French Jewish leaders believe that the government will raise the issue of Soviet Jews with Communist Party chief Leonid Brezhnev during his official visit here beginning Oct. 25. This belief is based on contacts the Jewish leaders have had with government officials on the matter. The latter have indicated that they would raise the problem of Soviet Jews with Brezhnev should the circumstances be “favorable.”
They have stressed, however, that “it will all depend on the general atmosphere of the talks,” the Jewish Telegraphic Agency learned today. Brezhnev is due to hold talks with President Georges Pompidou, Premier Jacques Chaban-Delmas and Foreign Minister Maurice Schumann. Jewish leaders here point out that despite its differences with Israel, France has quietly undertaken important humanitarian missions on behalf of Jewish communities in lands of oppression. These have remained secret at the request of French authorities.
The JTA has learned, however, that French intervention earlier this year led to the release of members of the captive Jewish community in Egypt. According to informed sources, repeated requests by the French Ambassador in Cairo persuaded Egyptian authorities to allow the Jews to leave on condition that they did so with French travel documents and were allowed to remain and settle in France.
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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.
