4000 Protest in Chicago Against PLO

Some 4000 members of the Chicago Jewish community staged a rally this weekend at the Civic Center Plaza here to protest against the invitation by the UN General Assembly to the Palestine Liberation Organization to address the world body. The demonstration was sponsored by the Public Affairs Committee of the Jewish United Fund which coordinates the activities of 37 major Jewish organizations in Chicago.

Maynard I. Wishner, chairman of the Committee and chairman of the rally, said it had been staged in response to “the introduction into the United Nations, and institutions based on the quest for peace, of the Palestine Liberation Organization, which uses terrorism and murder as its weapons.” He noted that many of the victims of Arab terrorist attacks had been non-Jews. Other participants included Rabbi William Frankel, president of the Chicago Board of Rabbis; Israeli Consul General Shaul Ramati; and Cantor Reuven Frankel.

MEXICAN, SOUTH AFRICAN JEWS, PROTEST

In other developments, the Central Jewish Committee of Mexico sent a cable to UN Secretary General Kurt Waldheim protesting against the General Assembly resolution inviting the PLO to address it. The cable was signed by Fernando Jeno, president of the Committee, and Sergio Nudelstejr, Secretary General.

In Johannesburg, the South African Zionist Federation and other major Jewish organizations sent cables of protest to the UN regarding the PLO. The cable by the SAZF, signed by Prof. Marcus Arkin, director-general, stated: “On behalf of the entire Jewish community of South Africa we protest in the strongest terms at the presence of so-called Palestine Liberation Organization at the General Assembly which is tantamount to inviting criminal murderers to participate in deliberations of the world body and which can only bring your organization into disrepute.”