Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

Russian Radio Attacks U. J. A. Special Fund Drive and Golda Meir

February 19, 1959
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

The Soviet radio has renewed its propaganda attack against Israel. This time it lumps the United Jewish Appeal, Israel’s Foreign Minister Golda Meir, and the Israel Defense Ministry in an alleged “plot” to flood Israel with immigrants so that Israel’s army could be increased to 1,000,000 men, and thus defeat its Arab neighbors.

The latest Kremlin blast came in a Moscow Radio broadcast, in Arabic, beamed to the Near and Middle East and monitored here. Referring specifically to the current visit to the United States by Mrs. Meir, and to the 1959 UJA campaign for a special $100,000,000 fund to aid the new immigration into Israel and the absorption of those newcomers, the Moscow Radio commentator stated:

“For the second figure in the Israeli Government to leave in person to collect contributions in the United States is not something accidental. The truth of the matter is that the world Zionist organization known as the United Jewish Appeal has launched a special large-scale campaign to step up contributions for Israel.

“But what is the aim of this campaign? It is learned from this organization that Israel is in need of 100 million dollars for the organization of new large-scale immigration of Jews to Israel.

“But why do the Zionist leaders seek to increase immigration? A comprehensive answer to this question was given recently by Shimon Peres, director general of the Israel Defense Ministry, when he called for speeding up immigration to Israel, as reported by the Israeli press. Peres said that, if we succeeded in organizing a great army of ore million strong, then no Arab state can confront us.

“It is known that after drawing up plans for enlarging the Israeli Army in cooperation with Golda Meir, the United Jewish Appeal sought aid initially from the United States. This is further proof that Israel cannot fire its guns without American dollars, and that the United States is to be considered the principal financier of Israel and the main inciter of the Israeli military force.”

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement