Rep. Robert Drinan (D. Mass.) will retire from Congress at the close of its current session next January but he intends to continue raising his voice on behalf of Israel and Soviet Jewry “in every possible forum” following that retirement, he has informed the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
Father Drinan is abiding by the Papal decree directing him not to seek reelection to a sixth term as a Congressman. As a committed Jesuit priest, his associates reported, he has no choice but to quit public office even though he has served his constituency with obvious satisfaction. Now 60 years old, Drinan entered Congress in 1971 and has been from the beginning consistently outspoken in support of Israel’s security and measures to relieve the plight of Soviet Jewry.
Asked by the JTA about his future plans, Drinan made the following statement:
“In my work in the Congress over the last decade, I have vigorously defended the case for a strong and vital Israel. I have worked to guarantee that Jews have the right to emigrate from the Soviet Union, and I have called to the attention of the world the injustices that have befallen Anatoly Sheharansky and others like him. I have called for a united Jerusalem that will remain the capital of Israel. My tenure in Congress will soon end, yet my commitment to these causes will remain as strong as ever. I shall continue to speak out on behalf of Israel and Soviet Jews in every possible forum.”
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.
