Purely Commentary
East Germany's Role: Errors of 'Minority of One'
It takes only one opinion to be right. Even if one should be
a minority of one, if and when his views prove to be correct, one
East Germany's Role in
Providing Restitution
and Prosecuting Nazis
By Philip President Gets 1st Copy
'Who's Who in Jewry'
Slomovitz of WASHINGTON
— President Lyn-
Yet, we take issue with him on two aspects of his declaration.
He is too. harsh on Israel. What else can Israelis do but negotiate
with the State Department in the friendliest possible way? It is
difficult enough for Israel to gain ground from unfriendly American
diplomats. Whatever the conditions they do not make Israel
"unprincipled."
But Mr. Arnoni errs especially in his assumption that "the German
Democratic Republic has since its establishment been making genuine
efforts to have Nazi criminals account for their deeds." That is
farthest from the truth. Bonn has in its midst former Nazi criminals-
Globke being a most typical example. But there are prosecutions of
Nazis in West Germany. But not in East Germany where facts are
hidden, where former Nazis now serving in the Communist regime are
safest under Communist protection.
Mr. Arnoni should look into these facts. The East Germans
continue to refuse to prosecute the former Nazis among them. They
have thereby condoned the crimes and we can not absolve them
from collaborative guilt with those whom they fought 20 years ago.
don B. Johnson was presented
with the first copy, specially
bound, of "Who's Who in World
Jewry 1965" by representatives
of the editorial board and pub-
lisher of the book.
The volume was inscribed with
the following tribute:
"To the President of the United
States of America, Lyndon Baines
Johnson, this specially bound
first copy of "Who's Who in
World Jewry," a testament to the
contribution of the Jewish people
to human progress and American
life in our time, is respectfully
presented in recognition of his un-
flagging efforts to further the bro-
therhood of man."
among many can emerge as the adherent to a truth.
That is why one must not entirely reject a position like the one
that has been taken on the question of the Dead Sea Scrolls by Prof.
Solomon Zeitlin.
That is why M. S. Arnoni, editor of The Minority of One, has
earned a position of honor among journalists. (See Purely Commentary,
Feb. 19.) Taking as his slogan a famous saying by George Orwell—
"There was truth and there was untruth, and if you clung
to the truth even against the whole world, you were not mad."
Under this slogan he has courageously opposed many political
movements and has defended others. As indicated in our column on
Feb. 19, where we quoted him on the Middle East situation, he has
taken up the cudgels in Israel's behalf.
A week ago, he took a strong stand against East Germany's
failure to provide compensation for Jewish survivors from Nazism.
In an "Open Reply" addressed to Heinz Willman, Secretary General
of the Peace Council of the German Democratic Republic, Berlin,
GDR, he stated:
I wish to thank you for inviting me to visit the German
Democratic Republic on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of
the defeat of Nazism and to participate in your Council's conference
with the Jewish leaders in various
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire to
than it actually is."
The Jewish News)
on peace and disarmament on May 6, 1965. Moral considerations
He reminded the members of parts of the world so that "we
cause me to decline your invitation, and I wish that these
JERUSALEM — A denial of a the American Conference on Soviet may have an ample opportunity to
considerations, on which I shall elaborate below, be made known report that the Kiev synagogue Jewry that the Soviet authorities send emergency plane loads of
to your colleagues, state authorities and the participatnts in the had been refused permission to "have not fulfilled earlier promises Passover provisions."
Council's conference.
bake matzo for Passover was made made to set aside sufficient quan-
Meanwhile, • President Johnson
In your kind letter of invitation you took note of the fact by Soviet Ambassador Dimitri tities of flour for the baking of was urged to include in his re-
that I am one of those "who with millions of people suffered Chuvakhin Tuesday to Chief Rabbi matzo."
ported planned summit meeting
under fascism." This fact, I feel, imposes on me many moral Isser Untermann of Tel Aviv.
Katz said he hoped it was not with Soviet leaders, a discussion
considerations and obligations. It certainly imbues me with a
The envoy and the chief rabbi too late for the American Jew- of the plight of the 3,000,000 Jews
sense of identification with Germany's sincerely anti-fascist forces met during the ambassador's visit ish Conference to "appeal to the living in the Soviet Union, with
such as are represented by your Council. It causes me to have to the Heichal Shlomo, the reli- Soviet authorities to rectify the
the view of bringing to an end
much admiration for the German Democratic Republic's genuine gious center in Jerusalem. Rabbi
situation as far as possible."
anti-Semitic attacks designed to
efforts to stamp out the remnants of Nazism and chauvinism and Untermann said that the envoy
Katz concluded that "if, at this destroy the Jewish religion and
to chart a course of peace for the German nation. As against the had authorized him to say that
late date," the Soviet government cultural development. The call
resurrection of jingoism, chauvinism and territorial expansionism the report was without foundation.
cannot provide matzo for the was issued by Abraham M. Lim
in West Germany, there is consolation in the peaceful policies Rabbi Untermann then asked the
3,000,000 Jews in sufficient quan- denbaum, president of the Brook- `N___
of your Government, which would not make itself a party to
envoy,
in
view
of
his
denial
of
the
tities, then it should communicate lyn Jewish Community Council.
yet another Drang nach Osten. No less gratifying is the report, whether it was necessary
knowledge that, as against the notorious coddling of Nazis by to send matzo to Kiev and that the
the Bonn government, the German Democratic Republic has ever envoy replied "Let them send it
since its establishment been making genuine efforts to have Nazi
if they like."
Boris Smolar's
criminals account for their deeds.
The meeting reportedly was a
While this record causes me to respect the German Democratic
Republic, I feel that there are additional challenges before a cordial one. However, when Rabbi
Germany that attempts to dissociate itself from so criminal a Untermann raised questions about
past. This causes me to ask: What has the German Democratic some aspects of Soviet Jewry's re-
Republic done to restitute the lives and fortunes of the few ligious life, an issue widely dis-
cussed in the West, the ambassa-
Jewish survivors of Nazi concentration camps?
(Copyright, 1965, Jewish
dor said this was a "purely in-
Telegraphic Agency, inc.)
I
While I am fully aware that Much of the financial restitution
ternal matter."
offered to the Jewish victims of Nazism by the Bonn government
WAR ON POVERTY: About 80 Jewish Federations throughout the
In New York, Label Katz, chair-
is politically motivater, namely by a desire to hide the resurrection
country
are involved in community-wide activity to develop programs
of militarism and chauvinism beneath a cloak of democratic man of the steering committee of
and projects in the nation's war against poverty . . . The nature of
humanitarianism, I am at the same time provoked to ask: What the American Conference on Soviet their activity varies from city to city . . . In some communities,
efforts has the German Democratic Republic made, for whatever Jewry, announced that the Kiev Jewish Federations and their agencies are represented directly in
motivation, to pay whatever is the redeemable part of the debt synagogue has been refused per- overall community actions committees appointed by city and country
of the German nation to the Jewish people as a whole and as mission by the Soviet authorities governmental bodies to plan anti-poverty programs . . . In others,
in that city to bake matzo.
individuals?
they serve only through their membership in community welfare
The sad answer is: None.
The conference represents 24 councils which stimulate, plan and administrate activities against
On this very day that I am writing you this reply, the chief major national Jewish civic, reli- poverty . . . In an effort to learn how the Federations and their
of your state, President Walter Ulbricht, is a highly honored gious and Zionist organizations. In agencies are participating in the nation's anti-poverty campaign, the
guest of President Nasser in the capital of the United Arab a report sent to the conference, Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds circulated a
Republic. I do not question the diplomatic prudence of Herr Katz, who is president of Bnai questionnaire . . . The replies received indicate various forms of
Ulbricht's visit. Nor is it of particular interest to me whether Brith, said these developments are activity by Jewish community lay and professional leaders in larger
President Nasser's brand of "Arab Socialism" warrants all the "alarming and once again offer Jewish communities as well as in the smaller . . . Among the
good things so often said about it in the exercise of diplomatic concern for the entire Jewish com- participating larger communities are: Baltimore, Boston, Chicago,
expedience and ideological hypocrisy. But I am concerned with munity."
Cleveland, Detroit, Los Angeles, Miami, Newark, New York, Philadel-
the probable increase in the effectiveness of Nasser's anti-Israel
"The ban on the baking of phia and San Francisco . . . The medium-sized Jewish communities—.
bellicosity as a result of the overall support he has been receiving
matzo extends to the entire with a Jewish population of 15,000 to 40,000—include Buffalo, Cin-
from the German Democratic Republic.
cinnati, Denver, Hartford, Houston, Kansas City, Patterson and
Ukraine, where some 37 per
I regret and deplore Israel's foreign policy, so subservient to
cent of all Soviet Jews live," Rochester . .. Communities with a Jewish population between 15,000
the U.S. State Department. I believe that in rejecting genuine non-
Katz said. He added that the re- and 5,000 where Jewish lay and professional leaders serve on local
alignment Israel is not only acting in an unprincipled manner,
general bodies engaged in action against poverty include Bridgeport,
ported provisions for the bak-
but also diminishing the prospects of being accepted into the
Columbus, Elizabeth, Indianapolis, Louisville, Lynn, Memphis, New
ing
of
matzo
in
Moscow
and
Middle Eastern family of nations. But there are human and
Orleans, Phoenix, Portland . . . Also, St. Paul, San Antonio, San Diego,
Leningrad,
which
was
granted
by
national obligations which surpass passing political constellations.
the Soviet authorities to the Scranton, Springfield, Trenton, Tucson, Wilmington, Worcester and
I believe that Germany, East and West, has such obligations
population less than
Jewish communities there, "ap- Youngstown . . . Among the communities with a
vis-a-vis many Jewish individuals, vis-a-vis the Jewish people as
5,000 Jews where local Jewish community leaders are involved in
pears
to
be
for
fairly
adequate
a whole, and vis-a-vis the State of Israel, in which the vast
action committees fighting poverty, are: Charleston, Chattanooga,
majority of Jewish survivors of Nazi concentration camps are quantities—though it is still too Elmira, El Paso, Erie, Flint, Knoxville, Madison, Oklahoma City, Salt
early to be certain of the latter."
gathered.
Lake City, Schnectady, Tulsa, Utica and others.
Katz expressed alarm at what he
President Nasser, his spokesmen and associates openly pro-
*
*
*
claim their intent to wage yet another war on Israel at a termed the "confusing picture" on
propitious time. This war they propose to wage not merely in the baking of matzo with which
MILITARY INTELLIGENCE: If and when Israel's Foreign
order to change the regime, or the policies, of the attacked the Jewish community throughout
Minister Golda Meir comes to Washington to negotiate for arms to
country; not merely to satisfy such of their demands as would the world is confronted."
be sold direct by the United States to Israel, she will confront
be compatible with the continued existence of the attacked
He criticized the method of re-
Soviet
country—but, selfprofessedly, in order to liquidate both the state gistering the names of individuals President Johnson with formidable figures on the quantity of
arms which have reached Egypt and other Arab countries . .
and the society of that country.
who desire to have matzo baked
Arab
Whatever the international line-up of political forces, whatever as "subjecting them to the official Western intelligence sources have data showing that the
tanks and nearly 900 military
countries
have
received
more
than
2,000
the exigencies of diplomacy, I do not think that the German observation of the authorities and
Egypt
aircraft since the Russians began sending arms in 1955 . .
people or any of its instrumentalities have a moral right to lend the Soviet police."
has just concluded another deal with Moscow and experts believe that
aid and comfort to such intentions against the State of Israel,
"According to our sources," Katz —as in the case of Cuba—Nasser will now get ground-to-ground
the Israeli society and, most particularly, the hundreds of thousands
program
of Jews who barely escaped with their lives from the most said, "matzo in Moscow cost be- missiles to make up for the shortcomings of his own rocket
1955
In
three
arms
agreements
with
Russia—concluded
between
.
.
.
tween
75
cents
and
85
cents,
com-
inhuman persecution by Germans. Indeed, such aid and comfort,
1,000
tanks;
is
estimated
to
have
acquired
nearly
and
1965—Egypt
pared
to
between
35
cents
and
45
when extend0 by the German people, may become historical
Syria
and moral extensions of the genocide that extinguished a third cents in New York City. This in they include about 400 of the powerful T-54 Soviet tanks . . .
itself is, in the Soviet context, an has nearly 500 tanks, 70 of them very modern and powerful, and 110
of the Jewish people.
arms to
So long as the German Democratic Republic remains inhibiting factor in the purchase modern Soviet aircraft . . Iraq has benefited from Soviet
artillery
All
three
Arab
countries
also
received
the
same
extent
...
of
matzo,
since
incomes
and
stan-
estranged to the moral considerations discussed above, I cannot
Syria
and
armored
personnel
carriers
from
Russia
.
.
.
Egypt
and
consider myself sharing with it a sufficient moral premise such dards of living are far lower than
are
also
believed
to
possess
10
Soviet
guided
missiles
vessels
• . •
as would be implied in a friendly acceptance of your friendly those in our own country. Were
Experts are of the opinion that in men and equipment, the three
the
authorities
to
supply
the
flour
invitation.
1 . .11
I devoutly hope that the leaders and people of your country and produce and sell the matzo, Arab nations now outnumber Israel by between 2 and 3 to
Immediate Soviet promises of further arms to Egypt leave Israel no
the
ultimate
cost
to
the
potential
will awaken to their responsibilities as discussed here. Only this
effort to secure arms from
would enable me to void my present reservations and to accept consumer would be much lower alternative but to make a maximum
governments in the democratic world ... And who if not the United
that hand of solidarity which I now feel compelled to reject.
States is in the best position to balance the Soviet supply of arms to
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
* * *
the Arabs by providing the same to Israel?
March
19,
1965
Friday,
2
—
The basic principle touched upon by Arnoni is admirably covered.
Soviet Aide Denies Kiev Synagogue
Won't Be Allowed to Bake Matzo
Between You
... and Me'
it