Soviet Tactics in Human Rights Issue and Its Architect at UN By SAUL CARSON JTA Correspondent in the UN • (Copyright, 1967, JTA, Inc.) UNITED NATIONS, N.Y.—Who is Yakub A. Ostrovski? His name came into the hot news when, at a meeting of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva, he de- livered a crude anti-Semitic attack on the chief U.S. delegate to the Commission, Morris B. Abram. It so happens that Abram is presi- dent of the American Jewish Committee. He is also intimately connected with any other number of other human rights organiza- tions. As a lawyer whose practice used to be centered in Atlanta. Ga., Abram received national no- tice through some cases he had taken to the Supreme Court—and won in the high tribunal—not on Jewish matters but on civil rights affecting primarily Negroes. But Ostrovski did not attack Abram's civil rights record in general. The gentleman voiced his attack in an anti-Semitic context. The subject under discussion was a plan for the establishment of a new UN office, the appoint- ment of a UN Commissioner for Human Rights. Ostrovski was—is —the chief delegate on the corn- mission representing the Soviet Union. The Russians don't like the idea of an ombudsman who would supervise human rights in all countries in the world. But in the ' debate on the issue, Ostrovski told Abram that the U.S. representa- tive was not addressing a meet- , ing of the American Jewish Com- 1 mittee. Since that was the second time he had mentioned Abram's office in the AJC—a post of which Abram is rightfully proud —the American delegate an- swered the Russian, rebuked him outright, hinted that the man from Moscow was using anti-Semitic tactics. There is some documentation on Ostrow- ski. There is very little doubt of his anti-Semitism—and of the fact that the Moscow govern- ment knows him for what he is. in Moscow, in 1950. he was im- mediately attached to the Soviet Foreign Ministry after he had received his degree. Later he studied at the Academy for Inter- national Law at The Hague. But by the time -he did those studies in Holland, he had already served on the Soviet Union's permanent mission to the United Nations, and had put in time as an attache About three years ago, the So- in the USSR's Embassy in Wash- viet Union shocked the world by ington. He has served on the UN introducing at the United Nations General Assembly's Social. Hu- an amendment to an anti-racism manitarian and Cultural Commit- draft that would have equated tee, has been an alternate delegate Zionism with Nazism. The Soviet to the Commission on Human diplomat who engineered that Rights, has participated in the move was none other than Ostrov- deliberations of the above-men- ski—although he stayed in the tioned subcommission. And what was Ostrovski's chief background. One time, when Dr. Maurice L. occupation all through those Perlzweig, the World Jewish Con- years? He was the Soviet Union's gress representative at the UN. principal expert on legal and so- was delivering an address before cial questions having to do with the Subcommission on Prevention "prevention of discrimination on of Discrimination and Protection racial and national grounds." of Minorities, he mentioned in That's what the official Soviet paSsing the words "Soviet Union." Who's Who says. And what were Actually, he was about to give his principal accomplishments? the USSR credit for certain so- Ile was against slavery. He was cial advances. But the Soviet man in favor of equality for women. in the group, the same Ostrovski, He was, in short, against sin— couldn't wait for Dr. Perlzweig sin of all types universally con- to finish his sentence. He inter- demned by all civilized men. rupted the Jewish speaker rudely Except anti-Semitism. by demanding of the chairman Of that phase of his work , that "that man" be squelched be- the Soviet Who's Who does not cause he had dared take the name speak. That must be deduced of the USSR without permission. from the man's activities. In JTA Correspondent in the ITV (Copyright, 1967, JTA, Inc.) GENEVA (JTA) — Against the strenuous opposition of the Soviet Union, which once more resorted to an anti-Jewish attack directed specifically against the chief dele- gate of the United States, Morris B. Abram, the United Nations Com- mission on Human Rights voted here March 22 in favor of the formation of a new office, to called the United Nations High Commis- sioner for Human Rights. The vote on the issue, following a day-long debate which made a night meeting necessary, was 20 to 7, with two abstentions. The_United States, Britain and Israel were with the majority. The Soviet bloc in the commis- sion, consisting of the USSR. Poland and the I Ukraine teamed up with Yugoslavia, Iraq, India and Egypt in the opposition. France RIDE THE FORD For 1967 Northland Ford Your Best Buy is At 10 Mile at Greenfield and Nigeria abstained. There are delegate -who brought up the Jew- ish issue during the debate. The 32 members on the commission. The commission's vote culmin- Iraqi delegate, in a 45-minute ated a long fight led by the United speech, took out against Israel's States and Israel. The commission's member on the commission, Su- resolution was in the form of a preme Court Justice Haim II. Cohn recommendation to its parent body, who, March 22 had- endorsed the the Economic and Social -Council High Commission proposal warmly. Iraq's delegation head chided the which, in turn, must approve ihe move then forward it to the Gen- Israeli for supporting human rights and the protection of minorities in eral Assembly for final action. other countries while the Arab In the course of the debate. minority in Israel was being "sup- Yakub A. Ostrovski, chief of the , pressed." USSR delegation. once more at- Justice Cohn, whose intervention tacked Abram, as he did in the on the issue had been supported discussion March 21. linking by Italy and Argentina. replied Abram's attitude- on the issue to . that "in contrast with some other the fact the latter, in a private countries, my government pledges capacity. is president of the Ameri- that Israel would admit a High can Jewish Committee. Commissioner for Human Rights Insinuating that Abram "was and allow him to see whatever he obeying the orders of the Zion- wanted to see and could pledge ists and the Jews of America," that we would listen carefully to and charging that the chairman his advice." of the American delegation was Justice Cohn condemned the "serving two masters," Ostrov- Soviet Union's "policy of forc- ski called the American Jewish ible assimilation" of Russian Jewry Committee "a Zionist organiza- without, however, naming the tion." USSR. Replying very briefly to Ostrov- "A High Commissioner for ski's hour-long diatribe, Abram Human Rights," Justice Cohn merely noted that, in the 20 years told the commission, "who would of the commission's existence, no be able to conduct proper in- similar incident had occured, and vestigations, might take effective n6 reference had ever been made action against the violation of by a delegate to another delegate's some of the very rights and religious affiliation. "Moreover, freedoms for which the last Abram noted, that reference was great war was heroically fought "irrelevant to the commission's and won. With the defeat of the German master-men by the work." The Russian was not the only combined moral strength of the "SS SHALOM" EXPO 67 Sep S t 8,18, . 8 CRUISES July 28, and Aug. 28 Space Going Fast ! Hurry ! %luta sees irony in such a selection is entitled to his own opinion. Cer- tainly. the Kremlin knows what it doeth:' It did not train' the boy from Moscow for nothing. sIs Shalom ten-day cruises to Expo'67 From New York (May short, Ostrovski seems to be Ostrovski is only 40 years old. the Kremlin's chief hatchet man He still has far to go. He was against Jewish protests regard. ing Soviet anti-Semitism. trained for exactly what he is doing—as the chief tub-thumper Ostrovski now heads the Soviet for Moscow's idea of human rights. delegation on a special group A law graduate of the State In- planning the International Year stitute for International Relations. for Human Rights. to be observed UN Commission on Human Ili hts Votes for Public Defender: Soviet Delegate Again flits Morris Abram By Z. H. DRUCKMAN in 1968 in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the date—Dec. 10, 1948—when the General Assembly,1 without a single dissenting vote, adopted the Universal . Declaration of Human Rights. Anyone who THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Friday, March 31, 1967-11 DOtteotiOtt TRAVEL AGENCY HARVARD ROW MALL EL 3-5811 11-MILE & LASH ER great nations, one would have thought that the singling out of the Jews for special treat- ment would have become a sub- ject of contempt and ridicule. But prejudices leading to sys- tematic violation of human rights still persist in spite of vehement denials. The evidence is so overwhelming as not to leave any reasonable doubt in the mind of any unbiased ob- server." Aiming, then, directly at the Soviet Union and the fate of its (Continued on Page 18) From New York, return Aug.7. Min. fare S345. From New York, return Aug.18. Min. fare $345. From New York, return Aug. 28. Min. fare $345. From New York, return Sept.7. Min. fare $345. From New York, return Sept. 18. Min. fare $295. See the exhibits of 70 nations on these low- cost luxury cruises to Montreal's World's Fair. ❑ 48 hours or longer in Montreal, ship is your hotel, no worries about reservations ashore. ❑ Daylight cruise up the scenic Saguenay River. D Full program of cruise activities aboard the Shalom—all first class. ❑ Gourmet kosher cuisine throughout. ❑ Fully air con- ditioned. Three swimming pools. 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