Search JTA's historical archive dating back to 1923

French Socialist Delegation Discussing Soviet Jewry in Moscow

October 29, 1963
See Original Daily Bulletin From This Date
Advertisement

A 15-man delegation of French Socialists, led by Guy Mollet, former Prime Minister of France, is in Moscow now discussing the situation of Soviet Jews with senior USSR authorities, and is expected to take up that issue with Prime Minister Nikita S. Khrushchev next Saturday.

M. Mollet, it was reported here, studied the situation of Russian Jewry carefully prior to departing for Moscow, going over many documented reports on the issue, especially one presented last month to the participants of the 1960 Paris Conference on Soviet Jewry by Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World Jewish Congress.

It is believed here that M. Mollet’s delegation is the most likely–compared with other previous delegations–of achieving some concrete results regarding the status of Soviet Jewry. The reason given is that both the Kremlin and the French Communist Party are anxious to achieve unification of leftist forces in France as a united Socialist opposition to President Charles de Gaulle.

Among the members of the delegation led by M. Mollet are Christian Pinneau, who was Foreign Minister here in 1956-57, during Israel’s Sinai campaign; Gaston Deferre, a close friend of Israel, who has been mentioned increasingly of late as the Opposition’s candidate in this country’s next Presidential elections; and Albert Gazier, a former Cabinet member, who has visited Israel and takes keen interest in Israel and in Jewish affairs generally.

Recommended from JTA

Advertisement