The maintenance of “full vigilance” by the Jews of this country over the political situation resulting from the recent elections during which the Nationalist Party, headed by Premier Daniel F. Malan, known for his anti-Jewish sentiments, was victorious, was urged here last night at a meeting of the South African Board of Jewish Deputies.
Reviewing the Jewish position in the light of the new political situation following the fall of the liberal government of ex-Premier Jan Christian Smuts, I. Kuper chairman of the Board, pointed out that the first statements issued by the Malan Cabinet expressed assurances that the new government would stand for equal treatment of all sections of the European population in the country.
“Mindful of the discriminatory proposals of the Nationalist Party in the past, the Jews note these assurances and trust that they will be the keynote of the government’s policy,” Kuper declared. “However, full vigilance must be maintained, and any attempt to deviate from this policy must be immediately combatted.”
During the discussion of Super’s report, the Jewish deputies all agreed that on the basis of the government assurances, there is no ground for misgivings. At the same time, they all agreed on a policy of “careful and continuous vigilance” to be followed by the Board in connection with the new political situation in the country.
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.
