Board of Deputies of British Jews Warns Arrest of Jews in Soviet Union New Intimidation

The reported arrests of eight Jews in Leningrad and the search-raids of Jewish homes there and in other Russian cities, produced a warning from the Board of Deputies of British Jews today that the Soviet Union has begun a campaign of harassment and intimidation against Jews who have applied for permission to emigrate to Israel. The statement said thousands of applications for exit permits have been filed by Russian Jews “initially encouraged to do so by a promise given by Premier Kosygin in Paris in December. 1964” that Jews would be allowed to re-unite with their families abroad. “It is feared that the arrests that have already taken place are intended to instill fear into these applicants and particularly threaten the safety and freedom of those who have petitioned the United Nations for assistance,” the statement said, and added: “In the present climate of hostility such developments must cause concern for the welfare of the three million Soviet Jews. All those concerned for human rights must surely see the danger of once again treating this vulnerable Jewish minority as a scapegoat.” Reports reaching here quoting “dissident” sources in Russia identified the eight Jews alleged to have been arrested while at work or at their homes in Leningrad. They are Vladimir Mogilever. 30, an engineer, married with one child; Lassal Kaminsky, 40, an engineer, married with two children; David Chernoglas, agronomist, married with one child; Gilel Gutman, 37, an engineer, married with one child; Lev Kornblit, mathematician, married with one child; Lev Shapiro, 30, an engineer, unmarried; Solomon Dresner, 38, an engineer, married, with one child; and Anatoly Golfield, 24, an engineer, unmarried.