Taft Urges Nixon to Include Soviet Jewry on His Summit Meeting Agenda 20 Jews Ask to Meet with Nixon

Sen. Robert Taft (R.Ohio) called yesterday upon President Nixon to include in his visit to the Soviet Union a frank discussion on the subject of religious freedom and the plight of the Jewish people in the Soviet Union, especially of those who wish to immigrate to Israel. The Senator issued his statement after placing a telephone call to Gavriel Shapiro in Moscow and, he said, hearing from Shapiro about the oppression suffered by him and others who are seeking to emigrate to Israel.

Taft said Shapiro described the force being used to keep Jews away from the Moscow synagogue and the brutal beatings of young Jews in the vicinity of the synagogue, Shapiro also said, Taft reported, that he and a group of 10 other professionals are “being terrorized and used as examples for other Jews.” He was apparently referring to those who in recent days had been called to active duty in the Soviet Army Reserves.

Taft said Shapiro told him that he and 19 other Moscow Jews had written yesterday to Nixon asking for an audience with him or his representative during his Soviet visit. Taft said he told Shapiro, “I don’t know whether the letter has been delivered or whether the President will be able to act in accordance with it. but I am sure that I express the hope of all Americans that those Jews who wish to leave Russia are allowed to in accordance with human rights guaranteed by the Charter of the United Nations.”

The Student Struggle for Soviet Jewry said yesterday that the letter Shapiro referred to called upon Nixon as “the head of a great state” to help the 20 signatories emigrate to Israel. The signers included Shapiro. Mikhail Kliachkin, Boris Kogan, Anatoly Novikov and Valentine Prussakov.