The Southern Israelite. (Augusta, Ga.) 1925-1986, August 26, 1966, Image 1
The Southern Israelite A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925 Vol. XU ATLANTA, GEORGIA, FRIDAY, AUGUST 26, 1966 NO. 34 Soviets Decree Death UN Chief finds Syria Adamant; For Economic Crime Reports to Israel on Efforts WASHINGTON (JTA) — A Russian Jew has been sentenced to death for alleged “economic crimes” for the first time since the ouster of Soviet Premier Khrushchev, it was reported here from Moscow. The Soviet news paper Trud said that M. Rab inovich, 43, was condemned by a Moscow city court for leading a ring of factory employes who al legedly made more than $407,000 “by conspiring to steal state- owned materials, selling goods made therefrom the personal profit.” It was charged that Rabino vich and accomplices, most of them with Jewish names, took jobs and then “did business on the side” by reducing the amount of material designated for each garment. “The material stolen in this manner was then used for private manufacture of dresses, shirts, sweaters, and underwear,” the Soviet news paper stated. It was alleged that Rabinovich organized the con spiracy. From 1962 to 1964 more than 150 persons were executed for economic crimes in the Soviet Union; over one-half were Jews. It was charged in many quarters that the alleged criminals were victims of anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitic Professor Quits John Birch Group BELMONT, Mass. (JTA)—The resignation from the John Birch Society of Prof. Revilo P. Oliver, known for his outspoken views against the Jews, was confirmed to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency by the headquarters of the So ciety here. However, no comment could be obtained on whether Oliver’s resignation had anything to do with his anti-Jewish views, which he expressed at a rally last month in Boston. The rally, on July 2, evoked strong criticism against him and against the John Birch Society. Prof. Oliver, a teacher of Greek and Latin at the University of Illinois, is a founder of the So ciety. He was one of the 11 men who attended the Society’s initial organizational meeting at a motel in Indianapolis in 1958. He was a member of the organization’s 24- member ruling council and as sociate editor of American Opin ion, the Society’s official organ. His resignation was attributed to a dispute over his anti-Semitic views and to his dissatisfaction over the complete authority over affairs of the Birch Society held by Robert H. Welch, Jr., princ ipal founder and president. Prof. Oliver was the principal speaker at the July 2 New Eng land Rally for God, Family and Country in Boston. In a speech lasting more than an hour, he at tacked what he called the “con spiracy of the Jews” and assert- (Continued on page 5) JERUSALEM (JTA) — With both sides armed to the hilt, each on its own side of the common frontier, Syria and Israel con tinue to face each other midst grave tensions along Lake Tib erias. The lake is entirely in Is rael’s jurisdiction, but Syria in sists on probing its waters for recovery of a Syrian jet fighter and a Syrian pilot, both shot down by Israel last week. Syria’s continued insistence that it must be allowed to try to salvage its MIG-17 and to bring up the body of the pilot of that ship—which Israel brought down into the lake—was relayed to Is rael’s Foreign Ministry by Lt. Gen. Odd Bull, chief of staff of the United Nations Truce Super vision Organization. Gen. Bull had just returned from a conference in Damascus with the chief of staff of Syria’s army, and with other Syrian of ficials. He reported that they are adamant in their insistence that they have a “right” to try to salvage their own plane and pilot from the bottom of the lake. Failing to obtain from Israel rec ognition of that “right,” Gen. Bull reported, Syria insists it will not allow Israel to salvage its Coast Guard cutter, stuck on a reef about 200 yards from the lake shore nearest to Syrian ter ritory. While asking Gen. Bull to continue his negotiations with Syria, Israel made it clear that it will deny to Syria any rights over Lake Tiberias. Israel point ed out once more that under a treaty between France and Bri tain following World War I, the entire lake was placed in Pales tine under British jurisdiction. To make sure that there would be no disagreement about Brit- fch jurisdiction over the entire like, France and Britain had agreed that, near the northeas tern corner of the lake, a narrow strip of land, between 35 and 40 yards in depth, would be demarc ated on the Palestinian side of the border with Syria. Israel inists now, as it always has, that Lake Tiberias is en tirely within its sovereignty as it is the inheritor of the Franco- British agreement, which had been superseded by the Syrian- Israeli armistice pace of 1949. Soviet Youngsters Shun Shules Rabbis Find Soviet Jewish Youth Evade Religious Commitment NEW YORK (WUP)—“Jewish youth is not eager to accept the burdens of religious commitment and there was little in the syn agogues we saw that could pos sibly attract them.” This was the finding of twenty- two members of the Central Con ference of American Rabbis who had constituted a Study Mission on Soviet Jewry to Russia, Po land, Hungary and Czechoslova kia during the period of July 11 to August 4. Having returned to the United States, the group of 22, most of them distinguished Reform rab bis, issued a joint statement which declared that “the Com munist assault on religion seems to have triumphed. The Govern ment can now afford to be more generous to the remnant of old believers. They are at the end of the road.” The rabbinical group, headed by Rabbi Jacob J. Weinstein of Chicago, introduced their seven- point joint statement with the following declaration: “We, the members of the Study Mission, are deeply grateful for the cordial reception accorded us by the officials of the Soviet Gov ernment and for the assistance given us by the Ministry of Cults in arranging meetings for us. During our travels we had the opportunity to meet and to speak with representatives of the synagogues, of the eastern Orth odox Church and the Baptist Union, of the Yiddish cultural groups, of the scientific groups such as the institute of the Peo ples of Asia in Leningrad, and a variety of individuals from all walks of life. “Our Mission was duly cogni zant of the fact that no defini tive conclusions could be achiev ed after so short a study of so profound a problem as religion (Continued on page 5) Israel fears that, if it should permit Syria to try to salvage its own plane in the lake, a prece dent would be established, under which Syria would, in the future, claim other rights in the lake. On the other hand, Israel re assured Gen. Bull again that ,it is willing to turn back to the Syrians both their sunken MIG- 17 and the body of their drown ed pilot, after these are brought up by Israel. Meanwhile, Israel’s Coast Guard cutter is still stranded on a sandbar, and Israel is not try ing to put it back into service at the request of the United Na tions, which fears a flare-up of Syrian-Israeli fighting. Syria has installed big search lights near its side of the Tib erias border, lighting the area by night to make sure Israel is not doing any salvage work. There are heavy concentrations of Syrian guns, tanks and infantry on the border near the lake, and Syrian planes are patroling the air on the Syrian side of the border. The name preparations, of a defensive character, are evident on Israel’s side. Israel is also on the alert against possible renewal of ter rorist raids by members of the El Fatah organization which is directed from Syrian bases but which may attempt to infiltrate into Israel from nearby Jordan or Lebanon. The opinion prevail ing In Israel is that the recent Syrian threats of warfare cannot be implemented by Syria by open warfare, but only by guerrilla methods against which Israel is determined to retaliate as indi cated by Prime Minister Levi Eshkol, following a session of the cabinet. (In Washington, State Depart ment officials said that the United States is closely observing developments on the tense Is- raeli-Syrian frontier, and that the United States Government feels both sides should cooperate with the United Nations Truce Super vision Organization.) Israel to Dedicate New Knesset Building August 30 The late President Izhak Ben-Zvi delivering his second inaugural address in the Knesset in Jerus alem on 29 October 1957. On President Ben-Zvi’s left: Mr. Sprinzak and Moshe Rosette, Clerk of the Knesset. The late Chaim Weizman, being sworn in as Israel’s first Presi dent at the first session of the Knesset in the Jewish Agency Building, Jerusalem, on 17 Feb ruary 1949. On President Weiz- mann's right, Yosef Sprinzak, first Speaker of the Knesset. In front (centre): Chief Rabbis Isaac Halevi Herzog and Ben-Zion Uziel. GENERAL VIEW OF THE NEW KNESSET BUILDING, JUNE 1966, SEEN FROM THE ISRAEL MUSEUM Prime Minister Levi Eshkol pre senting his new Cabinet to the Knesset in Jerusalem on 12 Jan uary 1966. Speaker Kaddish Luz is in the chair. The proclamation of the State of Israel at the first meeting of the Provisional State Council, fore runner of the Knesset, in the Tel Aviv Museum, on 14 May 1948. On the platform (left to right): members of the Provisional Gov ernment. Bechor Shitreet, the late David Remz, Pinhas Rosn, Perez Bernstein, the late Rabbi Y. L. Maimon (Fishman), David Ben-Gurion, Moshe Shapiro, the late Moshe Sharett and Eliezer Kaplan, Mordeehai Bentov and the late Aharon Zisling.