Presidents Conference Assails Mexican Stand on Israel’s Rescue Operation

The Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations today said it “deplores” the letter sent by Mexico to the United Nations Security Council in which the Mexican government called Israel’s rescue of its citizens from Uganda a “flagrant violation” of international law.

“We regard that comment as a false and misleading statement of international law and an immoral assessment of the meaning of the rescue at Entebbe, an assessment which can serve only to encourage future terrorist activities,” the Presidents Conference said. It added that the Mexican government’s statement means that Mexican President Luis Echeverria “joins hands with the very terrorists he claims to oppose” and charged him with “apparently seeking to court favor with the Afro-Asian bloc whose vote he needs to win election to a sought-after UN post.” The post is that of Secretary General.

The Presidents Conference noted that Echeverria told American Jewish leaders several months ago that Mexico’s vote for the anti-Zionist resolution in the UN did not represent anti-Israeli gentlemen by his government. “These assurances have now been violated,” the Conference said.

The Presidents Conference added that it did not believe that the Mexican letter reflected the view of the Mexican people and expressed the hope that when a new President takes office in December Mexico will adopt a more enlightened policy…that is in keeping with the long and honorable position of the Mexican people in support of the principles of international law….”