The Executive of the World Jewish Congress expressed “grave apprehension” today over “the recent increase of anti-Jewish occurrences and measures in the USSR” and urged Soviet authorities “to facilitate the exit of Jews who so wish and to enable the Jews to develop their own culture and religious life in the USSR.”
The manifestation of concern over recent developments in the Soviet Union was contained in a statement released to the press following a lengthy discussion of the condition of Soviet Jews at the WJC Executive’s meeting here. The situation of Jews in Arab countries, particularly Syria, was also discussed and plans were made for the WJC General Council meeting in Washington next fall.
The statement on Soviet Jewry noted in particular a March 4 article in the government newspaper Izvestia “leveling the accusation of CIA-linked espionage against several Jews prominent in the struggle for Jewish rights, including the right to emigrate to Israel.”
The statement also said that “other manifestations of this escalation of pressure on Soviet Jews have been the arrests of prominent Jewish activists, the showing of blatantly anti-Semitic films on Soviet television, anti-Semitic articles in the press and the suppression of an attempt by Jewish scholars to call a symposium for the discussion of Jewish cultural problems with a view to reviving cultural activities.”
The statement noted that “Meanwhile, the number of exit permits for Jews wishing to emigrate in order to reunite with their families is not increasing. The Executive voices a most serious warning that these manifestations may create an atmosphere of widespread anti-Jewish prejudice and urges the Soviet government to halt this campaign immediately in order to avert tragic consequences for the Jews in the USSR.” A similar statement was issued earlier this week by the Presidium of the Brussels World Conference on Soviet Jewry meeting here.
The WJC Executive meeting was chaired by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the WJC. Participants included Philip M. Klutznick, chairman of the WJC Governing Board; Leon Dulzin, chairman of the General Council; Yosef Almogi, chairman of the World Zionist Organization and Jewish Agency Executives; WJC vice-presidents Nessim D. Gaon and Samuel Norich; regional branch chairmen Lord Fisher of Camden for Europe and Itzhak Korn for Israel; and WJC secretary general Dr. Gerhardt Riegner.
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