Israeli Ambassador Yosef Tekoah discussed on Friday the plight of Soviet Jewry with General Assembly President Edvard I. Hambro of Norway, and presented him with an emigration plea signed by 291 Jews of Kulashi, Georgian SSR. The letter, addressed to Dr. Hambro, asked him for aid in emigrating to Israel and appealed to him “to do everything that is possible so that the principles of freedom and all the rights of man should spread over all the Jews who wish to go to their historical Homeland.” The signers said that “for several years” they had unsuccessfully been “trying to attain our inalienable right to live with our people in the Jewish state,” but are rebuffed by Georgian authorities “without giving any explanation for the refusal.” Continuing their plea, the writers said that while they did not know what the future would bring them, they were “convinced” that “forced assimilation” faced their children, “and we declare with all our strength: “We don’t want to assimilate.” When Dr. Hambro received a similar letter recently from Israeli Premier Golda Meir, it was understood that he would follow up on it behind the scenes, and it is expected that he will do the same in regard to this new letter. It is understood Dr. Hambro feels a public statement by him on the subject would be counter-productive.
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.
