Louis Pincus, chairman of the Jewish Agency Executive, said in an exclusive interview with the Jewish Telegraphic Agency here last night that the next World Zionist Congress to be held in Jerusalem, must “chart the way ahead for the Zionist movement,” an issue that is quite distinct from the movement’s structure which he, personally, does not think needs altering. He asserted that the opening of the Congress in Jerusalem, originally set for February, 1968, was postponed because “a little more time is needed for reflection and exchange of views among all Zionist groups “on such basic issues as the structure of the Zionist movement.”
(In Jerusalem, today, the date of the next World Zionist Congress was postponed again, but until when remained undecided as Zionist leaders were being polled on their preference, one group favors mid-June, 1968, But that would conflict with Prime Minister Levi Eshkol’s scheduled conference with Jewish business leaders from abroad. Others favor postponement until next December. A decision is expected later this month.)
Concern about the position of Jews in the Soviet Union, and condemnation of President de Gaulle’s recent anti-Jewish and anti-Israel statements, was voiced by Alderman Michael M, Fidler, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews at a meeting here today. The status of the Jews in the Soviet Union “continues to cause the deepest anxiety,” he said, “deprived as they are of the rights afforded to all other ethnic minorities.”
Mr. Fidler also expressed British Jewry’s “condemnation of the completely unwarranted and insulting attack upon the Jewish people by General de Gaulle. The attack, he stated, “was unworthy of a great leader who himself once championed Israel and all freedom-loving people.”
A report of the Board’s foreign affairs committee was presented by Sir Barnett Janner, MP, who said that de Gaulle’s “shocking statement” could not pass without comment. The Jews of France, he declared, were to be complimented on the manner in which they had responded to this attack. The majority of French people, he believed, were not anti-Semitic or desired to be so, nor were they anti-Israel.
BOARD OF DEPUTIES PRAISES JTA
Alderman Fidler, on behalf of the Board of Deputies, congratulated the Jewish Telegraphic Agency on its fiftieth anniversary and its “great achievements during the period” The JTA, he said, “has fulfilled and continues to fulfill its vital role of keeping Jewish leaders, representatives, and its subscribers all over the world in touch with the latest developments on all Jewish issues, especially those relating to Israel.”
Israel Foreign Minister Abba Eban said today that the Israel Government would not accept the appointment of a custodian for the properties of absentee Arabs in Israel. Such a custodianship was proposed in the United Nations by Arab and Moslem countries for supervision of properties left behind by Arab refugees. It is considered unlikely that the proposal will get the required two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly.
(The proposal, submitted by five Asian and African countries to the U.N.’s special political committee, won a 42 to 38 vote on Saturday with 23 abstentions, Israel and France were among the countries casting negative votes. The proposal, in the form of a draft resolution, requested the Secretary-General “to appoint a custodian to protect and administer Arab property, assets and property rights in Israel and to receive income drived therefrom on behalf of the rightful owners.” Similar resolutions have been proposed in previous years but were always rejected or withdrawn without a vote. Sponsors of this year’s resolution were Afghanistan, Indonesia, Maylaysia, Pakistan and Somalia.
The Political Committee also approved two other draft resolutions before it, one by the United States and the other a 19-power presentation which dealt with the humanitarian aspects of the refugee problem. The U.S. draft resolution called, among other things, for a rectification of the relief rolls of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Arab refugees and was approved 99 to zero with Israel and one other country abstaining. Israel had charged earlier that the relief rolls presented to UNRWA were inflated by the Arab host countries. The 19 power resolution was adopted by a vote of 102 to zero with one abstention.)
An Israeli Army patrol killed three Syrian-trained terrorists in a gun battle last night on the Golan Heights about four miles on the Israel-side of the Israel-Syrian cease-fire line, an Army spokesman reported today. Three Russian-type submachine guns were found near the terrorists’ bodies. There were no Israeli casualties.
The incident was the second in three days involving infiltrees from Syria. On Thursday night, a patrol intercepted a three-man terrorist group in the Golan Heights region trying to make its way back to the Syrian side of the cease-fire line. one was killed in an exchange of fire and the other two were captured with a quantity of Soviet-made weapons.
Military spokesmen also reported that a large, but undisclosed number of members and supporters of the El Fatah terrorist organization have been captured in recent weeks in large-scale search and identification actions. They were found to be in possession of large quantities of bazookas, assault guns, submachine guns, explosives and hand grenades. The principal concentration center for the El Fatah members was in the Jenin-Tulkarem-Nablus triangle in the West Bank, a heavily vegetated area which offers many hiding places.
The suspects included three and four-men units and individuals. Their capture and questioning led to seizure of other EI Fatah members. Many others, the officials reported, decided it was safer in the East Bank section of Jordan and fled there in advance of the search operation.
Leon Dultzin, member of the Jewish Agency Executive, predicted here today that Israel could expect 20,000 settlers from countries of the free world in 1968 provided that adequate conditions are established for their absorption. Mr. Dultzin, who just returned from a tour of Latin America, the United States and Canada on behalf of Aliya (immigration), also forecast the return to Israel next year of some 5,000 yordim, emigrants from Israel, who want another try at settlement.”
The Zionist official, who heads the Jewish Agency’s economic department, warned however that unless Israel provides the right conditions for Western immigrants, “we shall miss an opportunity which may not come again and will lose essential immigration.” He added that special efforts must be made to encourage the immigration of Jewish youth from the Western countries, “many of whom seek foreign gods like the ‘hippies’ and others.”
He said that 1968 will be the “test year” for immigration from the West and if it is successful there is a chance of doubling the number of immigrants in the years to come.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
