Bank of Commonwealth Control by Saudi Citizen
Creates National Issue; Plan Washington Protest

Fisher Declares Fight Over
Menace to American Banks

:HE 'JEWISH NEWS

Concerned citizens are raising the Commonwealth Bank
in Washington to prevent transfer of the bank's con-
ing interest to a non-citizen from Saudi Arabia.
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events.
Max M. Fisher declared on Tuesday that he views the
developing banking situation as menacing to this country.
February 7, 1975
17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Southfield, Mich. 48075
In a telephone statement to The Jewish News Tuesday from VOL. LXV I, No..22
Florida, he declared that he "will not rest in his efforts
to protect the American system."
Fisher emphasized that he considered it seriously men-
acing for the control of an American bank to fall into the
hands of an Arab. He said it is inconceivable for an American
community to permit Arabs who prevent Americans from
conducting industrial enterprises in their countries from
gaining control of important institutions in this coutry.
Fisher declared that the move to invade the banking
system of America and to gain control of financial institu-
lions should be prevented at all costs. He said that he intends
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Declaring that the future of three million Jews in the Soviet
to appeal to members of Congress and authorities in Wash-
Union is one of the major issues confronting world Jewry today, Dr. Nahum Goldmann,
ington not to permit the takeover.
president of the World Jewish Congress, charged that the Jewish people committed two
Saudi Arabian control of Bank of the Commonwealth
errors in attacking the problem. One was over-reaction and exaggerated acts against
and the shock it has created in the Jewish community has
the Soviet regime and the other was "the unilateral or even exclusive concentration
developed into one of the most disturbing experiences for
on the issue of emigration," he told 500 delegates from 65 countries attending the open-
many in this community.
ing session of the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the WJC.
Sharing the views of Fisher that it is an American and
Dr. Goldmann said, "Acts like those of the Jewish Defense League, the molestation
not a Jewish issue, the attainment of power by oil-rich Arabs
of individual Soviet diplomats, the attempts to disturb concerts and artistic performances
in American financial and industrial enterprises is being
by Soviet artists, even Jewish artists, the identification of
viewed as menacing to this country's economy, and the con-
Soviet anti-Semitism with Nazism were unjustified and could
trolling interest by a Saudi Arabian in a leading American
only boomerang."
bank has another important connotation.
On the matter of emigration, he asserted, "The Soviet
Jews have been barred from
Jewish
problem has two aspects: one, that of the 100,000 or
Saudi Arabia. Jewish members of
so who want to go to Israel; the other, that of the millions
the U.S. military forces have never
. who will remain in Russia and must be assured of facilities
been admitted to that country. It
to live as Jews."
was only when ' the five Jewish
Concerning emigration, Dr. Goldmann said, "I hope that
members of the press corps that
we have gained a real victory, but we will have to wait and
accompanied Secretary of State
see . . . we must fight for their right to live as Jews, partic-
Henry A. Kissinger on his first visit
ularly as they are formally and constitutionally recognized
to Saudi Arabia resisted being
as a minority." He said that those who deny that this can
barred from admission with him
be
accomplished "fail to realize that it may mean giving up
and their fellow correspondents
or writing off millions of Jews which would be an historical
that Jews were able to enter Saudi
DR. NAHUM GOLDMANN
crime.
Arabia.
Dr. Goldmann said that the Soviet repudiation of its 1972 trade pact with the U.S.
The Jewish members of the board
"due to a large degree though not exclusively to the Jackson Amendment, naturally al-
of Commonwealth Bank — David
ters the situation as regards emigration." He said he did not believe the repudiation
MAX M. FISHER
Pollack and Alwyn Freeman—have
"means the end of the policy of detente or indicates a change in the principle of the
not yet acted to express their pro-
Soviet Union to improve relations with the U S I hope it is not wishful thinking
test against the sale of controlling
to contend that emigration will go on more or less as in the last year."
stock in the bank to an Arab. But
He added, however, that "the denunciation of the trade agreement indicates that
scores of Jewish depositors have
Russia is less amenable to American pressure or American public opinion. This means that
withdrawn their funds.
future public action to induce the Soviet Union to continue or even increase Jewish
Freeman's brother-in-law, Royal
emigration must be even more cautious than in the past since any exaggerated attacks
Oppenheim, and their families have
might provoke the USSR to stop emigration completely."
been equally involved in Common-
In a later speech Dr. Goldmann declared that "the number one problem of Jewish
wealth. While Freeman's attitude
foreign policy is to secure the survival and future of Israel."
is not known, local bankers who
He dwelt at length on the fundamental and far-reaching changes that have occur-
have applauded the deal by Com-
red in the world during the last 30-40 years, embracing the Nazi Holocaust and the em-
monwealth with an Arab expressed
ergence of the Jewish state — the two most important events molding the external and
the belief that he will remain on
internal lives of the Jewish people — but also the steady realignment of the world
the bank's board.
(Continued on Page 56)
power structure which, he stressed, will have
(Continued on Page 5)
DAVID POLLACK

3 Million USSR Jews Viewed
as Major Problem in Gloomy
Aspect Portrayed by Goldmann

Snag in U. S.-Israel Friendship?

Special to The Jewish News

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Is there an erosion of American suppOrt for Israel? Are
the views of a number of members of the -U.S. Senate who have toured the Middle East
and expressed skeptical views on Israel's role indicative of a new
trend to reduce both military and economic support for the Jewish
state?
An apparent emergence of South Dakota Sen. James Abourezk
as the spokesman for a pressure group that has taken to its bosom
Yasir Arafat, the statements by Illinois Sen. Charles Percy, the
not too friendly "attitude of Majority Leader Mike Mansfield and
views of several other senators are causing serious concern in
pro-Israel ranks.
Adding to the consternation is the statement made in Beirut
by Sen. John Sparkman, who has succeeded Israel's antagonist
J. W. Fulbright as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee.
That Sen. Sparkman should have fallen prey to PLO manipu-
lations to state, during his Beirut visit, that he endorsed the
establishment of a Palestinian state and favored Israeli withdrawals, without qualifica-
tions, is a sad augury of the influence he may wield in the important position he now
(Continued on Page 6)
holds.

5 Killed in Grenade Attack

TEL AVIV (JTA)—Five people were killed and 21 were injured Tuesday night
in a hand grenade attack in a crowded Natanya discotheque that police attributed to
an underworld gang war. The victims were mostly soldiers on leave and their girl-
friends who were dancing or sitting at tables when the attack occurred shortly before
midnight.
Police said the grenade, an Israel-army type, was thrown through an air vent
from outside the club and exploded in the middle of the dance floor. The heavy
casualties were due to the relatively small size of the room. The injured, about half
of them girls, were taken to Hillel Yoffe Hospital in private cars and taxis comman-
deered by police. The dead were identified as Shulamit Buaron, 19; Ariella Ashram,
24; Esther Levi, a member of the Women's Army Corps, 19; Joseph Tibi, 19; and
Rafi Maimon, a soldier and son of one of the owners of the discotheque.

Police discounted the possibility that it was another terrorist outrage. They said
it bore the earmarks of the war being waged between rival gangs involved in a
protection racket aimed at night clubs and discotheques.

Meanwhile, two passengers were slightly hurt when a small explosive charge
went off on a bus in Jerusalem Monday. The passengers and driver escaped more
serious injuries because a larger bomb failed to explode.
Another bomb exploded in an empty bus in the Jerusalem bus terminal Tuesday.
There were no injuries but the vehicle was severely damaged. A bomb found in another
Jerusalem bus at about the same time was safely defused by police.

(Continued on Page 5)