Mcgovern Jewish Vote Seeker Says Appeal Will Be to Traditional Liberal Outlook

The newly-appointed staff director of the Jewish Affairs Committee of the McGovern-for-President campaign said today the committee effort to win Jewish votes for Sen. McGovern would be based on appeals to the traditional Jewish liberal approach to the need for change which he said still exists in this country.

Richard M. Cohen of New York, associate executive director of the American Jewish Congress, stressed in an interview that the Jewish Affairs Committee would not have differing approaches for differing groups of prospective Jewish voters, whether they were inner city, suburban, Orthodox, Conservative or Reform, or whatever, The premise of the campaign would be, he said, that all Jews were concerned with the need for “positive, productive and progressive change.” Cohen stressed that he was on leave without pay from the American Jewish Congress and that he had accepted Sen. McGovern’s offer of the staff post as an individual, and not as a representative of the AJ Congress.

He declared that “this country sorely needs change and Sen. McGovern represents the man who can bring about such change.” He said that the majority of American Jews would not cast their votes solely on Jewish issues. He said American Jews “are concerned with Issues of interest to all Americans, as well as those of specific Jewish interest.” He cited crime in the streets the quota versus the merit system, Israel and Soviet Jewry as among major issues of concern to American Jews. He added that Sen. McGovern “will shortly issue a statement condemning any kind of quota system that discriminates on the basis of religion, race or ethnic origin.”

He also said that “we in the McGovern campaign deplore the action of Republican forces making Israel a political football in the 1972 campaign. Since the founding of Israel in 1948,” he added, “our country’s commitment to the survival and security of the Jewish State has been endorsed by both political parties and ratified by the American people. We believe it is a disservice to the American political system, to United States foreign policy and to Israel to turn a bipartisan issue into a political one.”

He reported that he and two aides were mapping out the key issues “of concern to Jews around the country” and that “this information would become the basis for a campaign strategy” in seeking Jewish votes “which will move into high gear by Labor Day.” He said that since the nomination Tuesday of Sargent Shriver as the Democratic Vice-Presidential choice, a number of influential Jews, who had opted for President Nixon’s re-election, were now reconsidering returning to the Democratic fold but he declined to mention any names. He described Sen. Abraham Ribicoff, the Connecticut Democrat as chief advisor to Sen. McGovern on Jewish affairs and stressed the Jewish “input” with McGovern in campaign planning and activities.