The American Jewish Congress today urged the airline industry and international civil aviation organizations to take collective action to protect air passengers from aerial hijacking including measures to “seal off” any country that acted as an “accomplice” in the hijacking of civil aircraft. The measures were proposed by AJ Congress president Rabbi Arthur J. Lelyveld in telegrams to the International Air Transport Association, the International Civil Aviation Organization and the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations.
Rabbi Lelyveld said “the piracy of a Trans-World Airlines plane last week was unquestionably encouraged by the failure of any government or international authority to take decisive action against those responsible for earlier hijacking incidents.” He said action against a nation should be taken whenever it refuses immediately to return the aircraft, its crew and passengers or when it affords sanctuary for those responsible for the hijacking and fails to prosecute or extradite them promptly.
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.
