Erosion in Attitude Toward Jews

After 30 years of relative security and sympathy resulting from the memories of the Holocaust, an erosion has taken place in the attitude toward Jews, even among circles that traditionally supported Jewish concerns and aspirations. This was one of the conclusions reached in analyzing the present worldwide Jewish condition at a two-day meeting here of the World Jewish Congress Executive.

The meeting, which concluded yesterday and which was chaired by Philip Klutznick, president of the W JCongress, focused on determining priorities for the 1980s and the policies, programs and structural changes that follow from them for the W JCongress.

According to the analysis, the erosion has resulted in a reawakening of anti-Semitism both in its traditional manifestations and in new forms, and entirely from new quarters. The most obnoxious expression of this anti-Semitism, it was noted, is the tendency to deny the fact and the extent of the Holocaust.

The Executive, in considering the Jewish situation in many areas, particularly Europe, Latin America and Moslem countries, expressed great concern over the growing sense of insecurity among Jewish communities which has resulted in migration movements on a scale not seen since the immediate post World War II years.

The W JCongress officials expressed satisfaction with the continued substantial increase in the number of exit visas granted by the Soviet Union. They expressed hope that this would continue and would include people who for many years have been denied exit visas, and that an increasing number of Soviet emigrants would settle in Israel.

The Executive urged the Soviet Union to grant Jews adequate facilities for religious and cultural self-expression, permit Soviet Jews to have contact with their fellow Jews throughout the world and to protect them against anti-Semitic propaganda within the USSR.

Among those attending the meeting was an official delegation of Moroccan Jewish leaders which presented a request for the affiliation of the Moroccan Jewish community with the W JCongress. The delegation said the application had been authorized by the plenary assembly of the Jewish Representative Council which represents all the communities and institutions of the 20,000 Jews in Morocco.

The Executive unanimously approved the application for affiliation and expressed satisfaction at this development. It also expressed appreciation for the protection given by King Hassan II and his late father, King Mohammed V, to the religious, cultural and political rights of Moroccan Jews and the recent support by King Hassan of the desire of Moroccan Jews to become an integral part of the world Jewish community.

The Executive decided that the plenary assembly of the W JCongress will be held at the end of November, 1980.