The Republican and Democratic nominees for the United States Senate from New York laid considerable stress in their campaigns yesterday on issues of concern to Jewish citizens, frankly wooing Jewish voters.
In his home town of Rochester, in the Western part of the state, Sen. Kenneth B. Keating, the Republican incumbent, accused former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy of making “a deal” to turn over a government-owned company with assets worth over $60,000,000 to a “huge Nazi cartel.”
On his part, Mr. Kennedy, the Democratic challenger for the seat now held by Sen. Keating, stressed civil rights at a synagogue in suburban Mount Vernon, visited the lower East Side of Manhattan, called for the guarantee of Israel’s independence against Arab aggression, visited the editorial offices of the two Yiddish dailies published in this city–and had lunch at a Jewish restaurant on the East Side.
At Mount Vernon, Mr. Kennedy appeared at the Free Synagogue of Westchester County to discuss civil rights, and on New York’s lower East Side he walked among the Jewish crowds preparing to celebrate Succoth. On his tour of the East Side, carrying a lulav and ethrog–which are Succoth symbols–he was accompanied by David Dubinsky, president of the International Ladies Garment Workers Union.
In regard to Israel-Arab issues, Mr. Kennedy asserted he sought U.S. backing for Israel against Arab aggression, and also told about being “involved” in Israel’s War of Liberation by driving a tank from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem while that war was on, and predicting at that time that Israel would “get her independence because of her courage and her determination.” He said he supported Israel’s plan to use Jordan River waters for irrigation of the Negev Desert, and favored the joint U.S.-Israel plans for the use of desalinated waters for irrigation purposes.
Sen. Keating’s charge about a “deal” favoring Nazis concerned a settlement made by the U.S. Government recently, under which a German company, Interhandel, would get back the assets of General Aniline and Film, a firm seized by the United States as enemy property during World War II. Sen. Keating said the “deal” would benefit former German Nazis. In Washington, however, the Department of Justice stated that “according to all available information, no money would go to any former Nazis” as a result of the Interhandel transaction.
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