Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the American Section of the World Zionist Organization Executive, who leaves Thursday on a visit to Egypt, Syria and Jordan, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that the trip was a personal one, prompted by her life-long interest in health and social problems. Mrs. Jacobson, a past president of Hadassah, will be traveling with a group of 15 women.
In a statement to the JTA, she emphasized that she and the group “will not be meeting with any Arab political leaders and will not be representing any organizations or groups on this trip.” She added. “They are interested in seeing what social and health services are available to the people in these Arab countries as compared to what Israel makes available to its Arab and Jewish citizens.”
Mrs. Jacobson’s trip has been sharply criticized in Israeli news media and on the Israel State radio. Although there has been no official comment in Jerusalem, sources there reported that Premier Yitzhak Rabin believes the invitations extended to Mrs. Jacobson and her group are part of the current Arab propaganda offensive aimed at projecting a peaceful image and weakening support among American Jews for Israeli policies. Informed sources said Rabin was annoyed.
DULZIN SAYS NOTHING WRONG
On the other hand, Leon Dulzin, WZO and Jewish Agency Treasurer said today that there was nothing wrong with Mrs. Jacobson visiting the Arab countries. He noted that the visit was described as a private one and that no political talks would be held.
The Israeli radio said, however, that the trip could harm Israel. The newspaper Maariv accused Mrs. Jacobson of “extending a hand to Arab propaganda.” It said the Arabs were “trying to prove that they have nothing against Jews, even if they are Zionist functionaries, and that only Israelis are their enemies.”
According to reports from Jerusalem, an aide to Rabin said Mrs. Jacobson had asked Rabin’s approval before deciding to make the trip and was told that Israel took no position on the activities of overseas Jews. Rabin has said in the past that he did not object to foreign Jews meeting with Arab leaders as long as they did not represent themselves to be speaking on Israel’s behalf.
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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.
