Vice President Richard M. Nixon’s press secretary, Herbert G. Klein, this weekend repudiated his statement urging American Jews to vote for Nixon for the sake of Israel. The repudiation was announced in Los Angeles after the Klein statement caused a protest from three eminent Jewish leaders–Philip M. Klutznick, Irving M. Engel, and Rabbi Israel Goldstein.
Mr. Klein said: “The release referred to was issued in Washington by an over-enthusiastic campaign worker, without the knowledge of either myself or the Vice-President.” Mr. Klein stated that Mr. Nixon “has consistently taken the position that there is no such thing as bloc voting in the United States. In addition, he has instructed his staff to avoid any appeals which would be directed toward a group with the implication that it would vote as a bloc.”
According to Mr. Klein, Mr. Nixon “does not subscribe to the statements in the editorial” of the Israeli newspaper Yediot Ahronot, which was quoted by Klein in his controversial statement warning that a Kennedy election victory might cause the destruction of Israel.
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