French Jewish Communists Torn by Soviet Attitude Toward Israel, Polish Anti-semitism

The French Jewish Communist Party, long one of the most obedient to the Moscow Party line, is undergoing a serious crisis as a result of the Soviet attitude toward Israel and the anti-Semitic trend of the Polish Communist Party.

A number of local Jewish party members are in revolt against the party leadership and have demanded that their voices be heard in criticism of the Moscow and Warsaw attitudes. The Jewish Communist newspaper “Naie Presse” has openly criticized the Soviet stand on the Middle East. Commenting on the text of the Soviet Communist Party’s recent declaration on the Middle East, the paper said in an editorial, “If this is the real expression of Soviet sentiment, we, on our part, want to express our astonishment and dissatisfaction over the stand of the Soviets for their lack of consideration and for their dangerous provocation of Arab extremists.” Several Jewish Communists have written to the general press to register dissatisfaction with the party’s central committee and to urge a basic reorganization of the French Jewish Communist Party.