The convention of the Central Conference of American Rabbis sharply criticized today the United Nations as having been “manipulated by many as a convenient sounding-board for the big lie, for vicious propaganda and for a callous distortion of facts.” The unanimously adopted resolution said that “as with the League of Nations some 30 years ago. the international body’s credibility and honor is on the line,” This was a direct reference to Soviet and Arab criticism of Israel at the international body’s recent and continuing deliberations.
The adoption of the resolution represented a sharp departure from the rabbinic body’s position of supporting the United Nations, which it has done consistently. The resolution asserted that “Israel faces many dangers. The economy needs to be reconstructed. The truth needs to be spoken. Decency needs to be mobilized,” It then added: “the world needs to understand that Israel cannot properly be asked to sacrifice any present advantage unless and until all Issues are placed on the conference table and the Arab world is prepared in its turn to make appropriate adjustments.”
In an emotionally charged setting, the rabbis called for intensified financial support of the United Jewish Appeal’s Israel Emergency Fund and the campaign of the Israel Bond organization, whose receipts are used to consolidate Israel’s economic framework.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
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.
