Exclusion of Jews from U.S. Diplomatic Posts in Arab Lands Protested

The American Jewish Congress today called on Secretary of State Dean Rusk to repudiate the “ugly practice” of excluding Jews from diplomatic posts in Arab countries, it was reported today at a meeting of the organization’s Governing Council.

Dr. Joachim Prinz, president of the Congress, voiced “dismay and disbelief” at a written explanation of State Department policy on over seas assignments by Assistant Secretary of State Douglas MacArthur, 2nd. Mr. MacArthur said in a letter: “While the United States does not normally take into account the religion of its employes in assigning them for duty abroad, this is regrettably a factor which cannot be ignored in the case of certain countries whose policies in this respect we cannot control, however much we disagree with them.

Mr. MacArthur’s statement was in reply to Rep. Richard S. Schweiker, Republican of Pennsylvania, a member of the House Armed Services and Government Operations Committees, who had inquired into allegations that the State Department was barring American Jews from appointment to foreign service posts abroad.

“We are astonished that the State Department should adopt this view, “Dr. Prinz wrote to Secretary Rusk. “Once we concede the right of foreign governments to exclude an American representative solely because of his religion, then ultimately only a certain kind of moral, political and ethnic neuter will be found eligible for diplomatic posts.”