Jewish Leaders in Argentina Condemn Communists; Want Them Expelled from Institutions

Assertions in the Argentina Yiddish Communist daily, “Haint,” that the Israeli Government is “torturing Arabs” and “heating up hungry Jewish immigrants” were condemned today in a statement issued by the central committee for the United Israeli Campaign and Ayuda.

Simon Mirelman, president of the U.I.C., told a press conference that leaders of the campaign reached the conclusion that “there is no possibility of cooperating” with the Jewish Communists, because “they are only interested in obstructing any work in behalf of Israel.” Mr. Mirelman voiced the opinion that the Jewish Communists have “put themselves out of the fold of Israel.” Reviewing the progress of this year’s campaign, Mr. Mirelman said that although contributions to date have not been as “spontaneous” as during the previous year’s drive, many contributors have nonetheless increased their gifts to the current campaign. He expressed the belief that results of the 1949 drive would not fall short of the funds raised last year.

Mordecai Keifman, Labor Zionist leader in this country, said “an impossible situation” has arisen in which the Jewish Communists slander Israel and the Jewish people and sabotage the United Israeli Campaign, while at the same time they pretend to be engaged in Jewish communal activities. “The Jewish State,” organ of the General Zionist party here, in its current issue carries an editorial calling for the expulsion of Communists from Jewish institutions.