Judge Paul Ribner, national commander of the Jewish War Veterans, sent a telegram to President Ford today to “vigorously protest the nomination of General George S. Brown for a second term as chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.” Ford nominated the 57-year-old Air Force general for another two-year term yesterday.
Speaking for the JWV and JWV Auxiliary president Elaine Mass. Ribner said they felt “there are severe questions concerning Gen. Brown’s judgement as evidenced by his past public statements and conduct with respect to policy determination.” Ribner said “it is inconceivable that among our senior general and flag officers, the President could not find a more acceptable and equally capable successor.”
Ribner said members of the JWV would actively oppose the nomination by contacting members of the Senate Armed Services Committee which must approve the President’s recommendation.
In 1974, Ford ordered Brown to publicly apologize about remarks the general made about Jewish influence in the U.S. during a speech at the Duke University Law School on Oct. 10, 1974. Brown, in answering questions from the audience, said that Israel had too much influence on Congress and that Jews “own…the banks in this country, the newspapers.”
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