The Committee for Rescue of Syrian Jewry announced today that it has filed a complaint with the National News Council over Sunday night’s follow-up broadcast on Syrian Jewry on the CBS-TV “60 Minutes” program conducted by Mike Wallace.
In a letter addressed to the Council, Rabbi Joseph Harari, executive director of the Rescue Committee, said “We deplore the new CBS broadcast in which Mike Wallace has once-again failed to portray the true picture of the sufferings of the 4500 Jews forced to remain in Syria.” Harari contended that Wallace’s follow-up showed “more concern” with defending the original broadcast on Syrian Jewry 13 months ago which was condemned by many Jewish organizations as a distortion of the facts.
Harari wrote, “We are dismayed by Mr. Wallace’s adamant refusal to retract his irresponsible statement that ‘Jews are suspect in Syria as a possible fifth column’ even though President (Hafez) Assad admits that Syrian Jews are loyal citizens.” He charged that Wallace “has even gone further this time by stating that ‘most governments, even our own, would consider these people as potentially dangerous to the national security'” and by observing that “‘Jews are Jews and Israel’s guns are only 40 miles away.'”
Harari requested the Council to take appropriate action. He has also sent telegrams to President Ford and Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger urging them to intervene on behalf of the endangered family of a Syrian Jewish escapee whose identity, he said, was divulged by Wallace on the program.
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