Russian Intellectuals Urged to Condemn Anti-semitic Book

Six Jewish activists from Minsk have appealed to Soviet intellectuals of all nationalities to condemn a widely circulated anti-Semitic book whose author, Vladimir Begun, intimates that the Jews must be destroyed to save humanity.

According to the activists, the book, titled “The Creeping Counter-Revolution,” is nothing more than “a new version of the ‘Protocols of the Elders of Zion'” and is but one element of “the present rabid campaign of lies and slander against the Jewish people” in the Soviet media, the Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry reported today.

The activists, who included four much decorated World War II heroes, said that Begun’s tract contains “epithets against Israel that would make even the Nazis envious.” It even charges Queen Esther of the Purim story with “perfidy” and sanctioning bloodshed to achieve power for the Jews, they said. According to the appeal, Begun’s readers can only conclude that “the Jews have made it their goal to seize control of the world and enslave all nations” so” there remains only one thing to do – destroy them for the sake of saving humanity.”

The activists’ statement said: “We appeal to you to firmly condemn the campaign of hounding an ancient people that stood at the cradle of modern civilization. Anti-Semitism is the worst enemy not only of Jews, but it maims the souls of all who come in contact with it, whether they are the victims or the executioners. Your silence is a capitulation, it is the abandoning of the humanitarian traditions of the Russian intellectuals.”

The six activists are Yefim Davidovich, Naum Alshansky, Lev Ovsisher and Chaim Maltinsky, all war heroes; and Grigory Rubenchik and Leonid Yoffe.