Pincus: Struggle for Soviet Jewry Must Focus on Emigration to Israel

Now is not the time to fight for equal rights for Soviet Jewry inside the USSR because “we cannot carry on a struggle on two levels at the same time,” according to Louis A. Pincus, chairman of the World Zionist Organization Executive. The struggle must be focused on the emigration of Soviet Jews to Israel, Pincus told the Tel Aviv Labor Council Club in explaining why the WZO Executive withdrew its invitation to Dr. Nahum Goldmann to address a festive session of the forthcoming World Zionist Congress devoted to an evaluation of 75 years of the Zionist Movement.

Goldmann said in London on Dec. 19 that while he “rejoiced” in the immigration of Soviet Jews to Israel, it would be a “betrayal” of those who remain behind not to fight for their equal rights as Soviet citizens. Goldmann’s remarks, at a public meeting of the Board of Deputies of British Jews which gave him a standing ovation, were misquoted by news media. But even after the erroneous reports were corrected, the WZO Executive in Jerusalem by majority vote, withdrew the invitation to Dr. Goldmann. According to Pincus, Soviet Jews themselves decided to risk Imprisonment to press for emigration to Israel and the Zionist Movement and the Jewish people have no moral right to divert their struggle into other channels.