Attacks on Israel and Zionism were continued at the 10th annual convention of the American Council for Judaism this week-end by George L. Levison, a former State Department official assigned to the Middle East, and Dr. Morris S. Lazaron, Dr. Lazaron, addressing a panel discussion at the Council convention called for the three major faiths in the United States to unite in helping to achieve justice in the Middle East.
Dr. Lazaron hit out at the American rabbinate for failing to lift “its voice” in behalf of the Palestine Arab refugee. “Where in the pronouncements of the Social Justice Commission of the Central Conference of American Rabbis and the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and Synagogue Council of America is there any mention of the plight of the hapless Moslem and Arab suffers? Does Jewish nationalism crowd out every feeling of sympathy for any other group than Jews?” he asked.
Mr. Levison warned against what he called the frustrating of the development of the “inevitable tide of national consciousness” of the Middle East. He also asserted that he knew of no responsible authority anywhere, certainly not in the United States Government that advocates solving the problem of the Middle East “by doing away with Israel.”
Dr. Monroe E. Deutsch, vice-president and provost-emeritus of the University of California, told the convention delegates that in view of the tremendous amounts of assistance the United States has given Israel, it has the right to make certain demands on that state, including that it give full religious freedom and rights to all faiths “not excluding Reform Judaism.” Israel should recognize its obligations as a member of the United Nations and “accept the decision as to Jerusalem, an action which will prove of great help in the international situation,” Dr. Deutsch said.
He also called for the cessation of campaigns “to lure Americans away from this land where their ancestors were welcomed and enabled to breathe freely.” He demanded that Israel take back the Arab refugees, restore their property or reimburse them for it and grant them equality in citizenship.
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.
