Newspaper Page Text
Friday, January 20, 1950
Tht
Page Seven
i. . ITUERN ISRAELITE
BETWEEN US by Boris Smolar
Zionist Issues
The fight over whether the Jewish National Fund and the
Keren Hayesod should be merged is now finally coming into the
open . . . The Jewish National Fund is against such a merger
and the Keren Hayesod is for it . . . The idea to institute such
a merger was born in Jewish Agency executive circles . . . Some
members of the Jewish Agency insist that the two Zionist Funds,
when merged, should be placed under the supervision of the
Agency executive . . . And a plan to this effect is now being pre
pared by the American section of the executive, under the
guidance of Dr. Israel Goldstein . . . The attitude of the Israel
Government toward the projected merger is so far not known
- . . The Israel Cabinet prefers for the time being, not to inject
itself into this issue . . . However, there is no doubt that the
opinion of Premier David Ben Gurion will play the decisive role
in the issue . . .
The Jewish National Fund, in opposing the merger, advances
a number of solid arguments . . . The Keren Hayesod, in favor
ing the merger, argues that the unification of both Funds would
eliminate a ‘‘divided command” in the work of absorbing immi
grants in Israel . . .
The Jewish Agency executive is, naturally, in favor of the
merger since the merged Fund would become a department of
the Agency and thus increase the Agency’s activities . . . Emis
saries from Jerusalem of the Jewish National Fund and of the
the Keren Haysod are now in New York, each trying to impress
American Zionist leaders with the viewpoint of his organization.
Inside Doings
Trouble is brewing between the American Zionist Council and
the American section of the Jewish Agency . . . Leaders of the
American Zionist Council still entertain the hope that the Coun
cil will not be subordinated to the Jewish Agency . . . They
claim that as a representative body of all American Zionist
groups the Council should be free to act on the American scene
without any vetoes by the Jewish Agency . . . And it seems that
Israel diplomats in the United States, as well as members of
the Israel Cabinet, are inclined to agree with the view that the
Council, and no other body, should be the spokesman for Amer
ican Zionist in the U. S. . . . The decision will be taken at the
forthcoming session of the Zionst Actons Commttee, whch is the
supreme Zionist body between Zionist Congresses . . .
Shuld the Council not''secure full freedom of action from the
Actions Committee, it may decide to dissolve itself rather than
take orders from the American section of the Agency . . .
In the meantime, you can safely bet that Judge Morris Roth-
enberg will be elected national chairman of the United Palestine
Appeal at the meeting of the U. P. A. board of directors which
will take place in New York at the end of this month . . . He
will then withdraw from presidency of the Jewish National
Fund of America . . .
The big question 1 now among leading Zionist in New York is,
therefore, who will be named J.N. F. president to succeed Judge
Rothenberg.
Russia’s Policy of Anti-Semitism
CAPITAL SPOTLIGHT by Milton Friedman
Capitol’s Campus Caldron
A campaign against racial discrimination at George Washing
ton University is being waged by the University’s B’nai B’rith
Hillel Foundation.
Located in the center of the nation’s capital, a few blocks
from the London Memorial and the holy shrines of democracy,
the university refuses to admit Negro students. It is the only
Jim Crow university in the District of Columbia.
A few weeks ago, a number of GI amputees were barred from
attending a play in the university’s auditorium. The amputees
happened to be Negroes. One Jewish student, a combat veteran,
organized a protest demonstration. He was expelled.
The Hillel group, some time ago, incurred the wrath of the
university’s president, Dr. Cloyd H. Marvin. They had dared to
invite a Negro singer to perform in the Hillel House.
Recently, the Hillel group decided it was time to fight. The
foundation aligned itself with other liberal elements on the
campus. Led by Hillel President Manny Helzner, and advised
by the director, Irwin Glatstein, the Jewish students drafted a
strongly worded resolution. It was addressed to the university
and to the GWU religious council.
The Hillel members said that as Jews they felt it their re
ligious duty to stand up for human rights and the brotherhood
of man.
I Saac’s JEST FOR FUN
(Continued from page one)
war and its aftermath wrought
profound changes in the status and
outlook of the Jews. Nazi perse
cution rekindled Jewish con
sciousness and Jewish solidarity.
At the same time, Nazi anti-Semi
tic propaganda not only sank roots
in the invaded Ukraine and
Byerlorussia, which had the larg
est prewar Jewish populations,
but also found response _ behind
the Soviet lines. During the hasty
evacuation of Moscpw in October,
1941, when the Germans were al
most at the gates, rumors spread
that the Jews had grabbed all the
vehicles and made off with vast
treasures, leaving the rest of the
population in the lurch.”
‘‘After the war, Jews who came
back from evacuation sometimes
found that in their absence their
houses had been taken over by
Gentiles, together with their be
longings,” the correspondent con
tinues. “Nor were the usurpers al
ways gracious about making res
titution. Morover, in the invaded
areas returned Jews were often
as strangers in their own land.
They came home to find their rel
atives and friends wiped out, the
roots of their existence gone.
“The cumulative impact of these
experiences,” Mr. Stevens says,
“transformed the Soviet citizen of
Jewish origin into a Jew of Soviet
citizenship—a Jew first and fore
most, in his own eyes and those of
his neighbors, with a background
and ties that marked him apart.
Hence the tremendous and unex
pected enthusiasm of Soviet Jewry
for the state of Israel. But even
before that event, the changed
Jewish outlook was expressed in
an increasingly detached attitude
toward the Soviet surroundings,
and, above all, in an urge for closer
contact and understanding with
the West.
“In the summer of 1946, an
American rabbi, member of a
group of United States clergymen
which had collected funds for
Russian war relief, visited the
Moscow synagogue. The local Jews
gave him an enthusiastic and
enthusiastic and highly emotional
welcome, voicing their affection
and admiration for America and
gratitude for American aid, which
still was fresh in everyone’s mem
ory. Thereafter the party signaled
its first stem warnings against the
Jewish tendency to ‘grovel to the
West’—in strict confidence,” the
correspondent reports.
“With the advent of Israel,
Soviet Jews saw, or thought they
saw, the promise of a new and
better life,” the report states.“This
expectation was strengthened
when the Soviet Government
promptly recognized the new
state, even though Communist
policy had always vigordUsly op
posed Zionism and had ruthlessly
suppressed all Zionist organiza
tions. With the state of Israel an
accomplished fact, however, So
viet policymakers saw the chance
to gain a foothold in the Middle
East. Accordingly, Israel received
a favorable press, and party lec
tures were organized on the sub
ject.
“After one such lecture in Mos
cow, a man in the audience got up
and asked the speaker how Jews
wishing to emigrate to Israel
Operation Murder
(Continued from page six)
ity for them. It, moreover, re
flects on the quality of their
much-vaunted KULTUR.
The root of the evil was, of
course, the philosophy of Naz
ism, if it be deserving of that
term. There was method in the
Lunatic’s madness. Hitler’s
credo was “If Nature is cruel,
the Germans must be cruel,
too.” On August 22, 1939, he
called to Berchgestaden an in
timate circle of generals, who
were to lead the Polish cam
paign. He recalled to them the
memory of Genghis Khan, who
did not hesitate to send to their
death millions of women and
children and whom history still
regarded as the builder of a
great state. The goal of war, he
admonished them, was not the
capturing of certain lines, but
the physical destruction of the
enemy.” Accordingly, he con
tinued, I have ordered my
Death - Head units ... to
slaughter every man, woman
and child of Polish descent and
speech.” His generals accepted
unhesitatingly this theory.
Field Marshal Rundstedt de
clared that one of the chief
mistakes made by the Germans
in the first World War was the
preservation of the civilian
population in the occupied ter
ritories.
The French Prosecutor right
fully said that Nazism aspired
to “plunge humanity back into
barbarism, no longer the nat
ural and spontaneous barbar
ism of primitive man, but into
a diabolical barbarism . . . util-
zing all means offered by con
temporary scence.”
The Verdict was: Fourteen
defendants were sentenced to
death, by hanging, two to life
imprisonment, three to 20 years’
imprisonment and two to 10
years’ imprisonment. One was
acquitted.
“More than a million Jews
were murdered (by them). Are
the scales of justice balanced?”
With these melancholy words
Anatole Goldsteinn closes his
brilliant essay.
This stirring document must
be read to be appreciated.
(In a later article the author
will consider further aspects of
“Operation Murder.”
should make their applications.
Instead of answering, the speaker
launched a violent tirade, saying
that such a question was unworthy
of a loyal Soviet citizen, who
should prize his birthright too
much even to think of wanting to
emigrate, and that the very idea
was treasonable. Others in the
audience rallied to the question
er’s support: Had not Soviet citi
zens of Polish and Czech extrac
tion been allowed to leave under
repatriation agreements with the
respective countries? Why not a
similar agreement with Israel?
“When members of the Israeli
Legation, headed by Mrs. Golda
Myerson, reached Moscow, they
received a tremendous spontan
eous ovation from the local Jews,
first at the synagogue, then under
the windows of their Metropol
Hotel rooms—something without
precedent in Soviet history. Im
mediately the legation was flooded
with inquiries about how to get to
Israel. Somehow, the rumor got
started that arrangements were
under way for a wholesale popu
lation transfer of Soviet Jews to
Israel. Jews by the thousands be
gan liquidating their affairs and
packing their bags for the impend
ing exodus. But no new Moses ap
peared to lead them. The Iron
Curtain did not part to let them
pass,” the correspondent con
cludes.
NO SOUR CREAM
Another of the austerity stories
concerns Dr. Dov Joseph. He is the
Minister in charge of the austerity
program and of course a large
number of the stories use him as
the target.
One day, Dov Joseph came
home very tired and hungry.
“Have you anything appetizing to
eat?” he asked his wife. “Maybe
a little sour cream?”
“You know,” replied his wife,
“that I can’t give you sour cream.
That’s on the austerity list, which
you yourself made out.”
Dr. Joseph started eating the
black bread and carp, which he
had been having for his meals.
What else could he do?
“I just remembered,” inter
jected his wife, “I have something
good I can serve you.”
She brought it to the table.
Dr. Joseph ate it. “It’s not bad,”
he said. “What is it?”
“It is Yogurt,” replied Mrs.
J oseph.
bad, remind me to put it on the
austerity list tomorrow.”
EATING THE FATHERLAND
Israel seems to be overboard in
the matter of jokes about its
“austerity” program. Every day
seems to bring a new story. One
of the latest is about the Jew who
is served some soup in an Israeli
restaurant.
He tastes it and says, “Pfui”, in
Hebrew. Just how you say Pfui in
Hebrew, I don’t know, but I sup
pose there must be some way.
Maybe it’s just Pfui.
Well, anyway, he takes two or
three sips of the soup and says,
‘Pfui. This is all sand.”
The restaurant owner remarks,
"I know, but it is all due to the
austerity program. I would like to
use real vegetables but I can only
use very little. You must be ready
—every man must be ready to
serve the fatherland.”
“Yes,” says the customer, “I am
prepared to serve the fatherland,
but I don’t want to eat the father
land.”
"Yes,” said Dr. Joseph, “it’s not
why Southern Israelite
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