A clash between the West German delegate and the Soviet delegate over anti-Semitism in their countries marked the usually routine meeting of the executive committee of UNESCO yesterday.
Otto Von Sommer of West Germany charged that the Soviet Union practiced “anti-Semitism and racism.” He said the USSR practiced wide scale anti-Semitism both in its press and in its application of Soviet law. He asserted that Soviet delegate Alexander Pavlov’s claim that there was no racism in the Soviet Union was “a lie” and that the Soviet report of non-discrimination in Russia was “an untruth.”
The Soviet delegate emphatically denied the charge and retorted he was surprised that the representative of “a country responsible for the murder of 6,000,000 Jews should dare to speak on the subject.” The clash of views was omitted from the minutes of the committee on orders of the chairman.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
