The Sovietische Heimland, the only Yiddish publication in the Soviet Union, published in its current issue a letter from a group of Soviet Jewish writers supporting the Soviet Government’s position in the Middle East dispute.
The letter made a reference to the “aggressive policy of Israeli ruling circles” in urging the unconditional withdrawal of Israeli forces from Arab-occupied territories but was generally much milder than current Soviet propaganda blasts against Israel. It made no reference to the charges of Nazi-like atrocities which have consistently marked Soviet anti-Israel propaganda.
The letter noted that Soviet Premier Kosygin “told the United Nations General Assembly on June 18 clearly that the Soviet Union was not against Israel” but only opposed its “aggressive policy.” “The Soviet Union has always supported the right of big and small nations to national independence.” the letter stated. “This is why the Soviet Union voted in 1947 for the U.N. decision to create an Arab and a Jewish State in Palestine.”
“We urge all progressive Jewish writers and cultural workers, indeed Jews throughout the whole world, to raise their voice for peace in the Middle East and for withdrawal of Israeli troops behind the truce lines and for promotion of an atmosphere of respect for the rights of all countries and peoples in this area,” the letter said.
It linked the issue with the death of 6,000,000 European Jews by the Nazis with the statement that a people which had suffered such a tragedy “clearly knows the dangers of military conflicts.” The writers also cited the late Albert Einstein as having allegedly warned “Israeli rulers in his time that Israel’s independent existence could only be ensured in conditions of good neighborly relations with the Arab states.” The letter cautioned also that “the Israeli people have no need for foreign territory. Occupation and annexation are the road of adventurers.”
Aaron Vergelis, editor of the publication and long-time Jewish apologist for the Soviet regime, was one of the signers. Others were Hirsh Osherovich of Wilno, Abraham Gontar, Shike Driz, Z. Wendroff, Nathan Lurie of Odessa, Chaim Maltinsky of Minsk, Boris Miller of Biro-Bidjan, Chaim Melamud of Czernowitz, Moshe Notovich of Kazan, Yechiel Falikman of Kiev. Solomon Roitman of Yoshkar and Yechiel Schreibman of Kishinev.
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.
