One Non-government Jewish Group at UN Confirmed; Status of Other Groups Attacked

A United Nations committee confirmed the consultative status of one international Jewish group on the Economic and Social Council yesterday but left the future status of another in doubt after it came under bitter attack from the Soviet Union. The Council’s committee on non-governmental organizations recommended that the World Union for Progressive Judaism be placed on the NGO roster in what is known as category II, an area reserved for groups with special competence and interest in certain fields of ECOSOC activity. Rabbi William A. Rosenthal, executive director of the World Union, described it as the umbrella organization for Reform Judaism, “specifically and uniquely a religious organization” operating in about 24 countries.

The Soviet delegate, Nikifor I. Yevdokeyev, challenged the non-governmental status of the Coordinating Board of Jewish Organizations. He accused it of “narrow concern for only one or two groups of people or states,” claiming that its major component was B’nai B’rith which, according to the Soviet delegation, was tied to the State of Israel. The CBJO originally enjoyed consultative status as an NGO along with eight other Jewish groups. But the NGO committee failed to re-affirm its status when it recessed last April after an exhaustive review of the entire NGO system at the behest of several member states. During the course of that review, the CBJO, the World Jewish Congress and other Jewish groups came under attack from members of the Soviet-Arab bloc. The attacks were aimed specifically at organizations which publicized reports of the mistreatment of Jews in Eastern European and Arab countries. They were charged with bias. According to the Soviet delegate, the president of B’nai B’rith made many statements which tend to indicate substantial financial ties between B’nai B’rith and the Government of Israel. The United States delegate, Arthur D. Stillman, said his country supported NGOs of all persuasions regardless of their attitude toward the policies of the Government.

A special report by the American Jewish Committee on the problems facing the NGO system stated that at stake is the status of one and perhaps more of the eight international Jewish organizations which have enjoyed ECOSOC consultative status. The report warned that continued Soviet and Arab attacks on the NGO status of several Jewish organizations could possibly result in serious consequences for the Jewish groups and the NGO system itself. The NGO system was incorporated in the United Nations Charter which provided for a consultative relationship between ECOSOC and non-governmental organizations. The current review of NGO began Tuesday.