Charges of the revival in the Soviet Union of a “terrifying recrudescence” of what was described as “Stuermer-like anti-Jewish propaganda.” made in the United Nations Human Rights Commission by the representative of Israel, stirred angry debate in that body Friday, including three attempts by the Soviet and Ukrainian representatives to deny the floor to the accuser.
The charges were made by Dr. Shabtai Rosenne, who said this anti-Jewish propaganda was manifest in “a certain part of the world which has a long tradition of bigotry and anti-Semitism.” He charged further that it was being spread with “unconcealed official encouragement and through official governmental public information media, especially the official press.” Dr. Rosenne’s demand for action by the commission was supported by Sir Samuel Hoare of Britain and was denounced by the Soviet and Ukrainian representatives as “slanderous” and as “anti-Soviet fabrications.” The Soviet representative also accused Israel of trying to lay down a smokescreen over violation of human rights he said Israel had committed against the Arabs in Israel and the territories occupied by Israel.
(The Washington Post said editorially Friday that “evidence mounts that a fearful wave of repression is sweeping across the Soviet Union” and that Jews are among groups singled out. The newspaper noted that “particularly since the Arab-Israeli war. Soviet Jews have felt another surge of officially sanctioned anti-Semitism.”)
Dr. Rosenne said Israel was not satisfied that the Sub-commission on Prevention of Discrimination and Protection of Minorities had devoted sufficient attention to the protection of minorities. He warned that the “seeds for serious international difficulties” were present unless action was taken soon. He expressed concern at the trend of discrimination and anti-Jewish incitement in the Soviet Union, which, he said, was manifested by the rehabilitation of Trofim Korneyevich Kichko of the Ukraine, who, some years ago, had been prevented by authorities from continuing his “hate propaganda.” According to some reports, Kichko was a Nazi collaborationist during World War II, Dr. Rosenne added.
Dr. Rosenne said that Kichko, who had been “quietly suppressed” in 1963 after having published a book entitled “Judaism Without Embellishment,” had recently reappeared with articles published in the Ukrainian press alongside others whose writings recalled the “evil production” of Julius Streicher. publisher of Der Stuermer. He called the renewed publication of Kichko’s writings a trend which the Israeli Government regarded “seriously.”
Dr. Rosenne declared that Israel believes the situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union is “so grave that it will soon warrant appropriate action by this commission, if that time has not already come.”
“Surely the aspiration of the peoples of the Soviet Union to be acknowledged everywhere as a peace-loving and progressive nation demands a policy more respectful of the dignity of the Jews in the Soviet Union and of Jews everywhere,” he said. He said the Israel Government hoped that the Soviet Union this year would “inaugurate a final and permanent revision” of its policy toward Jews, thereby eliminating the necessity for Israel to raise the matter again in the United Nations.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
