Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson warned here yesterday that American Jewry would have to risk unpopularity in order to exert all possible influence on Israel’s behalf, and the same applied to all other diaspora communities. Mrs. Jacobson, chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section, addressed the closing session of the 33rd South African Zionist Conference.
She said that one of the grim facts of the international situation today was the hardening of attitudes toward Israel under the threat of Arab oil blackmail and political pressure. She said she expected this to influence the Ford Administration in the U.S., notwithstanding President Ford’s known sympathy for Israel.
Another speaker, Ambassador Michael Comay Israel’s former envoy to Britain, told the conference that the central lesson of the Yom Kippur War was that even under conditions of their own choosing, the Arab states could not defeat Israel. This is the main factor that has produced the present condition of relative quiet in the Middle East even though there has been no formal peace settlement, Ambassador Comay said.
Julius Weinstein, who chaired the session, expressed warm appreciation to the South African government for its help and understanding during the Yom Kippur War. David Mann, president of the Board of Deputies of South African Jews, noted that all sections of the Jewish population provided wide support for Israel. Edel Horwitz was reelected president of the United Zionist Association and Weinstein was reelected chairman.
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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.
