Cojo Advances Plan to Eliminate Unanimity Rule; Decision Due in March

Delegates to the semi-annual meeting here of the World Conference of Jewish Organizations, after indicating strong support for abolishing a unanimity rule which gives each participating organization a veto power on COJO actions, voted yesterday to act on the matter at the next meeting, which will be held here next March.

A subcommittee headed by a representative of the Australian Board of Deputies brought in a recommendation urging a constitutional change to end the rule of unanimity, as well as other changes to give COJO greater flexibility. Among those participating in the subcommittee’s report were representatives of the American Jewish Labor Committee, the International Council of B’nai B’rith, the World Jewish Congress, and the Board of Deputies of British Jews.

Informed sources reported that the British Board had repeatedly made use of the unanimity rule to resist actions it opposed. Maurice Ashkenazy, representing the Australian Board, first introduced the proposed new constitution with its ban on unanimity. The proposal was strongly opposed by the British Board at two previous COJO meetings.

The delegates noted with “distress and astonishment” the acquittal in Austria of Franz Murer, former Gestapo official, on charges of murdering Jews in the Nazi-occupied Vilna ghetto. Noting that the prosecution in Graz had filed notice of appeal, the COJO delegates urged Austrian authorities to act to end manifestations of “a surprising Nazi mentality in Austria. “

(In Jerusalem, the Israel Foreign Ministry said today it would consider sending an observer to Vienna in the event Murer is tried again, an action under consideration by the Austrian Appeals Court. Dr. Michael Simon, Israeli Ambassador to Austria, currently in Israel on vacation leave, told a delegation of former Vilna residents that most of the Austrian press had condemned the acquittal verdict.)