World Socialist Parley Appeals to Russia for Equal Rights to Jews

A strong resolution calling upon the Government of the Soviet Union to wipe out “any trace of anti-Jewish discrimination” in the USSR was adopted unanimously here today by the world congress of the Socialist International. The congress, with representatives here from 20 countries, including Israel, has been in session all this week.

Another resolution urged the Great Powers and the United Nations to halt the escalation of arms in the Middle East directed against Israel, and called for direct peace negotiations between Israel and the Arab states. This measure also strongly condemned the shipment of Soviet arms into the Middle East and the employment of former Nazis by Egypt to make weapons of mass destruction.

The resolution dealing with Soviet Jewry appealed to the Moscow Government “to extend to the Jewish community equal treatment accorded to other religious groups and nationalities in the Soviet society, including the right to enjoy adequate facilities for practicing their own faith, to organize their own cultural activities and to cooperate in this field with other Jewish communities.”

The congress also urged the Soviet Government to “give consideration to the reunification of families separated by Fascist persecution and war, and to permit Jews who desire to do so to join their relatives in Israel and elsewhere.”

SOVIET MASS-SUPPLY OF ARMS TO EGYPT CONDEMNED

The resolution dealing with Soviet Jewry was introduced by the Dutch delegation which told the congress: “The Dutch Socialist Party wholeheartedly supports this resolution in the hope that it may help alleviate the position of the Jews in Russia. In Holland, we have a centuries-old tradition of fighting for freedom of faith, and we hope this resolution will help create better conditions for Jewry in the Soviet Union.”

In the resolution dealing with the Middle East, introduced by the British delegation, the Congress declared: “The Congress of the Socialist International deplores the continued tensions in the Middle East which are a source of instability and hamper social and economic development in the area. The Congress views with anxiety the arms race in that region and is especially concerned by the large-scale supplies of Soviet arms to the United Arab Republic and the work of former Nazi experts in Egypt on the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction.

“The Congress condemns the renewed threats to destroy Israel. It declares that the general international situation must be used by the Great Powers and the United Nations for a new peace initiative in the region. The Congress reiterates its policy in favor of concerted efforts toward a plan of balanced and controlled disarmament in the Middle East. It calls upon the Arab states and Israel to enter into direct negotiations without prior conditions prejudicial to either side, with the aim of reaching a settlement on all outstanding issues and creating peaceful coexistence.”

In another resolution the Congress called upon both the European Economic Community and the European Free Trade Association to take account of the economic position of other nations, naming in this context especially Israel and Finland. It urged both the EES and the EFTA to speed signing of an agreement with Israel, “thus helping safeguard Israel’s vital interests in constructive development.”