Hadassah's both Anniversary Recalls Women's Pioneering Zionist Spirit Story on Page 12 THE JEWISH NEWS A Weekly Review The Washington Outrage as a Challenge to the Races and to the Public Media f Jewish Events Commentary, Page 2 VOL. LXXI, No. 3 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 One People Official Soviet Oppression Condemned by Congress "IrIN One Heart This slogan marks the clarion call to more than 25,000 potential Greater , Detroit participants in the Allied Jewish Campaign to respond generously to the current great philanthropic task in support of Israel and in behalf of more than 60 local, national and over- seas causes. With "One People, One Heart" as the motto, the annual Campaign will open formally next Wednesday evening. This community's tradition for generosity to the United Jewish Appeal and the many causes adds forcefully to the appeal for continuity in setting the pace for American Jewry's solidarity • with Israel and affirmation of faith in high- est goals for service to Jewry through the agencies supported by the Allied Jewish Campaign Detailed AJCampaign Stories, Page 16 Editorial, Page 4 $10.00 Per Year; This Issue 30c March 25, 1977 WASHINGTON (JTA) --The House adopted a resolution Tuesday by a vote of 400-2 condemning the Soviet Union for the harassment of Jews and others seeking to emigrate. The two w ho voted against the measure were W. R. Poage (D-Texas) and Gary Myers (R-Pa.). The resolution was similar to the one adopted by the Senate on March 2 by a vote of 91-0 which was sponsored by Sen. Frank Church. The House resolution, sponsored by Rep. Toby Moffett (D-Conn.), declared, "The obstruction and harassment of Soviet Jews and other minorities trying to obtain emigration visas to reunite with their families profoundly offends the conscience of a free people. The resolution stressed the sustained interest of the American people in adherence of the Helsinki Agreement's provision on human rights. It noted that government sanctioned ethnic and religious discrimination in the USSR violates international agreements on human rights. Last week, in Geneva, the Executive of the World Jewish Congress expressed "grave apprehension" over "the recent increase of anti-Jewish occurrences and measures in the USSR" and urged Soviet authorities "to facilitate the exit of Jews who so wish and to enable the Jews to develop their own culture and religious life in the USSR." The statement on Soviet Jewry noted in particular a March 4 article in the government newspaper Izvestia "levelling the accusation of CIA-linked espionage against several Jews prominent in the struggle for Jewish rights, including the right to emigrate to Israel." The statement also said that "other manifestations of this escalation of pressure on Soviet Jews have been the arrests of prominent Jewish activists, the showing of blatantly anti-Semitic films on Soviet television, anti-Semitic articles in the press and the suppression of an attempt by Jewish scholars to call a symposium for the discussion of Jewish cultural problems with a view to reviving cultural activities." The statement noted, "Meanwhile, the number of exit permits for Jews wishing to emigrate in order to reunite with their families is not increasing. The Executive voices a most serious warning that these manifestations may create an atmosphere of widespread anti-Jewish prejudice and urges the Soviet government to halt this campaign immediately in order to avert tragic consequences for the Jews in the USSR." A similar statement was issued by the Presidium of the Brussels World Conference on Soviet Jewry. The National Conference on Soviet Jewry (NCSJ) held an emergency meeting in New York Sunday because of the situation. Nationwide demonstrations are scheduled to take place during National Solidarity Month, May 1 and June 12, which will culminate with the NCSJ Leadership Assembly in Washington June 12. After lengthy discussion the leaders recommended emergency action, NEW YORK (JTA)—Chaim Herzog, Israel's ambassador to including direct appeals to Soviet officials, increased contacts the United Nations, Sunday night called the 15-point program with Congressmen and the Administration as well as an expanded adopted by the Palestine National Council in Cairo "a formula educational effort on the plight of Soviet Jews across the U.S. and for nothing less than the destruction of Israel in stages." Canada. PLO Formula for Israel Is 'Destruction' Program He stressed that "in pursuance of our historic role, we will fight it with all the means at our disposal." Herzog said that despite the unequivocal statement by the Palestine Liberation Organiza- tion body, he expected leading newspapers and even Jewish and Israeli spokesmen to label the Palestine National Council's statement as moderate and sug- gest "in fact, the PLO doesn't mean what it say." (See Related Stories, Page 14) Brooklyn U.S. Attorney Eugene Gold, chairman of the NCSJ, said, "We fear that the Soviet authorities are deliberately attempting to create an anti-Jewish climate among the general populace. This fear now exists throughout USSR. The KGB has been given a freer hand to harass, persecute, and even arrest activists. We must accelerate our actions nationwide. The release last week of Soviet Jewish Prisoner of Conscience Dr. Mikhail Shtern"is just one hopejul sign of the Soviet system responding to its critics," Gold noted. "We must strengthen our efforts on behalf of thousands of Jews who wish to leave and those who languish in prison and labor camps." The NCSJ reported that Shtern has applied to emigrate to Israel with his wife. CHAIM HERZOG Hebrew U. Growing Plant for Leukemia Drug JERUSALEM—Scientists at the Hebrew University's faculty of agriculture in Rehovot are experimenting with a jungle plant for the production of pharmaceutical drugs which are known to benefit patients suffering from leukemia and high blood pressure. Heading the research team is Prof. Amos Dovrat, of the department of field and vegetable crops. The jungle plant, Prof. Dovrat explained, originates in tropical Africa, grows 80 centimeters tall and is a bushy perennial with 40-50 centimeter deep roots. It belongs to the Oleander family and is called Madagascar Periwinkle or Vinca (or Catharanthus) rosea. It is often used as an ornamental garden plant. "This plant appears to offer considerable promise in modern medicine," Prof. Dovrat says. "I would not be surprised if it is the species which contains the largest amount of alkaloids: colorless, complex and bitter organic bases, which have an effect on man and animals. In the foliage of the plant more than 80 different alkaloids have been identified in the past and some of them, after extraction, are used as drugs for treatment of leukemia." "More important, however, at this stage of the research, is that the roots of this plant contain an alkaloid named raubasine which is used for patients suffering from high blood pressure." Prof. Dovrat pointed out that the research now concentrates on finding out which agrotechnical methods could be advanced in order to obtain high yields of raubasine. The Israeli study is centered around developing methods which enhance root growth and alkaloid content and in this process the scientists will also search for new types with desirable characteristics by selection and breeding. (Continued on Page 8) Israel Position Recognized by French Foreign Minister PARIS (JTA—French Foreign Minister Louis de Guiringaud said, "Israel's right to existence is as impor- tant to us as the Palestinian right to a homeland." The foreign minister, who is due to pay a two-day visit to Israel next week, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an exclusive interview on Tuesday that in his view "cir- cumstances in 1977 are more favorable to an Arab-Israeli settlement than ever in the past." De Guiringaud, who is due to meet in Israel with Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, Defense Minister Shimon Peres and Foreign Minister Yigal Allon, also said, "Certain zones could be demilitarized and United Nations observ- ers could be stationed there as is done in the Sinai and on the Golan. Special surveillance electronic equiprhent could be added as has been done in the Sinai." *:.