Dr. Mordechai Hacohen, a founder and vice president of the National Committee on American Foreign Policy, has resigned from his post and cancelled his membership with the conservative foreign policy association, apparently a result of the recent dispute within the group over the presentation of an award to former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Simchat Torah.
Declaring that the 10-year-old association has been “reduced to a social club” and that it “has lost its reason to exist,” Hacohen wrote in a letter to the executive committee of the organization, dated October 9, that there was a “callous disregard for the religious sensitivities of some of the officers, members and friends” of the organization when the awards dinner was scheduled.
He accused the association of having “abrasively ignored” his pleas to have the dinner, which presented Kissinger with the Hans Morgenthau Memorial Award, rescheduled. Hacohen said the dispute over the awards dinner resulted in the circulation of a “fraudulent memorandum” last month addressed to the executive committee, allegedly saying that the committee had accepted his “resignation.” He said he never submitted his resignation until now.
TAKES OPPORTUNITY TO PAY TRIBUTE
In his October 9 letter, Hacohen also took “the opportunity to pay tribute to Ambassador Sol Linowitz, the writer Elie Wiesel, executive board member Professor Howard Adelson and Ambassador Ira Hirschman and other members and friends who affirmed their Jewish faith, pride and self-respect by not attending the dinner on Simchat Torah.
“At the same time, I deeply regret, despite my pleas and those of others, Dr. Kissinger accepted the Hans Morgenthau Award on that day, thereby endorsing the discrimination by the organizers against observant Jewish officers, members and friends of the committee.
“Though it is not a sectarian organization, the National Committee on American Foreign Policy was founded by citizens of the Jewish faith and has in the past been sensitive to the dictates of the conscience of its members.
“All these developments have led me to the conclusion under the circumstances I do not wish to continue my association with the organization and herewith cancel my membership … effective today, Sunday, October 9.”
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.
