A group of prominent French political and community figures has established a “Committee for the Safety of Jews in Arab Lands” which announced that its first task will be to use all means at its disposal to secure the right of emigration for Jews in Iraq and other Arab countries where they are oppressed and threatened. Chairman of the group is Jacques Mercier, a Gaullist member of Parliament, who presided at a public meeting here yesterday at which establishment of the committee was announced. He shared the platform with Chief Rabbi Jacob Kaplan, and former French Defense Minister, Gen. Pierre Koenig.
Mr. Mercier pledged, “We shall not rest but shall continue to fight for basic human rights until they are achieved.” He likened the situation of Jews in Iraq, Syria and Egypt to the Jewish plight under the Nazis. The new committee is also opposed to President Charles de Gaulle’s anti-Israel policies in the Middle East. One speaker, Salomon Friederich, head of the France-Israel Alliance, urged the de Gaulle Government to alter its position favoring an imposed peace in the Middle East. He said Israel has already experienced the “emptiness” of international guarantees and can rely only on direct negotiations with the Arabs to achieve peace.
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