Goldmann Says New Trial ‘miscalculated and Misdirected’

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, deplored the new Leningrad trial today as “miscalculated and misdirected,” and said it “creates a climate of fear among Soviet Jews… encourages discrimination against them (and) further alienates world public opinion from the Soviet Union.” The Jewish leader voiced on behalf of the WJC his “deep concern at the decision of the Soviet authorities to continue trials of Soviet Jews on various charges of a political nature.” Dr. Goldmann said he “had hoped that the intervention by many governments, religious leaders, international organizations and political parties closely allied with the Soviet Union… would cause these kind of trials to be finally abandoned.” But, he said, “It now appears that the Soviet government intends to pursue these procedures in order to dissuade Soviet Jews from expressing their desire to go to Israel.” World Jewry, said Dr. Goldmann, does not want to be ” involved in any aspect of cold war politics”; on the contrary, ” their sole interest is that those of their Soviet Jewish brothers and sisters who desire to go to Israel should be allowed to do so without restraint.” A large number of London Jews have applied for visas to go to Leningrad to attend the trial. They have asked for an appointment Thursday with the Soviet Consul to explain their requests.