Two Jewish leaders warned today that divisions in the American Jewish community on matters affecting Israel could erode support for Israel by the Carter Administration and the American public. Theodore Mann, chairman of the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council (NJCRAC) and Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, president of the American Jewish Congress, both expressed concern that if such divisions are perceived they could harm Israel at a crucial time.
Addressing a meeting of the AJ Congress Women’s Division. Mann contended that American Jewry is solid in its support of Israel. Although its views are not monolithic, there is basic agreement within the Jewish community that Israel must remain secure, that the PLO is a terrorist organization and that Israel must not be pressured to negotiate with the PLO, he said.
But a “false perception that the support of American Jewry for Israel is lessening” on these issues or that the community is not united on them, could lead to such pressure, Mann warned. He claimed that recent reports in the media had created the false impression that there was an erosion of support for Israel among certain parts of the Jewish community.
Hertzberg said it was “dangerous” for elements within the community to speak against Israel openly. He said that “the squabbling and dissension” should be kept within the community lest Israel’s enemies use reports of dissension to construct a theory that many Jews are not supportive of Israel. Rep. Lester Wolff (D.NY), another speaker at the gathering, said that the support of American Jewry and of the Carter Administration was “crucial” for Israel at this time.
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