Jacob Stein, chairman of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and Richard Maass, chairman of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, urged in a statement issued Friday continued support of the Jackson-Mills-Vanik amendment to the Nixon Administration’s proposed trade legislation. Their statement declared that the amendment has already made an “impact” in regard to helping Soviet Jews. Recent events in the Soviet Union, including the harassment of Jews, “remind us that basic human rights must not be allowed to be tampered with at the whim of governments. When official harassment and repression occur in one country, the goals of peace and detente are threatened everywhere,” the statement noted.
“It is for this reason that, on behalf of the American Jewish community, we continue to urge that Congress adopt the Jackson-Mills-Vanik Amendment in its present form. We also hope that the Administration will continue to play its vital role in securing the basic human rights of oppressed people. Our legislators should remain aware of this nation’s tremendous influence as a moral force in the world. We believe that the American people will continue to support this country’s traditional humanitarian commitments.”
In a separate statement, the American Jewish Congress National Governing Council “unqualifiedly reaffirmed” its support of the Jackson-Mills-Vanik Amendment. The action came in a resolution unanimously adopted at the annual meeting of the AJ Congress’ policy-making body.
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.
