Jerry Goodman, executive director of the National Conference on Soviet Jewry, denied today a charge by the Jewish Defense League that he had barred the group’s participation in the World Conference on Soviet Jewry scheduled for Brussels in February.
The JDL charged that Goodman said that neither Rabbi Meir Kahane nor any other representative of the JDL would be admitted to the conference. The group said it “would not stand for such a violation of basic democracy and the right of freedom of speech.” A JDL spokesman declared “We promise that further action will be taken to guarantee that Rabbi Kahane will be allowed to speak at Brussels.”
Goodman said what he had told two JDL leaders. Dov Fisch and Russel Kelner, was that the set up of the conference does not permit the JDL’s participation but that he had said that when he goes to Brussels this week to meet with the international steering committee he would raise the question of the attendance of the JDL and other organizations.
JDL GATHERING AFFIDAVITS
Goodman explained that the Brussels meeting is not an elected conference. He said the American participation is being coordinated by the National Conference and includes delegates from the National Conference, the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations and officials of the fund-raising apparatus of the communities that belong to the Council of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. “The JDL is not part of that,” he said.
The JDL said it is gathering signed affidavits from officials of various Jewish organizations protesting the barring of the JDL. It said one of the first signatures was that of Alexander Tiemkin, who is in the United States to seek help in getting his daughter. Marina, permission to emigrate from the Soviet Union to Israel.
In 1971, Kahane was barred from the first international conference on Soviet Jewry which was also held in Brussels. He was seized by Belgian authorities and deported from the country. Kahane who is now serving a jail sentence for parole violation at the Allenwood (Pa.) Federal Prison, is expected to be released from prison at the end of this month.
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