Jack Winocour, who has resigned as director of information of the World Jewish Congress, a post he held for six years, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency today that his resignation was “an act of conscience” to protest against the alleged usurpation of the WJC’s Independence by the Israel Government.
But Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the WJC, told the JTA that “The World Jewish Congress remains absolutely independent of the Government of Israel.”
Dr. Goldmann said, “Both the Prime Minister, Mrs. Golda Meir, and the Foreign Minister, Abba Eban, disclaimed any responsibility for the policy and actions of the World Zionist Organization.” Dr. Goldmann was referring to the WZO’s cancellation of his appearance at the 28th Zionist Congress in Jerusalem last Jan. because of his controversial remarks on Soviet Jewry.
NO LONGER REPRESENTS DIASPORA JEWRY
Winocour told the JTA, “I felt for some time that I must be free to register my protest at the development of relations between the Congress and the Government of Israel and the Jewish Agency.” He asserted that “Jewish public attention must be drawn to the fact that the Congress is losing its independence as the organization representing diaspora Jewry and is becoming the instrument of others instead of asserting itself as an independent body and acting in accordance with its stated convictions.”
Winocour said that while Dr. Goldmann says he has the assurances of the Israel Government that the WJC is independent, “I don’t believe in assurances of any government anywhere in the world.” During World War II, Winocour headed the British Information Office in Washington, D.C. He resigned from the Foreign service because of the British Labor Government’s post-war policy in Palestine, Winocour has been editor of the WJC magazine “World Jewry” for the last 10 years.
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.
