Soviet Jews Reported Praying for Israel Despite Break in Diplomatic Relations

British correspondents in Communist countries reported today that despite the break in diplomatic ties with Israel announced by Moscow, Jews in Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev — as well as in Hungary, Poland, Czechoslovakia and Rumania — held special Sabbath services yesterday for Israel.

Soviet intensive efforts to secure a united stand against Israel among the Communist block countries suffered a heavy blow this weekend when the Rumanian Government broke away from its East European allies and refused to join in the anti-Israel statements and threats emanating from a conference in Moscow. The conference reportedly approved measures aimed at rearming the Arab states and supporting demands for the withdrawal of Israel from newly occupied territory.

Rumania, whose relations with Israel have been steadily improving during the past year or more, also refused to join with the Soviet Union and some of the other East European states which broke off diplomatic ties with Israel. Nicolae Ceausescu, general secretary of the Rumanian Communist Party, and Rumanian Premier Ion Gheorghe Maurer, who participated in the conference, reportedly objected to the Soviet plans to break diplomatic ties with Israel and with the conference decision to brand Israel as the aggressor in the latest Israel-Arab conflict.

Two months ago, Rumania moved to improve its relations with Israel by signing an agreement expanding the commercial ties between the two countries. Following the recent outbreak of hostilities, the Rumanian press has reported objectively on the progress of the fighting, giving both sides of the picture. In its note this weekend informing Israel of the break in diplomatic ties, the Soviet Government — which was followed in this move by Czechoslovakia and Bulgaria — charged Israel with “gross violation of the Security Council decisions” and “continued aggression against the Arab states.”