World Protests Viewed as Helping Free Jews in Syria
JERUSALEM (JTA)—The release of 11 imprisoned
Syrian Jews coincided with a rising tide of protests all
over the world on behalf of Syria's 4,500-member Jewish
community and demands for the release of four more
Jewish prisoners, including Albert Elias, the kidnaped
former head of the Jewish community in Beirut.
In London, the minister of state for the foreign office,
Joseph Godber, said his government was attentive to the
plight of Syrian Jews. Some members of Parliament join-
Luther's Anti-
Semitic Role
in Church
ed members of the Board of Deputies of British Jews
keeping an all-night vigil outside the Syrian Embassy.
The Syrian Embassy and the Syrian Airline office
in Rome was picketed and thousands of handbills were
distributed. Twelve newspapers carried articles on the
plight of Syrian Jews and cables were sent to Presi-
dent Hafez Assad by the Italian League for Human Rights.
Amnesty International in Sweden and the Stockholm
Committee for Jews in Arab Lands sent protest telegrams.
In Caracas, the chairman of the Parliamentary For-
eign Relations Committee, who is president of the Vene-
zuelan Committee for Syrian Jews, announced that his
government has instructed its representatives to inter-
national organizations and its ambassador in Damascus to
act on behalf of Syrian Jews.
The Consultative Assembly of the Council of Europe,
meeting in Strassbourg, urged countries of Europe to use
their influence with the Syrian government.
U. of M. and
Jewish Professorship
THE JEWISH NEWS
Defense of Jews
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VOL. LXI. No. 12
17515 W. 9 Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 356-8400
Issue 25c
June 2, 1972
Slaughter at Lydda Termed
a Threat to Every Nation
Gunman Murders
Noted Scientist
DR. AIIARON ICATZIR-
KATCHALSKY
TEL AVIV (JTA)– J Funeral serv-
ices will be held today for Prof.
Aharon Katzir-Katchalsky, 58, in-
ternationally famous scientist, head
of the polymer department at the
Weizmann Institute of Science in
Rehovot, who was killed in the
Lydda Airport massacre Tuesday
night while returning from a scien-
tific conference'in West Germany.
He was fatally wounded by a
-Japanese gunman as he was walk-
ing toward the customs barrier
where his wife, Rena, and his
son were waiting to greet him.
His wife was slightly wounded.
His body will lie in state at the
Weizmann Institute where the
funeral will be held. President Zal-
man Shazar, Premier Golda Meir
and other top-ranking Israeli gov-
ernment officials will attend. Lead-
ing scientists from all parts of the
world are expected.
Prof . Katzir-Katchalsky was
born in Lodz, Poland, in 1914,
came to Palestine in 1925 and was
educated at the Hebrew Univer-
sity in Jerusalem, where he earn-
ed his PhD in chemistry. His
specialty was the thermo-dynamics
of irreversible processes and their
application to biological mem-
branes, and his special field of
research was the brain.
Prof. Katzir-Katchalsky and col-
leagues at the Weizmann Institute
were credited with a major scien-
tific breakthrough recently when
they developed a process to con-
vert chemical energy directly to
mechanical energy without an in-
termediary process.
Prof. Katzir-Katchalsky headed
many Israeli and international
scientific bodies, was holder of the
Israel Prize in Exact Sciences and
of many international honors.
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Political sources asserted here Wednesday that the massacre Tuesday night at Lydda
airport constituted a threat to all international air transportation which could occur in any country.
That evaluation came as Israel's cabinet was called to an extraordinary session to hear a report on the attack
by three Japanese gunmen and as the Japanese ambassador to Israel made a formal statement to the Israel Foreign
Ministry of his "feelings of shock over the horrifying murderous deed committed by Japanese nationals." Twenty-five
persons were killed and at least 70 wounded in the attack.
The report to the cabinet was made by Transport Minister Shimon Peres and by security personnel. Premier
Golda Meir, who interrupted a vacation to visit the wounded, reported on the government's views to the Knesset.
She indicated on Israel television that Israel would make sure such an act would not happen again.
Peres said Wednesday that the gunmen "apparently came here to commit suicide." He called the attack "wild,
inhuman, inexplicable." He declined, however, to speculate on any motives of the killers. He called the attack "an
unprecedented, absolutely unknown act in the history of civil aviation. I cannot explain it in human terms or in logic."
Israeli officials also focused on the responsibility of Air France to protect its planes from terrorist passen-
gers. The gunmen reportedly boarded the Air France plane at Rome. The Israeli officials charged that Air France did
not take sufficient security precautions in its planes, apparently out of a belief that the Arab terrorist gangs would
not attack Air France planes. However, Air France has announced that luggage of Israel-bound passengers hence-
forth will be searched.
tigi Tokura, the Japanese envoy, also conveyed, in a call on the foreign ministry, condolences on behalf of the
Japanese government and people. He told newsmen that Israel and Japan were now negotiating on what Japan could
do to help in the investigation of the crime. The Israel government stressed Wednesday 'the "good relations" between
Israel and Japan and that Israel did not blame Japan for the Lydda Airport assault.
Religious Affairs Minister Zerah Warhaftig expressed "shock and profound regret" over the "brutal crime."
He noted that the slain victims included Christian pilgrims who had come to visit Christian holy sites. He said the
outrage contained an "implicit" goal of preventing free access to the holy sites under Israeli administration.
He said the Israel government would do its utmost to safeguard the welfare of visitors, as it had done "very
successfully" since the June 1967 war.
(Detailed story Page 5)
Kissinger: Nixon Kept Pledge to Jews in Moscow
What came of the two issues—the Middle East and Soviet Jewry— which were being watched most closely
by world Jewry as President Nixon met in Moscow with Kremlin leaders?
In the first case, there was some satisfaction at the results—a joint communique containing only two major
points: continued support by the U. S. and the USSR of Resolution 242 and of the Jarring mission. That nothing of
substance was decided was welcomed by Israeli political observers but decried by Arab commentators as a sign that
the Middle East issue is of secondary importance to the U. S. and the USSR alike.
On the issue of Soviet Jewry, President Nixon apparently kept his promise to American Jews who had pre-
sented him with 1,400,000 signatures on petitions urging that he raise their concern with Soviet officials.
Presidential adviser Henry Kissinger told the press here that Mr. Nixon discussed the issue of Soviet Jewry
with Leonid I. Brezhnev, secretary general of the Soviet Communist Party. "We did what we said we would do in
Salzburg," Dr. Kissinger remarked.
In Salzburg, Austria, where the Presidential party stopped en route to Moscow a week ago, Kissinger had
told newsmen that the President would look for an opportunity to raise the matter with those he was to meet in Mos-
cow. Dr. Kissinger told newsmen now, however, "You have to consider the problem of discussing in an internal forum
what one side regards as an internal issue." He did not elaborate.
BY JOSEPH POLAKOFF
JTA Washington Bureau Chief
TEHERAN (JTA)—It appears a basis has been laid for action
in the direction of an Israeli-Egyptian compromise to reopen the
Suez Canal, although according to the joint Soviet-American com-
munique—reaffirming support for a peaceful settlement in the
Middle East—the super powers' attitude has not changed.
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat realizes the Soviet Union,
at least for the present, will not sanction any war moves, accord-
ing to 'a highly knowledgeable Western diplomatic source here.
While Sadat has been threatening to recover the Sinai, he is
now trapped in a canyon with walls of peace set up by the super-
powers.
The Kremlin is unlikely to jeopardize the movement toward a
(Continued on Page 3)
MOSCOW (JTA)—Leaders of the Soviet Union's two prin-
cipal news organizations abruptly ended a press conference on
nationalities in the USSR after a reporter suggested that equal
attention .be paid to Soviet and American intellectuals regarding
Jewish 'Matters.
Joseph Polakoff, the correspondent for the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency, asked if the Soviet government would allow distribution
of American publications on Jews, pointing out that Soviet litera-
ture on the same subject is freely distributed in the U. S. He 'also
suggested televised discussions on the Jewish question between
Soviet and American intellectuals in Moscow and New York.
The Soviet spokesman for the summit conference, Leonid 0.
Zamyaten, director general of Tass, the Soviet news agency, look-
ed at the question with Ivan I. Udaltsov, chairman of the board
(Continued on Page 10)
MARCH 27, 1992
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