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Israel Rabbinical Court Overruled in _Divorce Case
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Israel Supreme Court, in a precedent-establishing de-
cision, recognized civil marriages performed abroad as contracts that cannot be uni-
laterally revoked. Previously, civil marriages were viewed as valid only for the purpose
of financial claims.
The decision came in a divorce case appealed from the Supreme Rabbinical Court..
The rabbinical decision had permitted the husband to divorce his first wife without her
consent and marry another woman because the first marriage was civil. The chief rabbis
had furthermore ordered the wife to accept the divorce.
Explosion of
Myth Relating to
Deicide and
Catholic-Jewish
Relations
Editorial
Page 4
Reviews of
Pilgrim'—Page 32
Vol. XLV, No. 21
On an appeal of this decision by the wife, the Supreme Court unanimously voted
to restrain the chief rabbis from approving the remarriage. Noting that, although it
was incompetent to quash a rabbinical court judgment, the Supreme Court staked that
it was competent to declare that such a marriage would constitute bigamy under secular
law. Justice Silberg further observed that, had the Court decided otherwise in the case,
Israel would become a haven for any Jew wishing to free himself from a civil marriage
that had become irksome.
Episcopalian
HE JEWISH NE
R
1-r
A Weekly Review
NA c
Goldwater's
Jewish
Paternity:
A Candidate
Untrained in
'Pirkei Aboth'
(0, A1/4
of Jewish Events
Commentary
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State Dept. Action Asked to End
Are s° Boycott of U.S. Firms
Direct JTA Teletype Wire to The Jewish News
NEW YORK — Senator Kenneth B. Keating
(N.Y. Rep.) protested to Secretary of State Dean
Rusk Tuesday against the Arab League's an-
nounced boycott of the Chase Manhattan Bank and
urged "strongly that appropriate steps be taken as
promptly as possible to protest and rectify this
completely unjustified Arab policy."
Declaring that in his judgment "this continu-
ing series of affronts against American citizens
should not be tolerated," Sen. Keating told the Sec-
retary of State: "The addition of the Chase Man-
hattan Bank to the Arab League blacklist is only
the latest of many outrageous examples of Arab
discrimination against American businessmen and
individuals carrying on normal relations with the
State of Israel.
The senator's protest came as word was re-
ceived here from Damascus, Syria, that Kuwait has
"called off plans to deposit $ 2 0 0, 0 0 0, 0 0 0 in
the Chase Manhattan Bank as a result of the black-
listing of the bank announced by the Arab
League's Office for the Boycott of Israel.
"The Congress has made clear on repeated oc-
casions," Sen. Keating wired Rusk, "its objec-
tions to any United States aid to Nasser as long
as he continues to divert his own resources for
aggression, continues to violate the freedom of the
seas with regard to the Suez Canal, and continues
to discriminate against American citizens on the
ground of race or religion. I would be most grate-
ful for a report as to what steps the United States
is taking to enforce these conditions and to termi-
nate any further aid to Arab nations engaging in
these unwarranted practices."
Officials of the Chase Manhattan Bank here
said Tuesday that although Kuwait was a customer
of the bank, no particular large deposit had been
expected from Kuwait, especially as much as
$200,000,000. The bank officials said the black-
listing of the institution by the Arab League's boy-
cott office was "a misunderstanding." They said
they were hopeful that the action would be re-
scinded soon.
The Arab League's commissioner general for
the anti-Israel boycott office was reported as say-
ing in Damascus that the blacklisting of the Chase
Manhattan would not go into effect for six months
so as to give Arab firms dealing with the bank time
to settle their financial affairs with the bank.
Responding to dispatches from Damascus, the
bank issued a statement noting that it has acted as
fiscal agent for Israel Bonds since 1951. The state-
ment declared: "Since 1951, the Chase Manhattan
Bank has acted as fiscal agent for Israeli bonds
held by investors in the United States and abroad.
This involves authenticating bonds and, together
with other banks, disbursing principal and interest.
Such fiscal agency functions are performed by
banks throughout the world as part of their normal
domestic and international business.
"There has been no change in Chase Man-
hattan's functions with respect to Israeli bonds for
the last 13 years. Since we haVe had no direct com-
munication regarding the reported action, further
comment woulC inappropriate at this time."
State Department pledges opposition to Arab projects for "counter diversion" of Jordan River
waters . . . Detailed story and statement released by Senator Keating on Page 13
Nazi-Arab Axis Warned Against
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Expan di ng A nt i -Sem i t i c Act i v i ty
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World
Jewish Congress, warned Arab propagandists around the world, especially
in Latin_ America, against making common cause with domestic anti-
Semites. He also demanded that the Soviet Union halt its "clearly unde-
niable discriminations" against jews; and requested the Federal Republic
of Germany not to launch an "ungenerous, narrow-minded" attitude in
regard to compensation of Jewish victims of Nazism heretofore excluded
from receipt of such payments.
Dr. Goldmann was the principal speaker here as the World Jewish
Congress opened a week-long session, the first plenary session ever held
by the WJC in Israel. More than 100 delgates from nearly 30 countries
around the world are attending the sessions.
President Zalman Shazar and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, as well as
Jerusalem's Mayor Mordechai Ish-Shalom greeted the delegates.
Premier Eshkol told the delegates that the "classic struggle con-
fronting the Jewish people today," including concern for the future of
Soviet Jewry and Jewry in other countries, "are tasks that must not be
overlooked."
Dr. Goldmann warned the Arab world not to engage in an open fight
with the entire Jewish people. Stressing the fact that, in many parts of
the world, anti-Semitic movements "are beginning to develop, based on
contacts between various neo-Nazis and Fascists, aided by the lack of
political stability, especially in Latin America," he underscored the "ac-
tive participation of Arab propagandists." In those places, he asserted,
"Arab propaganda is not only anti-Zionist but anti-Jewish, and is sup-
ported and subsidized by Arab embassies.
"It would be a disastrous development," he warned, "if the Jewish
people were forced to regard the Arabs as enemies. In the long run,
such a development would harm the Arabs more than it would harm
the Jews."
Turning to the problem of Soviet Jewry, Dr. Goldmann said that, in
the USSR, where the Jews are enjoying "formal equality, they are denied
the opportunity to live their own lives, a policy which threatens this
second largest community in the world."
He noted that this Soviet phenomenon is not a product of Communist
ideology since in Poland, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania and Yugo-
slavia "the Jews are not only allowed to lead a Jewish life, but are also
given economic and moral assistance by their governments."
Continued on Page 5
Israel. Policy Statement Eliminated
From Republican Platform; Party's
Deviation Viewed as Blow to Liberals
SAN FRANCISCO (JTA)—Liberal Republicans expressed regret at the action of the conserva-
tive-dominated p1a 4--",rm committee which substituted a vague Middle Eastern plank for the strong
pro-Israel policy statement the liberals advocated.
Liberal Republican comment was that the trend of the convention left them no alternative
but to make the best of the platform sivation. They called attention to another plank which contained
a denunciation of Soviet anti-Semitism.
Pro-Israel Republicans were annoyed by the fact that the convention departed from tradition
followed by both parties since 1944—a tradition that was actually initiated by the Republicans. Since
1944, both parties adopted planks that contained. warm and open support, first of Jewish aspirations
in Palestine, and later of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the State of Israel.
Pro-Israel voices were raised during the closed session of the platform committee. But they
were hopelessly outnumbered by conservative members. The main abjection of the liberals is that
elimination of specific reference to Israel leaves the Middle East Plank obscure and virtually
meaningless.
Sen. Thomas H. Kuchel of California, in opening here the 28th Republican Convention,
appealed for a strong civil rights stand by the convention and for defense of minority rights. His
speech reflected the liberal, pro-Scranton Republican faction. Sen. Kuchel said the party had in
the past dedicated itself to equal treatment under the law for all, "rich or poor, black, or white,
Christian or Jew."
The reference in the platform to Soviet anti-Semitism reads: "We condemn the persecution
of minorities, such as the Jews, within Communist borders."
Committee sources stated that the committee, in weakening the Israel plank, wished to avoid
involvement with the Israel issue as "not appropriate for a domestic political platform."
On the subject of foreign aid generally, the platform said that the administration aid pro-
gram would not "bolster and sustain anti-American regimes." A question exists as to whether this
would apply to Egypt.
In the place of the specific plank on Israel submitted by liberal Republicans, the statement
emerging from the platform committee said only that "respecting the Middle East, and in addition
to our reaffirmed pledges of 1960 concerning this area, we will so direct our economic and military
assistance as to help maintain stability in this region and prevent an imbalance of arms."
Sen. Kenneth Keating, of New York, told the platform committee the Republican Party
`should express its desire for a lasting peace in the Near East, to be achieved through direct nego-
tiations between the Arab states and Israel." He said: "We are deeply concerned over Soviet arms
shipments to the Near East and the activities of former Nazi scientists in developing new horror
weapons for President Nasser. We urge curtailment of economic assistance to Arab nations which in
any way is used to subsidize military ventures. To make clear the commitment of the United States to
resist aggression in the Near East; and to emphasize our determination to guarantee the survival of
Continued on Page 6