An informed White House source acknowledged to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that Dr. Henry Kissinger had names of “some” Jews held in Soviet prisons when he met with Soviet Communist Party Secretary Leonid I. Brezhnev in Moscow early in May but that neither Brezhnev nor any other Soviet official made any promises to President Nixon’s emissary for releasing them.
The source also said that the Soviet authorities would have “no reason” to divulge their intentions regarding the prisoners and they may never announce their policy in this respect but “just let it happen.” According to a press report originated in Washington, Brezhnev was planning to allow about 1000 activist Jews, presumably including about 50 in prisons, to leave for Israel.
The report also said that Brezhnev might raise the annual emigration rate of Soviet Jews for Israel from the present level of about 31,000 to 36-40,000. The White House source said he had no information on that point. Dr. Kissinger met with Brezhnev for four days to complete arrangements for Brezhnev’s eight-day visit to the U.S. beginning June 18 when he will arrive in Washington.
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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.
