Libya Closes Alliance School; Jewish Groups Complain to U.N. Body

A protest against a Libyan Government action, closing down a Jewish school conducted by Alliance Israelite Universelle in Tripoli, Libya, was made here by Jewish organizations today in a letter to the current general conference of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

The letter was sent by the Consultative Council of Jewish Organizations, a group having consultative status with UNESCO The Council is composed of representatives of Alliance, the Anglo-Jewish Association and the American Jewish Committee.

According to the protest, the Libyan Government suddenly closed down the Alliance school last April “without previous notification and without giving any reason for the order.” The school has been in existence 70 years. The protest notes that the school has “rendered great service to the Jewish population of Tripoli.” Libya is a member of the Arab League.

The letter cited a resolution adopted here recently by the centenary meeting of Alliance Israelite Universelle, protesting “emphatically against this unjustified and unjustifiable action taken by a government created under the auspices of the United Nations and one that promised solemnly to respect the United Nations Charter.” A request was made in the letter that the issue be brought to the attention of not only the delegates to the UNESCO conference but also to the Secretary General of the United Nations.

On the agenda of the current UNESCO conference is an item, scheduled for debate Friday, proposing an international convention abolishing discrimination in education on grounds of race, religion or sex. It is considered certain that the convention will be adopted, after which it will be open for ratification by members of UNESCO. There are indications that nearly all the state-members of UNESCO will sign or ratify the convention.