions and the climate of
opinion. Through our actions, and those of many other
civil rights groups throughout the land, we have helped
to bring about profound changes in practices and atti-
tudes."
In contrast to the situation in the U.S. the three
organizations said that "Soviet Jews are deprived by
official policy of religious and cultural rights which all
other ethnic groups in the country have" and "Jews
are the victims of discrimination in universities and in
basic sectors of employment."
The three leaders urged that Soviet officials admit
"the existence of anti-Semitism in the Soviet Union"
rather than contenting themselves with "ritualistic as-
sertions that the Soviet constitution and Soviet law pro-
hibit anti-Semitism and discrimination." They added: "The
same Soviet constitution and the same laws were in
effect when Stalin's. 'doctors' plot' was fabricated, as
Pravda itself admitted, to inflame . . . feeling of na-
tional enmity ' and, according to Izvestia, to instigate
`racial hatred'."
Citing anti-Jewish propaganda in the Soviet press,
the letter asserted:
"For years the Soviet press (which - is admittedly
controlled by the government) has conveyed to its read-
ers a viciously negative image of the Jews, drawn in all
the traditional anti-Semitic stereotypes. In the last two
years, the ominous impact of this press campaign has
been sharpened, and the acute humiliation and aliena-
tion of the Jews aggravated, by a systematic campaign
against economic crimes, for which the Jews have been
used as the scapegoat. Employing the major public in-
struments of propaganda, pressure, and law, this cam-
paign has singularly victimized the Jews and drawn
public attention to their Jewishness. Though they con-
stitute little more than one per cent of the country'S
total population, the government has made the Jews
primarily accountable for economic crimes—@0 per cent of
those executed for economic crimes have been Jews. The
significance of this entire policy pattern is not lost on the
Soviet people."
In a point by point refutation of the charges made
by Izvestia about anti-Semitism in America, the three
organizations pointed to numerous "gross errors and
distortions."
They said that "the person described in Izvestia as
a high-ranking Pentagon official," who belonged to George
Lincoln Rockwell's American Nazi party, was merely a
"minor civilian employee of the U.S. Army Map Service.
Because of his membership in Rockwell's. organization he
was dismissed from his position." The letter added:
"If any government has connived with American
Nazis, it was a Soviet official .Valentin M. Ivanov, a for-
mer first secretary of the Soviet Embassy who was ex-
Continued on Page 5
THE JEWISH NEWS
–
r-
–r
A Weekly Review
MICH IGAN
of Jewish Events
Michigan's Only English-Jewish Newspaper, Incorporating The Jewish Chronicle
Vol. XL111— No. 22
17100 W. 7 Mile Rd., Detroit 35
July 26, 1963
act with Russia
Seen as Solution
o M .E. Arms Race
LONDON (JTA) — The arms race between Egypt and Israel can be solved only if
a general agreement to this affect is reached between the Western powers and the
Soviet Union, British officials indicated here.
Their observations were made in connection with Egypt's display of new modern
air and sea armaments created in Egypt by German scientists and technicians, or
acquired from the Soviet Union on the occasion of Egypt's "Independence Day," which.
was celebrated with a display of supersonic jet-fighters, Russian-made air rockets
and Komar rocket ships of Soviet make.
Foreign office circles here pointed to the fact that the United States, France and,
to a smaller extent, also Britain, are supplying Israel with defense weapons, with a
view to keeping the arms balance in the Middle East. This, they said, is the second best
of the two alternatives, since nothing has so far been done to brina about joint action
on the part of the Soviet Union and the Western powers to put an end
b to the arms race
between Nasser and Israel.
Foreign Office officials also stressed the fact that the Tripartite Declaration an-
nounced by Britain, France and the United States in 1950, .guaranteeing the present
Arab-Israel borders, has never been called off and is still, formally speaking, intact.
At the same time, they amphasized that no one knows how effective this agreement
could be in any emergency, adding that "this would not be the fault of Britain."
A report from Cairo said that American diplomats in Egypt would not like to
see the departure of the German scientists helping Nasser to develop his rocket pro-
gram. Accordina to the report, the American diplomats in Cairo feel that this might
undermine the b Western influence on Nasser, since he might then turn to Moscow
for Soviet technicians.
One American diplomat in Cairo was quoted in the report as stating: "We have
an influence here and a presence — and that is worth something if you are trying to
keep the peace. What is more, the Middle East is a very cheap deal for the American
taxpayer. That is why anything which upsets the area — like the attempt to bar Ger-
man scientists — must be carefully examined to see
what its effect may be on stability in the area."
A Moscow report by the Soviet news agency, Tass,
revealed that Soviet technicians are to start work soon
on a new, 740-mile network of high-voltage electric
transmission lines in Egypt. The lines will stretch from
Aswan to Cairo, and from the Nile to the Red Sea, the
NEW YORK (JTA)—The New
Tass report stated.
York Board of Rabbis called on
Director of U.S. Foreign Aid Questioned
all of its members to observe
by Congressmen on Assistance to Nasser
Saturday, Sept. 7, as a special
occasion for sermons emphasiz-
WASHINGTON (JTA) — David Bell, director of
ing the need for an end to dis-
the U. S. Agency for International Development, was
crimination against Negroes in
subjected to intensive personal cross-examination by
the United States.
Rep. Seymour Halpern, New York Republican,- in a
The Board is comprised of
private meeting with a select group of congressmen
rabbis belonging to all three
which turned into an inquiry into the wisdom of contin-
branches of organized Jewish
ued American aid to Egypt.
congregations here — Orthodox,
It was learned that Bell expressed concern over
Conservative and Reform. In its
call, the Board declared:
Egypt's actions if aid were to be severed, and voiced
"Having been victims of dis-
fear that the situation would be worse. But he appeared
crimination for over 20 cen-
to give serious consideration to the proposal by Rep.
turies, Jewish people can sympa-
Halpern that standards of international conduct and
thize fully with any group that
morality be linked with aid.
is being discrimLated against
Rep. Halpern is co-sponsor of the Keating-Halpern
because of race, color or creed.
amendment _which provides for severance of aid to
It is for this reason that the
nations which use their own resources to acquire Soviet
plight of the American negro
arms. At the meeting with Bell, Halpern, supported by
has always been a basic concern
Sept. 7 Set as
Sabbath to Aid
Civil Rights
of Jewish people."
Continued on Page 5
Sentencing of USSR Jews for Matzoth Baking Condemned in U.S. Senate
WASHINGTON, (JTA) — Senator Jacob K. Javits, New York Republican,
drew the attention of the Senate to the Soviet trial of four Jews, three of
whom were sentenced to prison, after Moscow trials for selling home-made
matzoth.
All four Jews were convicted by a three-judge "Peoples Court" on charges
of having profited from the sale of matzoth prior to last Passover, but one was
freed because of his age and poor health.
Golko Bogomolny, a shochet, was given a one-year prison term. Two women
defendants, Klavdiaya Blyakhman, 52, and Malka Brio, 59, got six months each.
Emil Katz, 82. the so-called "ringleader," was set free because he is an invalid.
The court ordered that the four months already spent in prison be deducted
from the sentences of the three who were given prison terms.
"The civilized world cannot remain silent in the face of this act of the
Soviet government, which is bound to stir up religious prejudice and dangers
of persecution," Sen. Javits told the Senate. He said that "protests should be
made by leading citizens and organizations in all countries where men prize
freedom and the right to worship God without restriction or restraint."
Sen. Javits charged that "Jews are being made the scapegoats for the Soviet
Union's economic difficulties, and have been the prime targets of Soviet perse-
cution." He stressed that "the Jewishness of the defendants is emphasized by
the Soviet Press, and they are described in the crudest stereotypes generally
used in anti-Semitic campaigns."