Knesset Votes Appeal to Nations for Joint Fight on Anti-semitism

The Israeli Parliament, on motion of Justice Minister Pinchas Rosen, voted authorization today to its Foreign Affairs and Security Committee to formulate ways and means for an appeal to the nations of the world for a concerted action to eradicate anti-Semitism. The Knesset acted when the Herut Party sought a debate on the outbreak of ANTI-SEMITIC incidents in Germany on Christmas Eve and currently emulated in most countries of the Western world. The Knesset, in accepting the government proposal, rejected by a vote of 60 to 18, the Herut demand for an immediate debate.

The Justice Minister, who spoke for the government in the absence of Premier Dovid Ben-Gurion, warned that the governments and leaders of the countries where the anti-Jewish outbreaks have occurred “must be convinced that this is a loathesome phenomenon which must be eradicated before they grow from isolated incidents to disastrous proportions.”

These latest developments, Mr. Roaen asserted, should convince the leaders in those countries that it is not enough to disclaim “the inciters to oppression and genocide.”

Arieh Ben-Eleezer, of the Herut, who moved the debate, charged that the resurrected swastika was not merely the symbol of anti-Semitism but also a symbol of a trend by Germany to domination over other peoples who were also the victims of Nazism. He asserted that Nazism was more dangerous today than when the movement first emerged to power in 1933 because there are thousands of officers and officials in Germany today “who are Nazi-ridden to the depths.”

Mr. Rosen told the Knesset that the Israel Government and people were “sensitive and alert” to any developments abroad affecting the Jewish people. He said all Israeli diplomatic representatives abroad had been instructed to report all developments and the official and popular reactions. When all the information is studied, he added, “the Israel Government will act.”

The Justice Minister said there were grounds for suspicion that an international organisation, existing in central Germany, or, if located elsewhere, using the German languages, was active in coordinating the anti-Semitic acts in a number of countries.

GOLDMANN CALLS FOR PROBE OF FASCIST INTERNATIONAL

Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Zionist Organisation, called on the West German Government today to initiate an immediate investigation to establish whether a Fascist International, having large sums of money at its disposal, was not behind the current wave of anti-Semitic manifestations.

Dr. Goldmann said there was reason to suspect international cooperation among fascist elements and asserted that West Germany, in cooperation with other democratic states, should investigate to ascertain whether such organizations exist. He said they might have large sums of money smuggled out of Germany at the time of the collapse of the Hitler regime.