The Soviet press, which seldom pays attention to domestic news from Israel unless such news fits Moscow’s pro-Arab policy, reacted quickly this week to a purely domestic development here. In an article today in “Trud,” the daily newspaper of the Russian trade unions, the publication laments what it calls the “reactionary policy of Histadrut which impoverishes the toiling masses while Israeli capitalists fill their pockets with millions.”
The comment is geared to the fact that Histadrut, the Israel Federation of Labor, adopted a decision last week to demand no increases in basic wages in 1959. Expressing its “deep concern for the welfare of Israeli workers,” the Soviet trade union organ condemns this decision. “Trud” also expresses concern over “heavy taxes levied on Israel’s workers.”
Observers here believe that the “Trud” comments are part of the increased Soviet Government campaign against Israel, in an effort to offset rising demands among Soviet Jews for permission to emigrate to Israel.
JTA has documented Jewish history in real-time for over a century. Keep our journalism strong by joining us in supporting independent, award-winning reporting.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
