Jewish Emigration from Russia is Not Imminent, Dr. Goldmann Says

Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union is not imminent, Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress, stated here today. World Jewry, he stated, should concentrate greater efforts on obtaining more rights for Jews in the Soviet Union.

Addressing a group of Jewish leaders here, in his capacity as WJC president, Dr. Goldmann said efforts to obtain more rights for Russian Jews are merited because Soviet leaders are sensitive to world opinion and uneasy about their Jewish problem.

Reviewing the situations of the Jews in the East European countries, the world Jewish leader stated there was no brutal anti-Semitism, no pogroms, no concentration camps nor do Jews die of hunger there. He said Jews in the Soviet Union were discriminated against as a national-minority in careers. He emphasized that they did not want to be concentrated in Biro-Bidjan, the co-called autonomous Jewish Republic.

Analyzing the Jewish situation in North Africa, Dr. Goldmann said the problem there was not anti-Semitism as such. He noted that there were many Jewish functionaries, such as judges, in office in Morocco. He reported that the Government of Tunisia could not understand why Jews, though fully equal, wanted to retain a degree of cultural as well as religious segregation. He mentioned that Jews were afraid to apply for exit visas in Morocco and were not emigrating from Tunis.

Addressing an Argentine press conference later, Dr. Goldmann said Israel was suffering its greatest difficulties on the economic front as a direct result of the “great achievements” of the first decade while being forced to maintain a substantial military force. Another source of Israel’s difficulties was the absorption of 1, 000, 000 newcomers 95 percent of whom arrived in Israel penniless, he declared.