The State Department confirmed last night that it is interceding in behalf of Israel Jacobson, director for Hungary of the Joint Distribution Committee, who was arrested Thursday night on the Austro-Hungarian border when he was proceeding in an automobile toward Budapest.
United States Minister Nathaniel P. Davis asked for permission to see or talk with Mr. Jacobson, but this was refused. Mr. Jacobson has been held incommunicado since his arrest by the Hungarian police. Word of his detention became known in Vienna yesterday.
The Hungarian Government has refused to disclose to United States authorities why they are holding the J.D.C. official. Mr. Jacobson 37, had just returned from a six-weeks’ vacation in the U.S. and had driven from Paris to Vienna where he waited a week for a Hungarian visa. When it finally was granted, he drove to the Hungarian border and has not been heard from directly since.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
