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Senate Hears Plea for U.N. Action on Soviet Anti-jewish Discrimination

February 19, 1962
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Senator Kenneth Keating of New York told the Senate yesterday that he favors a firmer stand by both the American people and the United States Government on Soviet discrimination against Jewish culture and religion.

The Republican lawmaker, in a floor speech, stated he endorses the idea of having our UN delegation “publicly air the facts on the situation before United Nations committees and the General Assembly.” He said it has come to his attention that the Soviet Government “is disturbed by this kind of pressure” and is resorting to “counter measures to prevent American Jewish organizations from playing an active role in support of their co-religionists in the Soviet Union.”

“There is mounting evidence that the Communists are trying to block these well Justified protests by casting aspersions on the integrity of some of the organizations involved and even going so far as to hint that American-Jewish organizations are being used as pawns by the American State Department,” he declared. “Nothing could be further from the truth. All Americans are shocked by Soviet persecutions and discrimination and all Americans have the right–or, even stronger–I would say all Americans have the obligation to express their indignation at this kind of tactics.”

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