B’nai B’rith President Pleads for Action on Rights of Soviet Jewry

Deep concern for the survival of Jewish life in the Soviet Union was expressed here by Label A. Katz, national president of B’nai B’rith, addressing the opening session of the four-day annual meeting of the organization at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. He urged a policy of “pressing vigorously” for action by Soviet authorities to remove the existing restrictions against Jewish religious and cultural activities.

“It is a matter of urgency and responsibility for American Jews to exert positive efforts in behalf of the Soviet Jewish community,” Mr. Katz said. In doing so, he added, “we make no plea to Mr. Khrushchev and the Soviet Union’s ruling authorities for any special privileges for Russian Jews. What is claimed, is that Jews be granted equality in enjoying those rights and that status accorded to other nationality and religious groups within the established system of the Soviet Union.”

Mr. Katz praised President Eisenhower’s intervention in the matter in his Camp David discussion with Soviet Premier Khrushchev in late September. He said there are “no immediate means” for evaluating the effect of the President’s action. “But if the Soviet Premier’s pronouncements for a peaceful co-existence were genuine–and some competent observers have cautiously accepted this premise–the possibility exists that the President’s words left an impact on Mr. Khrushchev that can reflect favorably on the cultural survival of the Soviet Jewish community,” Mr. Katz declared.

The White House several weeks ago advised B’nai B’rith that the President had questioned Mr. Khrushchev on the status of Russian Jews and that the Soviet Premier had denied they were treated differently from other nationality groups in the Soviet Union.

Mr. Katz told the delegates that “the cultural crippling of Jewish life in the Soviet Union cannot be disposed of by merely saying it does not exist.” He said there is “adequate objective evidence” that Russian Jews are denied the rights of other nationality groups and “as long as that situation endures, it demands our active concern.” Asserting that the policy of discrimination is “government imposed,” the B’nai B’rith president said its effect “is to asphyxiate every possibility for Jewish cultural and religious life in the USSR.”

AMBASSADOR HARMAN STRESSES POSITIVE ASPECTS OF ISRAEL’S ELECTIONS

Israel Ambassador Avraham Harman told the delegates that Israel’s national elections of last week reflected the “complete self-confidence of Israelis that their capacity to exist is an unshakable fact, militarily and economically,” This confidence, he said, was evident in the fact that foreign policy issues played “practically no part” in the campaign or election results. Israel voters made their choice on domestic issues, including that of electoral reform, Mr. Harman said.

Another “Positive aspect” of the elections, the Ambassador said, was that none of the lists which made their political appeals directly to the ethnic backgrounds of Israel’s immigrants got into the Parliament. This, he declared, was demonstrable proof that Israel’s “mixed multitudes are successfully undergoing a tremendous transformation from rootless people to rooted citizens.”

While he characterized Israel’s relations with the Arab states as still “negative on their (Arab) part,” he predicted that “the day of positive relations is just a question of time–if we use time advantageously to strengthen the roots of Israel,” This was being accomplished through increased economic development and foreign exports, Mr. Harman said, pointing out that in the first nine months of this year Israel’s exports have increased 17 percent accompanied by a decrease in imports.

The conference honored the B’nai B’rith president with the establishment of a Label A. Katz Youth Fellowship. The presentation was made to Mr. Katz by Paul Kapelow of New Orleans, chairman of the B’nai B’rith Foundation.