An American Zionist leader charged tonight that the response of “some Jewish spokesmen” to the Jonathan Pollard spy case revealed a “real inferiority complex” among American Jews.
Jacques Torczyner, president of the World Union of General Zionists, made the statement in an address at the opening session of the Union’s third Pan American convention here. Some 200 leaders of the Zionist Organization of America and affiliated organizations in Canada and Latin America have been joined by Israeli political figures, including Knesset members and Leon Dulzin, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives.
In his address, Torczyner asked, “Why must American Jews repeatedly affirm our patriotism, thus raising the spectre of dual loyalty? Did any Chinese Americans take to the media when a citizen of Chinese origin was arrested recently for espionage? The existence of Israel and the vindication of the Zionist dream should have put an end to the groveling of American Jewish leaders.” Torczyner did not identify the persons he had in mind.
Alleck Resnick, president of the ZOA — the U.S. affiliate of the World Union — said the ZOA was drawing plans for a nationwide program to block proposed U.S. arms sales to Jordan and Saudi Arabia, to alert the country to the “new rapprochement” between Syria and Jordan and to analyze the fallout from the Pollard affair.
He warned that “many people in this country would like to keep the spy story burning before the American public. Anti-Israel abuse,whose effect, if not intent, is to delegitimize Israel, can only give satisfaction to the enemies of Israel,” he said.
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.
