Wjc Officials Appeal to Un, Red Cross to Help Secure Release of Hostages

Officials of the World Jewish Congress today appealed to the United Nations and the International Red Cross to intervene to secure the release of passengers aboard the hijacked Swissair and TWA airliners. Dr. Nahum Goldmann. president of the WJC. cabled an appeal to UN Secretary General U Thant to “use your high authority for urgent intervention with member states’ so that they release “immediately and unconditionally” all passengers hijacked to their territories, He requested U Thant’s intervention on “humanitarian” grounds and “for the purpose of upholding the freedom and security of air traffic.” It is your duty, he said, to point out the particular danger to Jewish passengers in view of the Middle East conflict. Gerhart M. Riegner. secretary general of the WJC. appealed to the IRC to use its “best efforts” to secure the immediate release, protection and care of all passengers on the hijacked planes irrespective of their nationality, religion or race. The Federation of Jewish Swiss Communities also appealed to the Swiss Federal Government to take immediate action to secure the release of the kidnapped passengers.