B’nai B’rith Leader Says Mexican President Reneged on Promise That His Government Would Abstain from

B’nai B’rith has charged President Luis Echeverria of Mexico with reneging on "unequivocal assurances" that his government would, abstain from supporting anti-Jewish actions.

In a letter sent Monday to Echeverria and made public today. David M. Blumberg, B’nai B’rith’s president, told the Mexican leader that the "continuity" of recent anti-Israel actions "cannot be reconciled" with Echeverria’s assertions of "Mexico’s concord and spirit of cooperative enterprise with Israel" that were made personally to Blumberg when they met May 24 in Mexico City.

Citing Mexican support of anti-Israel resolutions that sought to politicize the UN Habitat conference and World Health Organization assembly, Mexico’s "distortion of reality" in condemning the rescue of hostages from Uganda and "abrupt cancellations" of Mexican participation in international chess and table-tennis tournaments scheduled for Israel, Blumberg said: "Those actions have revived the suspicions and uncertainties" which Echeverria’s assurances were intended to allay.

Following the May 24 meeting, Blumberg announced that B’nai B’rith would resume tours to Mexico in its group travel programs. Earlier, the B’nai B’rith ban had continued after other Jewish groups had re-instituted Mexican tours.

Mexico’s "pattern" of continued anti-Israel decisions cannot be "adequately explained" to B’nai B’rith’s constituency. All "ill serve the friendship we have for the people of Mexico and our respect for Mexico’s democratic traditions." Blumberg advised Echeverria.

DECLINES ECHEVERRIA’S INVITATION

The B’nai B’rith president added that "under the circumstances," he must "regretfully decline" an invitation Echeverria had extended him to attend the President’s address to the Mexican Congress and the inauguration of the Third World academic center in September.

Blumberg’s letter strongly criticized Mexico’s communication to the UN Security Council condemning Israel’s rescue of hostages in Uganda as a violation of the UN Charter and international law and, at the same time, calling for diplomatic action against terrorism.

Mexico’s action, Blumberg wrote, chose to ignore Uganda’s collusion with the terrorists–a "distortion of reality which denies international law, demeans the UN Charter" and, by implicit acceptance of sanctuary for terrorists, "appears to contradict your government’s appeal for international action against terrorism."