The Jewish Agency today denied “with contempt” the charges that Zionist leaders and the Zionist movement were linked with espionage rings in the Soviet satellite nations of East Europe, which were contained in “confessions” of defendants at the Prague trial of 14 ex-Communist leaders, 12 of whom have been identified as Jews. The statement read:
“We have heard with profound shock of the trial proceedings in Prague. It is the first time in such a trial that both the indictment and the evidence project allegations against the Zionist movement, the Jewish Agency and the Israel Government, and that a note of hostility has been introduced against the defendants as Jews that is bound to fan ominous anti-Semitic instincts.
“Particularly shocking is the testimony, without basis in fact, that has been extracted from Mordecai Oren, obviously through force. All reasonable, fairminded people are well aware that these libels have neither factual nor moral foundation. The Zionist movement refutes, with the utmost contempt, the fabric of falsehoods presented by the authors of the trial in Prague.”
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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.