Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger “sticks by his statement” last Thursday to the Senate that he has been “meeting regularly” with Jewish community leaders on the issue of Soviet-American trade and the Jackson Amendment on Soviet emigration policy, the State Department said Friday, but the Department refused to say when or with whom Kissinger has been meeting or where the meetings have been held. Kissinger made that statement in his appearance before the Senate Finance Committee which was considering the Trade Reform Bill.
“I won’t start handing out the Secretary’s schedule,” State Department spokesman George Vest declared. But he said he (Vest) had “verified the facts” of the Secretary’s testimony that he has been meeting with “members” of the Jewish community.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agency, which asked Vest for the information, pointed out that there are six million Jews in America who could be “members” but Kissinger had said “leaders.” Vest responded that he had “no objection to leaders” or “key members,” but he reiterated “we stick by it” (the statement) whether “leaders or members.”
After the JTA reporter noted that he was informed neither the National Conference on Soviet Jewry nor the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations had met with Kissinger since last Oct. on the Jackson Amendment issue. Vest replied that “the National Conference is not the only organization. There are other organizations.” Representatives of the NCSJ told JTA in Washington that Kissinger’s statement on his meetings with Jewish leaders was “misleading” and out of context.
Asked whether he had any response regarding Sen. Henry M. Jackson’s assertion, following Kissinger’s testimony, that any resolution of the dispute over the amendment would require movement by the Soviet Union in its emigration policy. Vest said that “the Secretary put himself in a very precise position” that he was “willing to be reasonable” and was “hopeful.”
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