Governor Rockefeller and Dr. Ernest L. Boyer, Chancellor of the State University of New York, today announced the appointment of Judge Gustave G. Rosenberg as a Special Assistant to the Chancellor on Israeli Studies, Judge Rosenberg has served as a member meeting the Soviets had resumed their Jamming of Israel radio broadcasts, had resumed the arrest, trial and imprisonment of Jewish activists, and had imposed ransom-size fees against Jews seeking to emigrate, based on their education.
The ransom fee, with its frightening reminder of the Nazi period, became a legitimate issue in the campaign when Sen. McGovern and 74 other Senators Joined in an amendment to bar the granting of most favored nation status to the Soviet Union as long as the Russians persisted in demanding huge exit fees of Jewish emigrants. At the same time, the Nixon administration continued to discuss billions of dollars in credits and other trade concessions for the Russians.
Senator McGovern won considerable support for his stand on the issue, summed up in his statement to the Presidents Conference:
“I am not willing to trade this country’s historic commitment to human rights–the Individual worth and value of human beings–just for a commercial deal. As long as the Soviet Union continues to put a price-tag on its citizens who wish to emigrate, as long as the Soviet Union continues to provide guns and bullets to Arab terrorists, I intend to fight as hard as I can to deny them the privilege of most favored nation in doing business with America.”
Richard Nixon remains silent on the issue of Soviet Jewry in public. Privately he tells Jewish supporters: “Trust me. I’ll take care of it.”
Jewish refusal to accept this policy in the post-Auschwitz generation may turn out to be the most telling factor of all in the overwhelming vote which Jewish voters will give George McGovern on November 7th. of the New York Court of Claims and was a member of the Board of Higher Education of the City of New York from 1952 to 1966, serving as chairman of the Board for his last nine years.
Because of his extensive experience in higher education, Judge Rosenberg conducted a study of the University system of Israel at the request of the Israeli government in 1969. In 1970, Judge Rosenberg again visited Israel on behalf of the Governor and the State University of New York to initiate a broad student exchange program between the State University and the universities of Israel. In June of this year. Judge Rosenberg made a third visit to Israel to further implement the exchange program.
In thanking Judge Rosenberg for taking on his new assignment, the Governor said: “It Is gratifying to know that Chancellor Boyer and the State University of New York will be assured of the continued wise counsel and support of Judge Rosenberg, who has been Instrumental In establishing such close ties between the State University and Israeli universities.” In his new position In which he serves without salary. Judge Rosenberg will also serve as a consultant to the Chancellor’s Task Force on Israeli Studies.
Eleven professors at the University of Pennsylvania’s Law School today sharply attacked the high visa fees demanded by Soviet authorities of educated Jews seeking to emigrate. Their signed statement was sent to the Soviet Foreign Minister Andrei Gromyko and US Secretary of State William P. Rogers.
A poll of 60 top American editors by World magazine ranks Premier Golda Meir as the third most effective political figure today behind President Nixon and Mao Tse-tung and Chou En-lai.
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