Dulzin Reports Concern in U.S.

Lean Dulzin, who returned from a visit to the U.S. Friday, reported that leaders of the American Jewish community are worried, bewildered and frustrated by the seemingly endless series of crises in the Israeli Cabinet and the bitter personal exchanges between ministers which are given prominence in the American media.

Dulzin, who is chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives, said members of the Conference of Presidents of major American Jewish Organizations and other Jewish leaders with whom he met expressed deep concern about the political and economic situation in Israel. But they seemed to be troubled most by the state of relations between members of Premier Menachem Begin’s Cabinet, Dulzin said.

He said he received an impression that a trend toward down-grading Israel has begun among American Jews. Dulzin also said he was appalled by the large number of “yordim” (emigrants from Israel) in the U.S. The yordim phenomenon is a serious blow to Israel, he said, because the yordim seem proud to have defected and openly abuse Israel. He noted however that some of the yordim he met claimed that the reason they left Israel was the lack of housing.

(While in New York, Dulzin was one of six recipients of honorary doctorates from Yeshiva University. Addressing the university’s 49th annual commencement exercises last Thursday, he declared that “Israel’s quality of life would determine the nation’s future security.” He spoke of “Zionism’s priorities for the 80s” which, he said, were “massive aliya,” a “breakthrough in Jewish education in Israel and the U.S.” and “community concern for the enhancement of Jewish life in Israel and in the diaspora.” His honorary degree was Doctor of Humane Letters.)