Three of four Jewish deputies voted against the 1936-1937 budget in the Sejm yesterday in protest against what they called the tendency to divide the citizens of Poland according to religion or nationality.
The deputies, Dr. Emil Sommerstein, Rabbi Isaac Rubinstein and Dr. Joshua Gottlieb, explained their stand in a statement:
“The three and a half million Jews of Poland are entirely conscious of their duties as citizens. The Jews of Poland are ready to make the necessary sacrifices in defense of the country but they demand full equality of rights, employment, economic security and protection of life and property.”
Deputy Leib Minzberg abstained from voting — the first time that a deputy of the Agudath Israel, extreme orthodox organization, took such action. He explained that “the anti-Jewish policy is not disavowed by the Government, which actually furthers it.”
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