Secretary of State William P. Rogers responded “yes, yes” when asked here today whether the Soviet Jewry issue was discussed at the summit conference in Moscow in late May between President Nixon and Communist party secretary Leonid Brezhnev. The double affirmative followed Rogers’ prediction that “we certainly think that (Jewish emigration from the Soviet Union) is going to continue.”
Rogers made his comments during an ABC television interview immediately following his testimony on the Nixon Administration’s foreign policy before the Republican resolution committee, which is drafting the party platform for presentation to the GOP convention next week.
A Jewish Telegraphic Agency reporter solicited Rogers’ statement by noting during the TV interview that New York Gov. Rockefeller was reported as having said yesterday in Israel that Brezhnev had agreed during the summit conference to release 35,000 Jews this year, Rogers was then asked by JTA if he, having been present at the summit conference, would confirm whether such an agreement was indeed made.
Without responding directly to the question, Rogers replied that he had not read what Gov. Rockefeller had said and did not wish to comment on it. “I am encouraged though,” the Secretary continued, “by the fact that the Soviet Union has permitted a considerably increased emigration in the last year or so. We certainly think that it is going to continue.” Herbert Kaplow of ABC television then asked whether the Soviet Jewish matter “was discussed,” to which Rogers answered with the double affirmative.
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