Republican Convention Urged to Act on Arab Bias Against U.S. Jews

Thirty-four national Jewish and non-Jewish bodies today presented a joint recommendation to the Platform Committee of the Republican party to pledge the implementation of the “repeatedly expressed opposition of the U.S. Congress to the imposition by foreign governments of discrimination against United States citizens on grounds of race or religion.”

The views of the 34 organizations — representing religious, labor and civic interests — were given at today’s hearings of the Platform Committee here by Paul Annes, co-chairman of the governing council of the American Jewish Congress. Similar views were presented by the same groups to the convention of the Democratic party in Los Angeles for inclusion in the Democratic Platform.

In his statement, Mr. Annes charged that “the widespread campaign by Arab League countries against Americans has been acquiesced in, if not condoned by our Government.” He described the forms of discrimination as “1) Arab denial of entry or transit visas to American Jews; 2) Arab boycott of American Jewish business; 3) the exclusion of American Jewish citizens from United States Government civilian and military posts and from employment on United States defense contracts in Arab countries.”

Among the 34 sponsors of the plank are the American Civil Liberties Union, Catholic Interracial Council; Congregational Christian Churches; Industrial Union Department of the AFL-CIO; National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; National Council of Protestant Episcopal Churches; National Newspaper Publishers Association; National Sharecroppers Fund, Inc.; Transport Workers Union of America; United Automobile Workers of America; United Steelworkers of America.

The Jewish organizations include the American Jewish Committee; American Jewish Congress; Anti-Defamation League; Jewish Labor Committee; Union of American Hebrew Congregations; Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America; and United Synagogue of America.

Senator Jacob Javits, New York Republican, suggested to the Platform Committee to include a plank on the Middle East pledging support to Israel against armed aggression, should Israel ask such aid. The Senator also suggested that a similar pledge be made to Arab countries. He urged that the plank should include efforts to encourage the Arab states and Israel to arrive at a mutually agreeable settlement of the causes of tension in the Middle East; continued efforts to assist rehabilitation and permanent resettlement of the Arab refugees; elimination of discriminatory practices against U. S. citizens on grounds of race or religion.

President George Meany, of the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations, told the Republican Platform Committee that a basic revision of immigration law is “long overdue” and that “eight years of the McCarran-Walter Act have established beyond question that it is inconsistent with the traditional American concepts of humanitarianism and democracy.”