U.S. Mizrachi and Agudath Israel Deny Interference in Israeli Affairs

The Religious Zionist Party of America, composed of Mizrachi and Hapoel Hamizrachi, today joined other Jewish Orthodox groups in this country in denouncing the seven major American Jewish organizations which last week cabled to Israel Premier Levi Eshkol to resist pressure of “extremist religious groups” in the United States. At the same time the Agudath Israel of America issued a call to all Orthodox groups in this country “to mobilize their efforts” to counter the move of the seven organizations.

“We are amazed and shocked by the statement by the seven organizations accusing religious Jews in the United States of exercising pressure on the government of the State of Israel in order to deprive Jews and non-Jews of their basic religious freedom, ” a statement by the Religious Zionist Party said, “This allegation has no basis whatsoever in fact. Not one segment of religious Jewry in the United States intends to interfere with the freedom of the religious community in Israel.”

The Religious Zionist Party statement said that Orthodox Jews “ask only that the Israeli Government avoid the exploitation of poverty and distress by the missionaries in their fanatic endeavors to convert poor Jewish children, depriving them of their natural links to their people, their religion, their country.”

The statement warned that “the Religious Zionists of America will be compelled, most reluctantly to reconsider our future affiliation with American Jewish Congress.” The American Jewish Congress is one of the seven major Jewish organizations which sent the cable to Premier Eshkol charging that extremist religious groups are seeking by coercion to deprive Jews and non-Jews in Israel of full religious freedom. The other six were: The American Jewish Committee, B’nai B’rith, the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Rabbinical Assembly, the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, and the United Synagogue of America.