B’nai B’rith said today that, “contrary to published statements,” it has made no decision to reinstitute group tours to Mexico. B’nai B’rith President David M. Blumberg said that his organization plans no formal action to resume such tours until a poll of some 2000 of its local leaders, soliciting their views and reactions, is completed.
Blumberg said it was “unfortunate” that the recommendations of a special committee of the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, proposing that the American Jewish community’s relations with Mexico be “fully normalized,” had been publicly disseminated Monday “before any of its constituent organizations had a chance to act of them.” This has created implications of a change in B’nai B’rith’s policy on tourism that is, at this time, unwarranted,” Blumberg declared.
He said that his organization was “very much encouraged” by recent moves of the Mexican government “which appear to disavow” its vote supporting the UN resolution that equated Zionism with racism. “But the statement by the Presidents Conference tended to prejudge improperly the views and actions of B’nai B’rith members regarding tourism,” Blumberg said.
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