Goldmann: Jewish Leadership Must Reassess Political Methods to Secure Jewish Survival in Changing Wo

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, said last night that Jewish leadership must “reassess its political methods” to secure Jewish survival “in a radically changing world.” He told B’nai B’rith’s board of governors at the annual midwinter conference here that present policies and actions of the Jewish community are failing to cope with “the new political realities” of the Communist and Third World blocs.

Goldmann urged contacts with the Third World which “knows little about–and consequently has no understanding of–Jewish concerns and aspirations.” The emergence of the Third World and the status of the Soviet Union and, potentially China as superpowers have reduced the once preeminent political domination of the Western democracies, increasing the anxieties of Jews throughout the world, he said.

He called for “long-range initiatives” by Jewish leadership and added that “one of the weaknesses of present Jewish policy is that it deals only with momentary problems, reacts only to crises.” Goldmann told the 110-member board that “the Jewish people cannot continue to secure its survival by means which were useful and effective in past generations. They must be changed to meet a new world situation.” The reevaluation of policies, he explained, should be made “in a forum of Jewish communities in Israel and the diaspore because the new competitive affect them all.”

CITES GROWING ISOLATION OF ISRAEL

Goldmann cited what he termed the “growing isolation of Israel” as a consequence of the changing international scene in which the political hegemony of industrially advanced democracies is declining as a result of new political forces. Because of this ‘development these countries, whom Jews have relied on to defend their religious and political rights, are finding their own former positions in the international arena diminishing. “As long as Israel fails to achieve peace and economic, political and cultural integration in the Middle East, both it and world Jewry remain in a perilous position.” Goldmann declared.

He also advocated efforts to maintain a dialogue with the Soviet Union in hopes of easing restrictions on Soviet Jews. The Zionist leader said the effort to hold a dialogue with the Soviet Union does not mean that Jewish leadership should refrain from protesting against suppression of Jewish cultural and religious rights in the USSR.