J.w.v. to Seek ‘grass Roots’ Support for President’s Vietnam Policy

National commander Malcolm A. Tarlov of the Jewish War Veterans, today issued a statement reaffirming that President Johnson, on the Nam issue, asked JWV “to seek support of his position within the Jewish community” and announced that the Veterans would wage a “grass-roots” campaign in the Jewish community to implement this objective.

Mr. Tarlov said: “we at JWV will continue to actively pursue support of the President’s Vietnam policy both within and without the American Jewish community, seeking out grass-roots support, especially those groups where organizational positions do not necessarily reflect rank and file attitudes.” The JWV commander stressed that the JWV “reaffirms unequivocally its support of the President’s policy in Vietnam. We strongly believe, with the President, that commitments to nations endangered by Communist aggression must be kept if the United States is to continue to be the beacon and hope of the free world.”

Mr. Tarlov said that “any attempt to link the President’s asking JWV to seek support of his position within the Jewish community with the governments past, existing or future policies on Israel is completely fallacious. The President made no such equation in any remark to the JWB delegation. Newspaper reports to the contrary are wholly inaccurate, ” he asserted. He added that “in our opinion the President enjoys the most cordial and understanding relationships with the American Jewish community, individually and organizationally. Reports of a rift between the President and the Jewish community are completely without foundation.”