Newspaper Page Text
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
Vol. XLIV
Atlanta, Georgia, Friday ,June 20, 1969 A tit8UUT ou X0 n q 05
0325^ uo^JTXO
In Brief Pompidou's Lan XZSeen
Fnnnnnnn FonnAmin f’/im m unltv hou nn_ I I I I ■ I I • •
BRUSSELS (JTA)—The European Economic Community has ap
proved a year-round 40 percent tariff reduction on citrus exports
from Israel, Spain and Turkey and an 80 percent reduction on
citrus from Morocco and Tunisia. The reductions have been endorsed
by the Council of Ministers, executive commission and the Euro
pean Parliament. They will apply however only If the price of
citrus fruits rises above the minimum set by the executive com
mission.
TEL AVIV (JTA)—The Jewish Agency’s treasurer, Leon Dultzin,
returned from a short visit to Latin America and said Monday that
he was “very optimistic’’ because new, young leaders have taken
over management of the Israel Bond campaigns and Zionist work
in those countries.
JERUSALEM (JTA)—Two urns containing human ashes, the
symbolic remnants of the 86,000 Jews of Vilna and thousands of
other Jews from Latvia who were slain by the Nazis during World
War II, were laid to rest Sunday at the Yad Vashem, the martyrs and
heroes memorial shrine here. The urns were brought to Israel from
Russia by the Yiddish folk singer, Mrs Nehemia Lifshitz, who kindled
the eternal light at memorial services \attended by the survivors and
relatives of the Jews of_Vilna and Latvia.
WASHINGTON (JTA)—A New York City taxpayer’s claim that
real estate tax exemptions granted religious institutions are un
constitutional will be taken up by the United States Supreme Court.
The court agreed this week to consider the appeal brought against
the New York City Tax Commission by Frederick Walz. It will
schedule arguments next fall or winter and follow with a written
opinion.
Mr. Walz, who is acting as his own attorney, contends that tax
exemptions for religious institutions, granted in all 50 states and
the District of Columbia, constituted involuntary payment by him,
as a property owner, to the religious group in violation of his
First Amendment right to freedom of religion. He claimed further
that it represented a confiscation of his property “without due
process of law.”
Mr. Walz carried his appeal from the New York State Supreme
Court to the State Appellate Division, to the U. S. Court of Ap
peals, then to the Supreme Court. The lower courts all dismissed
it. The Supreme Court recently dismissed two challenges to such
exemptions for want of “a substantial Federal question.”
Favoring Broad ue oaulle Policies
PARIS (JTA) — The land
slide victory of M. Pompidou in
the run-off election indicated to
political observers here that
French voters still favor the
broad policies of former Presi
dent Charles de Gaulle but with
out the arbitrariness and inflexi
bility of the 78-year-old general
on such issues as the Middle
East, Britain’s entry into the
European Common Market and
France’s relations with NATO.
M. Pompidou won nearly 58
percent of the vote to defeat
interim President Alain Poher
and succeed Gen. de Gaulle as
President of the Fifth Republic
for the next seven years.
On the Middle East, the con
sensus of informed opinion here
is that the new President will
edge away from the openly pro-
Arab stance taken by Gen. de
Gaulle and move closer to true
neutrality in the Arab-Israei
conflict. These sources say that
French public opinion favors
Israel and M. Pompidou is far
less willing than Gen. de Gaulle
to scorn the polls. They also
point out that the period of M.
Pompidou’s Premiership in the
de Gaulle Government was one
in which Franco-Israeli relations
were never better.
But most knowledgable infor
mants do not see any immediate,
concrete moves by President
elect Pompidou such as lifting
the embargo on aircraft, mili
tary equipment and spare parts
which his predecessor imposea
against Israel and, ostensibly
against the Arab belligerents in
Shower of Accolades for Jewish Press
the June, 1967 Six-Day War.
Pro-Israel circles here hope
that M. Pompidou may ease the
embargo sufficiently to- permit
the delivery of Mirage V jets
which Israel bought and paid fol
in full over a year ago but are
still being held in a French ware
house. These hopes appeared to
have been dashed last week
when M. Pompidou, on the eve
of the elections, said he favored
a general arms embargo on all
the- belligerents in the June, 1967
war and thought that no country
should supply war materials or
equipment to either side.
That statement, in an interview
published in the newspaper L’Au-
rore, was M. Pompidou’s most
explicit on the Middle Bast dur
ing the campaign. He specifically
exempted Lebanon from any
arms embargo on the grounds
that that country was not a bel
ligerent and was “out of the
fight." But he left the door open
to ease the embargo on Israel
when he said that France would
reconsider its embargo policy if it
turned out that either of the two
sides had received arms from
France while the ban was in ef
fect. M. Pompidou said he would
study the files to make sure that
the embargo was being admin
istered fairly because “there can
be no double standard for the
parties concerned.”
Observers here also believe
that M. Pompidou will continue
to support the Big Four Middle
East talks. Bitterly opposed by
Israel, the idea of Four Power
mediation efforts in the Middle
East conflict originated with Gen.
de Gaulle who is credited with
having persuaded Washington,
Moscow and London to go along
with them
SEE FRENCH JEWS
VOTING AS INDIVIDUALS
PARIS (JTA)—France’s Jewish
community voted in the Presi
dential run-off elections as
Frenchmen rather than as Jews,
JTA’s Paris correspondent Edwin
Eytan reports. He said political
analysts believe Jews cast their
votes for M. Pomidou and Inter
im President Alain Poher in the
same proportion as the general
population.
The organized Jewish commun
ity took her sides during the elec
tion campaign. Jewish leaders
have vigorously denied the exis
tence of a“Jewish vote” and say
“Jews vote like everyone else
and usually in the same propor
tions.” Political analysis seemed
to confirm this. They said French
Jews made their voting decisions
on the basis of economic and pol
itical affinities, not as a com
munity.
JERUSALEM (JTA)— Israeli
diplomatic circles expressed the
hope this week that the election
of Georges Pompidou as Presi
dent of France would herald the
resumption of the Franco-Israeli
“dialogue” which was cut off by .
former President Charles de
Gaulle after the June, 1967 Arab-
Israeli war.
Their hope was based on the
Continued on page 5
Denmark Ousts
Three Plotters
COPENHAGEN (JTA) — The
Swede and two Arabs charged
here with planning to assassinate
former Israeli Premier David
Ben Gurion in Rio de Janeiro
were expelled from Denmark on
Thursday after being jailed for
30 days. Expelled were Rolf
Andersson, 30, of Sweden, Mouna
Soudi, 24, of Jordan and a man
identified as Razan, 25, of Iraq.
They were charged with com
plicity to assassinate Mr. Ben
Gurion while in Latin America
and with illegal possession ol
arms. Mr. Andersson admitted
the latter charge but all denied
the assassination charge. They
were arrested by Danish police
on May 22. Public prosecutor H.
Grell decided not to bring the
trio to court.
(Mr. Ben Gurion returned
home Friday from his tour of
South Africa, South America and
England. He went back to Kib
butz Sde Boker and, with one of
his grandchildren, inspected an
honor guard composed of pupils
of the Sde Boker school. Mr. Ben
Gurion said that the key to
aliyah was Jewish education. “If
Jewish youth would have Jewish
education,” he said, “he will
come to Israel.” He commented
that he had no time to think
about the plot on his life foiled
in Copenhagen, saying, “I dealt
with aliyah and education and
all my thoughts were concentra
ted on this.”)
Atlanta Rabbis Create
Rabbinical Association
A step forward “towards Jewish unity” has taken place with
the formation of the Atlanta Rabbinical Association, according to
the sponsors.
The new organization was created last week, growing out of
informal meetings held recently to discuss
community and congregational interests.
The Rabbinical group will invite all congregational
and teaching rabbis to participate in its delibera
tions.
The Association hopes to provide a forum
the study of the various issues facing the J
Community of Atlanta from a uniquely religious
point of view. In addition, it will foster intrafaith
dialogue, fellowship and Jewish learning among At- LOhen
lanta’s rabbis. Insofar as possible, it is hoped that the Rabbinical
Association will be the united voice of its members.
The most recent planning session was attended by Rabbis Joseph
Cohen, rabbi emeritus of Congregation Or VeShalom, Alex Graubart
of Ahavath Achim Congregation, Emanuel Feldman of Congregation
Beth Jacob, Richard Lehrman of Temple Sinai, Jacob Rothschild
of tMte Temple, and Nissim Wemick of Congregation Shearith Is
rael.
For the coming year Rabbi Cohen will serve as president and
Rabbi Lehrman will serve as secretary of the Atlanta Rabbinical
Association.
A fantastic array of colorful caligraphed “resolutions” praising the service of the group camp the
way of the American Jewish Press Association, Ueeiing recently in Los Angeles for its annual con
vention. President Adolph Rosenberg, The Souther.' Israelite’s editor and publisher, concluding his
third term in office, received the resolutions in behalf of his organization. Above, 1. to r., are Los
Angeles County Supervisor Ernest Debs;; AJPA Vice President Joe Cummins, editor and pub
lisher of the host newspaper, B’nai B’rith Messenger; Los Angeles Mayor Sam Yorty; Jimmie
Wisch Dallas-Ft. Worth, Texas, Jewish Post, the new AJPA president. Also chosen vice presi
dents were Conrad Isenberg, Worcester, Mass., Jewish Civic Leader; and A1 Bloom, Pittsburgh
Jewish Chronicle. Milton Firestone, Kansas City Jewish Chronicle, was reelected treasurer. Mr.
Rosenberg was drafted to serve the group as secretary. A third resolution was presented, also in
person, by Alderman John Farrarer in behalf of the Los Angeles City Council. Ness Tory, the
area Israel Tourist Office Agency director, appeared at a convention luncheon and invited the
Association to hold its 1970 convention in Israel. The convention delegates devoted their time
during convention time to workshops on editorial content, advertising, circulation and comrnun- _
ity managed papers.