Jewish Congress Hits U.S. Middle East Policy; Appeals for Soviet Jews

The American Jewish Congress closed its four-day biennial convention here today with the adoption of a resolution severely criticizing-United States policy in the Middle East and with an appeal to the Soviet Government to restore Jewish cultural and religious life in the USSR and to permit “freedom of movement” to Jews there. Dr. Israel Goldstein was re-elected president of the organization.

In criticizing American policy in the Middle East, the AJC resolution says that while the U.S. Government professes a policy of “friendly impartiality” toward the Arab nations and Israel, “its words are negated by its actions. It charges the U.S. with denying defensive arms to Israel and with being quick to join in the censure of Israel for its retaliatory raid against Syria, but has made no effort to have any of the Arab states censured for their organized raids across the border of Israel and the “wanton maiming and murder” of Israeli men, women and children.

“Egypt is permitted to continue its illegal blocking of the Suez Canal which she has maintained deliberately and openly for years in flagrant violation of two United Nations orders to desist,” the resolution pointed out, adding that the present U.S. policy “is clearly one of appeasement of the ruling groups in the Arab states whose continuance in power depends on the suppression of democratic processes. This is a policy that has been tried many times, most notably in the notorious debacle at Munich,” the convention declared.

The convention urged that the “United States immediately commence to sell and license the sale of arms for defense to Israel and to render such other assistance as may be needed for the resistance of aggression.” Delegates called upon the United States “immediately to fulfill all the obligations assumed under the Tripartite Agreement of 1950, without delay or evasion,” and to “make plain that it will impose economic and moral sanctions unless the Arab states immediately cease all acts of aggression against Israel.”

U.S. URGED TO ACT ON ARAB DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AMERICAN JEWS

Citing the issuance on Saturday of the American Jewish Congress “White Paper” documenting evidence of Arab discrimination against American Jews, the Convention called upon the President and the Secretary of State to take immediate counter-measures. It was emphasized that the discrimination takes the following forms: 1, Denial of entry or transit visas to Jewish citizens of the United States; 2. Barring Jewish personnel for serving in American diplomatic missions and military installations on Arab soil; 3. A boycott of American businesses owned or operated by or employing Jews; and 4. The dissemination by Arab propaganda centers in the United States of anti-Semitic literature.

“Acquiescence by agencies of the United States Government in these discriminatory practices has resulted in depriving American citizens of the Jewish faith of their constitutional rights,” the AJC convention charged. “The Jews who served our country in the wars of these United States and the men and women who are serving in the Armed Forces today must particularly” resent the insult necessarily resulting from the action of the State Department and the Armed Forces in accepting the anti-Semitic demand of the Arab States that no Jewish personnel serve there. We believe that our government, in its international relations, has the moral and legal obligation to insist, as it has done in numerous instances in the past, that equal treatment be accorded to all of its citizens, regardless of race, religion or national ancestry.

The convention recommended that no trade agreement be concluded unless all American citizens are permitted to participate in the trade regardless of religious affiliation: that no contract be negotiated which allows American Jews to be excluded from employment; American subsidies for trade in Arab countries should be discontinued unless American Jews are allowed to participate; no governmental agency should be permitted to consider religious affiliation in selecting personnel for assignment to Arab countries; no discriminatory hiring practices should be condoned because of the possible exclusion of Jews from Arab lands.

Also, that the U.S. should prohibit immigration from any Arab state which bars entry to any American citizen because of his religion; any diplomat to this country indulging in anti-Jewish activity should be expelled; any diplomat who refuses to process documents because they are offered by Jews should be expelled; foreign students engaging in anti-Jewish activities should lose their student visas, and finally, the U.S. delegation at the United Nations should seek an official inquiry into violations by a member state of the pledge to respect human rights.

The convention concluded tonight with a dinner honoring the eighth anniversary of the State of Israel and the forthcoming 60th birthday of Dr. Israel Goldstein, Addressing the 1,000 delegates last night, Simon Sobeloff, Solicitor General of the United States, said that “the essence of American freedom is to be free to be different.” Mr. Sobeloff received the first Louis D. Brandeis Award of the American Jewish Congress at the convention.

Dr. Franz Boehm, the head of the German delegation which negotiated the Bonn-Israel reparations agreement, received the Stephen S. Wise Award–a bronze plaque and a $1,000 check–from the Congress for his “untiring efforts to combat anti-Semitism in Germany” and for his role in negotiating the reparations pact. The presentation was made by Dr. Joachim Prinz, AJC leader, who was driven from his synagogue in Germany by the Nazi’s.