Jewish organizations today continued to hail the bipartisan resolution introduced yesterday by Senators Lehman, Douglas and Langer to prevent discrimination against American citizens because of their religion. The resolution aims to check discrimination practiced by Arab states against American Jews, which thus far has been unopposed by the State Department.
Dr. Israel Goldstein, president of the American Jewish Congress, in a statement today said: “The resolution calls attention to the fact that for a long period of time our State Department has acquiesced in a series of discriminations against American citizens on American soil by Arab states. Such violations of American rights which heretofore have never been tolerated are now apologetically condoned.”
The AJC president stressed that when the Senate begins consideration of this resolution, it will discover that American business has been boycotted; that American citizens have been interrogated about their religion by Arab consulates on American soil; that American Government agencies have screened out Jews in Middle East military and governmental assignments, that American soldiers have been denied the right to serve in our armed forces in Arab land.
“These invasions of rights of American citizens have been directed against the Jewish community,” Dr. Goldstein pointed out. He said that most of these charges had been documented by the American Jewish Congress in a “White Paper” issued last April detailing the Arab campaign against Americans of the Jewish faith.
“All Americans,” Dr. Goldstein concluded, “hope that the Senate will quickly and unanimously adopt this resolution directing our State Department to re-establish those principles which have been traditional in the defense of American rights, and thus restore the moral position of America in foreign affairs.”
OPPOSE CONDONATION OF ARAB INFRINGEMENT ON U. S. CITIZENSHIP RIGHTS
The B’nai B’rith, in a telegram sent to Senator Lehman, said: “Your resolution calling for Senate disapproval of discrimination practiced by certain foreign nations against American citizens based on religious affiliations deserves commendation. B’nai B’rith triennial convention last month urged such action. Paramount is restoration of principle that our country considers any distinctions against U. S. citizens by other nations on grounds of religion as incompatible with relations that should exist among friendly nations.”
The National Community Relations Advisory Council in a statement today hailed the resolution introduced in the Senate and called upon all Senators to join in its sponsorship. Julian Freeman, of Indianapolis, chairman of the NCRAC Committee on Community Relations Aspects of Developments in the Middle East, expressed gratification that the proposed Senate resolution is in close accord with a resolution expressing the concerted view of all the 40 constituent organizations of the NCRAC, national and local, adopted by the NCRAC Plenary Session last Sunday.
“The acquiescence by our government in the discriminations imposed by the Arab states upon American citizens because of their religion,” said Mr. Freeman, “creates the impression that the United States officially condones these infringements upon the most fundamental principles of religious liberty and equality of citizenship.”
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.
