Dr. Goldmann Voices Appeal to Arab Leaders to Reach Peace with Israel

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, appealed tonight to the Arab leaders to accept the repeatedly proffered Israeli hand of friendship and cooperation. He voiced his appeal at the opening session of the four-day meeting of the world executive of the WJC here which is attended by delegates from Jewish groups in 20 countries.

"Despite all belligerent and hostile Arab utterances," Dr. Goldmann said, "I venture from this platform, representing Jewish communities all over the world, to appeal to the leaders of the Arab world to make an end to the destructive character of their policies, to let wisdom determine their attitude rather than emotions, tolerance rather than stubbornness, goodwill rather than hatred, and to accept the hand stretched out to them again and again by Israel and the Jewish people for friendship and cooperation."

If not, the WJC leader warned, the Middle East area "will remain for years to come one of tension and bitterness and hatred, and an explosive sphere dangerous to the peace of the world. There is no area in the world is explosive today as the Middle East and the events of the last few months have prove how easily a world conflagration could start from this area."

But, Dr. Goldmann told the delegates, just this inherent danger has induced him to be more hopeful than in past years and to believe that the status quo would not continue for very long. "The Great Powers of the world and public opinion everywhere have become dramatically aware of the perilous character of the Near East tension which has its main source in the unsettled Arab-Israel relations, " Dr. Goldmann asserted. "And as I believe that none of the Great Powers of today are interested in a world conflict and that both the Eastern and Western blocs want peace, I hope that despite all appearances that the day is not far when the Great Powers will take matters into their own hands and try to stabilize the Near East."

This could be done under the present circumstances only on the basis of some agreement or understanding between the two blocs "and maybe by a mutual understanding and willingness to keep out of this area of the cold war and of conflicts between the two blocs," Dr. Goldmann stated.

"None of the blocs could stabilize the area by itself," he continued, "and nothing would be more beneficial to the peace of the world than some kind of agreement which would allow the peoples of the Near East to devote themselves to the development of their countries instead of being used as puppets and instruments of the Big Powers and allowing them to blackmail these Big Powers with the net result of increasing tension and peril to the peace of the world."

URGES ISRAEL AND ARABS NOT TO WAIT FOR IMPOSED SETTLEMENT

It would be "much more in consonance with the dignity and historical record of the peoples of the Near East," he added, "both for Israel and the Arab states not to wait until the Big Powers may impose some settlement over their heads, but to take the initiative, work our relations by themselves and together insist on being kept out of the rivalries and competition and devote their tremendous resources to creative and peaceful endeavors."

Reviewing other world Jewish problems, Dr. Goldmann said that in North Africa Jews had managed to establish relations and understanding and even friendship, with many of the leaders of Morocco and Tunisia. The promises these leaders had given and the pledges they had made regarding security and equality for the Jewish communities, he stressed, they had fulfilled. The problems for these Jewish communities, he noted, were to reorganize community life, improve their economic position which had suffered together with that of other sectors of the population, and to safeguard the inherent and natural right to emigrate for those who wanted it.

Concerning Egypt, Dr. Goldmann reported that the situation had improved with the relaxation of most of the anti-Jewish measures imposed last November, but it was likely that thousands of Jews would leave Egypt in the near future primarily because of the violent Arabization of business and Egyptian life which makes it nearly impossible for all foreigners or stateless Jews to continue to work and live in Egypt.

A major problem which remained with regard to Egypt, Dr. Goldmann continued, was the restoration of the fortunes taken away from the Jews who had emigrated. Consideration would have to be given to the best methods to get at least partial restitution, he said. "On the record of modern Egypt this is a shameful blot which will remain forever," he declared.

SAYS JEWS MUST PLACE PROBLEM OF SOVIET JEWRY BEFORE WORLD

Turning to Eastern Europe, Dr. Goldmann expressed the view that the time had come when the Jewish organizations, and certainly the World Jewish Congress, should not hesitate any longer to put the problem of Eastern European and specifically Soviet Jewry before the world, as it may be the major Jewish problem today.

The main problem, he maintained, was not anti-Semitism but that a "state of affairs prevails, especially in the Soviet Union, which, if continued, condemns the Jewish community in the long run to disappear as Jews" if they are not granted conditions and the opportunity of living a distinctive Jewish life.

"We, as the Jewish people, must demand publicly and with all the influence at our disposal that the wrong done three million Soviet Jews be rectified and that the Jews get the same facilities as other national and religious minorities in the Soviet Union, namely the right to organize and have their institutions and their culture. We will never give up these demands," Dr. Goldmann vowed.

"It is not a fight against the Soviet Union, as such, " he went on. "We ask from the Soviet Union what we ask from any country in the world–whatever its regime and social system–the right for its Jewish citizens to live in full equality and the right of the Jewish community to maintain its identity. As long as this is not granted," he insisted, "the Soviet Union will continue to do wrong to the Jewish people and we, with the courage and stubbornness of our race, will continue to insist on these rights."

Dr. Goldmann further stated that world Jewry would continue to demand the right of emigration from the Soviet Union for Jews who wish it. He expressed the conviction that this generation would see the day when large numbers of Soviet Jews would go to Israel. He condemned the Soviet Union’s present anti-Israel policy, which he called "partisanship unworthy of a Big Power and which is defeating the USSR’s own peace aims."

In conclusion, Dr. Goldmann declared: "We pledge that we who could not prevent the annihilation of six million of our people will not rest and relax until we have fulfilled these two sacred obligations, bring back the Jewish communities of Eastern Europe into the fold of Jewish life and, with their help, to make Israel secure."