Seek to Organize Interreligious Campaigns to Aid Israeli Pows

Christian and Jewish leaders agreed yesterday that concerted pressures by interreligious groups must be made on the government of Syria in a humanitarian effort to persuade Syria to release information on the Israeli prisoners it captured during the Yom Kippur War.

Representatives of the Catholic. Protestant and Greek Orthodox communities, at a meeting called by the American Jewish Committee, discussed the possibilities of calling on Syrian missions in the United States, setting up letter and telegram campaigns, and organizing interreligious campaigns that would seek admission to Syria to ascertain how many Israeli POWs are being held, who they are and how they are being treated. Rabbi Marc H. Tanenbaum, AJ Committee inter-religious affairs director, was chairman for the meeting.

The discussion focussed on a plea by an Israeli woman who appeared under the assumed name of “Mrs. Achsa” whose 21-year-old son is known to have been captured by the Syrians. She spoke on behalf of an unofficial organization of families of Israeli POWs in Syria, and stated: “For over four months now, we live in uncertainty. We do not know if our sons are alive or dead. The Syrian government refuses even to release the names of the prisoners, and they refuse to let representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross see them. This is not a matter for politics. It is a basic humanitarian issue.

Israeli Consul Amos Ganor assured the religious leaders that any delegation that managed to visit Israeli POWs in Syria would be welcomed in Israel and would have the opportunity of visiting the Syrian POWs being held in Israel “There are more than 300 Syrian prisoners now in Israel,” Ganor said. “The Red Cross visits them. They get good medical care. They may send and receive mail. Syrian parents, wives and children do not have to agonize over them. All we ask is that the Syrian government accord us the same assurances about our Israeli boys.”

Among the Christian leaders at the meeting were Dr. David Hyatt, president of the National Conference of Christians and Jews; Sister Kathrin Hargrove, Manhattanville College of the Sacred Heart; Mrs. Edna McCallion, Church Women United; Dr. Bernard Olson, National Conference of Christians and Jews; the Very Rev. Dr. John A. Poulos, pastor of Saint Demetrios Greek Orthodox Church; Mrs. Elenor Schnurr, American Baptist Church; and Dr. James Sheldon, Council of Churches of the City of New York.