UN Condemnation of Israel Assailed by Jewish Organizations As ‘one-sided’

The Security Council’s condemnation of Israel for its reprisal raid on the Beirut Airport, for which the United States joined with the Soviet Union in approval, drew sharp criticism today from Jewish organizations. The theme of the complaints against both the United Nations and the United States was the fact that Israel’s critics had failed to condemn the Arab terrorist raids which provoke Israeli reprisals.

The B’nai B’rith deplored the Security Council resolution for “failing to distinguish between provocation and retaliation.” President William A. Wexler also called approval of the resolution an “encouragement to further Arab terrorism,” and a “denial of United Nations principles of peace and justice.” He added “that the hard-rock issue of which side wants peace and which side promotes hostility goes unnoticed at the United Nations.” Previously, B’nai B’rith sent telegrams to President Johnson, Secretary of State Dean Rusk and United States envoy Russell Wiggins, urging the United States to oppose the Council resolution as “one-sided” and “unjust.” The United Synagogue of America, the central agency for Conservative congregations and the American Trade Union Council for Histadrut, placed substantial advertisements in the New York Times to convey those views. Other organizations protesting the criticisms of Israel and silence on the Arab terrorists included the National Council of Young Israel, which sent telegrams to President Johnson, President-elect Richard M. Nixon, and Mr. Wiggins, condemning the State Department criticism of the Beirut raid as “incomprehensible and immoral;” and the National Council of Jewish Women, which denounced the “double standard of international justice” it said was implicit in the Security Council resolution. The Jewish War Veterans denounced “the vehemence and severity of the State Department and other diplomatic attacks” on Israel for the Beirut raid.