1.
Remnants of Jewish Communities
in Arab Lands Still' ostages—Eban
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Foreign
'Minister Abba Eban credited Wed-
nesday the efforts of international
humanitarian groups with allevi-
ating somewhat the plight of Jews
remaining in Syria, Iraq and other
Arab countries. But he warned
that "The remnants of these com-
munities are still held as hostages,
subject to persecution, oppression
and discrimination" and denied
the universal human right to emi-
grate.
Eban addressed the Knesset on
the second anniversary (according
to the Hebrew calendar) of the
mass hangings of Jews in Baghdad
and Basra for allegedly spying for
Israel. "The martyrs were put to
death for a crime which they had
not committeed. Others were mur-
dered or died of hideous torture
in the prisons. Their sole crime lay
in their being Jews," Eban said.
countries also were established ,
and the testimony they submitted
on the situation of Jews in Arab
lands aroused international public
opinion to demand in the strongest
terms that the Arab rulers desist
from the oppression of the Jews
and set them free, Eban said.
He said the Arab governments
responded with a wave of propa-
ganda intended to create a satis-
factory image of the condition of
their Jewish citizens. But it also
led to admission of the true situa-
tion, Eban said.
"The very fact that in reaction,
the Iraqi authorities announced
the abolition of discriminatory
laws was evidence that discrimina-
tion existed," he said. It is true
the acts of murder have ceased
for the present, but the plight of
Jews in Iraq has not been im-
proved.
He noted that in January 1910,
about 100 public figures and re-
ligious leaders from 24 coun-
tries convened in Paris and set
up the International Committee
for the Jews in Arab Countries,
headed by Alain Poher, presi-
dent of the French Senate.
National committees in various
Eban said the awakening of
enlightened public opinion, the
activities of the International
Committee and the intervention
of governments on behalf of- the
Jews in Arab countries, have led
to the release of Jews from
prisons in Egypt and their depar-
ture in freedom. But hundreds
•
Refugees Call Syria 'Inferno'
for Remaining 5,000 Jews
PARIS (JTA)—Two Syrian Jews
who recently managed to escape
from Syria appeared here in heavy
disguise at a press conference to
describe Syria as "an inferno" for
the 5,000 Jews still living there.
The press conference was spon-
sored by the International Com-
mittee for the Defense of the Jews
in the Middle East. Officials said
the man and the woman put on
disguises to protect members of
their families still resident. in
Syria.
They declared that Syria's Jews
live in daily fear for such little
freedom as they have and are
under severe discrimination.
The two reported that Jews in
Damascus, where 3,000 live, may
not leave for more than two
miles out of the city without per-
mission from the secret police
but that most of them never
leave the Jewish area where
they try to eke out a living from
artisan shops.
They cited a law forbidding Jews
to leave to their heirs real estate
or other property which is auto-
matically declared by the authori-
ties and automatically passed on
to Palestinian terrorist organiza-
tions.
Jews are forbidden to hold reli-
gious services without prior per-
mission from the secret police.
During such services, they said,
a government official is usually
present.
If a Jew does manage to flee
the country, they said, all of his
or her known relatives and friends
are arrested, usually for a mini-
mum period of two months.
The male witness said he had
been arrested after the escape of a
brother and that he had been de-
tained for 10 months before he was
court martialed on charges of
"Zionist activities."
Kosher Meat Provided
at State Institutions
NEW YORK—Governor Nelson
A. Rockefeller's office informed
the United Bikur Cholim of the
state of New York that kosher
meat will be made available to the
Orthodox patients of New York
state institutions, according to an
announcement made by Rabbi
E. Hoffman, director of the United
Bikur Cholim.
- The United Bikur Cholim, headed
by Herbert M. Cohen, president,
and Rabbi Chaim U. Lipschitz,
vice president, has been supplying
kosher meat to inmates of New
York state institutions for a num-
ber of years.
TEL AVIV (JTA)—Representa-
fives of the International Red
Cross have visited 12 Israeli
prisoners in Egypt, according to
Red Cross reports from Geneva.
Two of the prisoners were visited
in the hospital Dec. 23 and 24, and
the other 10 on Jan. 5 and 6. The
IRC also received permission to
visit them every two weeks hence-
forth. It also has been learned
that IRC representatives visited
three Israeli prisoners in Syria
toward the end of December, de-
livering parcels and letters to
them.
of Jews still remain there, be
said. According to Eban, the sit-
uation of Jews in Syria is the
most grave.
"They live in ghettos subject to
a regime of curfews, restriction
on movement outside their place
of residence and arbitrary arrests
accompanied by torture," Eban
said. "When a Jew dies, his legal
heirs are robbed of his property
which is confiscated by the author-
ities. In the few Jewish schools,
Arab headniasters have been ap-
pointed on behalf of the authori-
ties, and religious instruction has
been restricted, The Jewish ceme-
tery in Damascus has been de-
stroyed and a road laid over its
ruins," Eban charged.
He said "Prom this rostrum, we
call upon all the nations of the
world, the United Nations and
other international organizations,
religious leaders a n d public
figures to whom the liberty of
man and his honor are dear, to
join their voices in the call and
demand to free the Jews in Arab
countries."
V4 1
He was sentenced to death but
later came under general amnes-
ty. He described conditions in
Syrian prisons as "inhuman," de-
claring that prisoners are regu-
larly beaten and given electric
shock tortures. He said many
went insane from the mistreat-
ment.
Presiding at the press confer-
ence were Alain Poher, president
of the French Senate, and presi-
dent of the international commit-
tee; M. Rolland, president of the
French Supreme Criminal Court;
and Jacques Mercier, the French
attorney who had tried to defend
the reputed Israeli agent, Elie Co-
hen, in Damascus.
The two witnesses also reported
that the situation in Egypt for
Jews had improved during the
past year and credited the im-
provement to efforts by the French
government. They said many Jews
who had been arrested were freed
from prison and allowed to leave
Egypt.
They called the situation for
Jews in Iraq "stagnant," adding
that while Jews there no longer
feared for their lives as they did
a year ago at the time of public
hangings of Iraq Jews, they still
suffered severe restrictions and
discrimination. A similar report,
in less detail, was issued earlier
by Gen. Lucius D. Clay, chairman
of the Committee of Concern.
THE DETROIT JEWISH MEWS
Folwoosty 5, 1971-5
Red Cross Reports
Visiting 12 Israelis
in Egyptian Prisons
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