Zionists Undermining Poland, Tass Says

A report by Tass, the Soviet news agency, alleging that Zionist organ-

izations are actively engaged in “a massive campaign to undermine Socialist foundations in Poland,” was cited by Charlotte Jacobson, chairman of the World Zionist Organization-American Section today as the “opening gunshot” in a new Soviet campaign against Zionism, Israel and the Jewish people.

Jacobson noted that the Tass item quoted the Literaturnaya Gazeta, the official publication of the Soviet Writers Union, which published an article on April 21 on “Anti-Polish Activities by Zionists.” According to Jacobson, the article was intended to serve the Kremlin “during the crisis in Poland as a ready source of anti-Semitic quotation by the Tass Soviet news agency.”

She said that the WZO “totally rejects these libelous, but no less menacing allegations. We brand them as a Nazi-like attempt to spread anti-Jewish lies, in this instance designed to spark anti-Semitic fires directed at the tiny and inconsequential Jewish remnant in Poland and at Jews living in Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union.” Jacobson said she categorically denies “that the Zionist movement–embracing everyone of its affiliated organizations — has ever been, or is at present, engaged in the political internal struggles of Poland or of any other nation. This must be branded as a sordid attempt to resurrect the discredited lies of the ‘Protocols of Zion’ once more.”

Jacobson added that she believed this “is the beginning of another chapter in the Soviets’ relentless campaign to equate Zionism with racism … I denounce it as the lethal libel it is–a weapon aimed at the State of Israel as the heart of the Jewish people and at the same time targeted to undermine Jewish existence everywhere.”