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American Jewish Committee Takes Issue with Dr. Goldmann’s

August 7, 1953
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Issue was taken here today by Jacob Bla### president of the American Jewish Committee, with a statement made by Dr. Goldmann at the plenary assembly of the World Jewish Congress in Geneva he reportedly said that “there is no other state in the world where nearly ### of the people live outside of it.”

Mr. Blaustein said that this view “is refuted by virtually all Jews in the world, including the United States.” He quoted a statement of views adopt# American Jewish Committee in January 1949 which declared that “citizens# United States are Americans and citizens of Israel are Israelis; this we are all its implications.” The president of the American Jewish Committee ### that in making this assertion his organization “reflected the overwhelming of the Jews of the United States.”

Mr. Blaustein also took issue with the part of Dr. Goldmann’s statem### Geneva parley in which he urged Jews from the Western countries to imm### Israel. “Jews throughout the world.” Mr. Blaustein said in his statement supported Israel and will continue to support it. But there is a sharp diff# between friendly aid to Israel by Jews all over the world on the basis of # ship motivating mutual help, and an obligation to immigrate into that cou#

“Those Jews who of their own volition wish to go to Israel or need to will of course do so,” the statement continued. “This is a matter of in### choice. But to speak of immigration to Israel as a duty of Jews throughout world is to subvert the basic conception of citizenship and to assume that the only place where Jews can live in security and dignity. We reject this trine unqualifiedly and in so doing we are confident that we speak in behave tually every American Jew.”

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