Azf Leader Says Soviet Jewry Tragedy Warrants Top Priority on World Community Agenda

The tragic situation of the Jews in the Soviet Union warrants top priority on the agenda of the world community, Rabbi Israel Miller, president of the American Zionist Federation, said last night. Presenting his views to the AZF executive council, he stated that the trials in Leningrad and the death sentences which were handed down but later commuted “are but one manifestation of a ruthless program by the Soviet government to obliterate the Jewishness of three million of its citizens.” Declaring that Jews who desire to leave the Soviet Union must be permitted to emigrate from the USSR, their land of birth, to Israel, the land of their historic, must not be considered a treasonable act.” The AZF leader also expressed the view that a differentiation must be made “between our concern for Soviet Jews and the methods which some feel will help alleviate the situation.” He referred specifically to the tactics of harassing Soviet officials and their families which he said was counter-productive and expressed the hope “that such manifestations of protest will not recur.” Although Rabbi Miller did not mention the Jewish Defense League by name, it was that group headed by Rabbi Meir Kahane which was engaged in harassing Soviet officials.

On Tuesday, Rabbi Kahane announced that JDL was calling an “indefinite moratorium” on further harassments but warned that it would revert to that policy “if we don’t see any results.” In another statement yesterday Rabbi Kahane said the JDL will conduct a consumer boycott against products of American companies doing business with the Soviet Union and would conduct “non-violent actions” against organizations engaged in cultural exchange programs with the Soviet Union. Rabbi Miller observed that the “most unhappy consequence of violent tactics” is that it aids the Soviet Union “in diverting attention away from the fact that Jews of all political and ideological persuasions–as well as numerous Christians–are actively denouncing the Soviet persecution of Jews.” It permits, he added, the Soviet authorities “to act as if only Zionist thugs and hoodlums are involved instead of being forced to face the reality that the entire Jewish community is involved, as well as millions of non-Jews through out the world including leading Communists, in a unified denunciation of the Soviet Union.” Rabbi Miller also denounced the references to Zionism in the government-controlled Soviet press and attempts to make Zionism “the scapegoat for all that is wrong with Soviet policy. Their attacks on Zionism becloud the true issues, and to perverted minds encourages attitudes and acts of anti-Semitism. To them, anti-Zionism has become the code word for anti-Semitism.”