Lza Leader Says Liberals Have Not Deserted Jewish Cause; Urges U.S. Jews Not to Play Down Their Libe

A leading Labor Zionist said here that the liberal community in the United States “have not deserted the Jewish cause” and rejected the accusation that the liberals will abandon Israel in favor of supporting the Third World. Dr. Ezra Spicehandler, president of the Labor Zionist Alliance (LZA), also called upon American Jews not to play down their liberalism just because there is a Republican Administration in the White House.

In remarks prepared for delivery tomorrow to the opening session of the 26th triennial convention of the LZA, Spicehandler said “Liberals in Congress have a better record on Israel than conservatives. This holds true for the vast majority of Black Congressmen; they do support Israel.” He pointed out that the anti-Semitic and anti-Israel statements by Louis Farrakhan, a Black Muslim leader, does not represent the vast majority of Blacks.

Commenting on last year’s Presidential election, the LZA leader said “appeals to Jews by neo-conservatives such as Irving Kristol and others went almost unheeded. The vast majority of American Jews voted liberal. The neo-conservatives failed to deliver the Jewish vote. “According to a number of exit polls, including those conducted by ABC-TV, CBS-TV and the American Jewish Congress, 67-70 percent of the Jewish electorate voted for the Democratic Presidential candidate, Walter Mondale.

Regarding President Reagan, Spicehandler said that ” to his credit, the President, though he is a conservative, is not going to attempt to bribe the American Jewish community with aid to Israel. He supports Israel because he likes Israel and believes it is an ally of the U.S. “But, he added, “Jews have the right to applaud the Administration when it is right and attack it when it is wrong.”