Newspaper Page Text
Southern Jews Dying Breed, Baptist Hear
LOUIS1VILLE, Ky. (JTA) —
The Jews in the South are “a
dying breed,” a Jewish historian
reported to the first Jewish-Sou-
them Baptist interfaith dialogue.
The dialogue vyas held here under
the auspices of the Southern Bap
tist Convention and the American
Jewish Committee.
Prof. Leonard Dinnerstein of
Fairleigh Dickinson and Colum
bia Universities said that Jews In
the South have always prospered
but socially they have never been
fully accepted and in times of
crisis “frequently became the
butt of prejudices and scom.”
He attributed their situation in
part to Southern religious teach
ings and stated that Southern
Jews today live in fear of anti-
Semitism.
“They are continually looking
over their shoulders to see what
their Gentile neighbors are doing,
and are constantly anxious lest
some Jews might offend mem
bers of the dominant group,” he
said.
Dr. Dinnerstein asserted "at
present the Jews are a dying
breed in the South. Outside of
Florida, not only has the ratio
of Jews to the rest of the pop
ulation been declining in every
Southern state since 1937, but in
six of them . . . the total number
of Jews is lower than it had been
in 1927.”
XO0 uoTJfl M9JQ9H
The Southern Israelite
A Weekly Newspaper for Southern Jewry — Established 1925
Vol. XUV Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, August 29, 1969
Ir
Report Death of Seven Prisoners
Since Baghdad Hangings
Iraq Executes 15 Alleged Spies
As U. S. Condemns 'Blood Bath'
By David Horowitz
NEW YORK (WUP)-An Is
raeli Consular source disclosed
here that, on the basis of re
liable information, “seven Jews
had died under torture in prison”
since “the execution of the nine
in Baghdad nearly a year ago.”
The source also revealed that
about a month ago “a Jew was
murdered in the streets” of the
Iraqi capital.
The above facts were made
public in an official Consul Gen
eral statement relating to the
latest Iraqi announcement to the
effect that 12 persons are to be
tried shortly before a revolution
ary tribunal on charges of es
pionage for Israel. Among the
accused are two Jews, nine Chris
tians and one Moslem. The names
of the Jews are Meir Abraham
Sasson Abdu and Sasson Abra
ham Sasson Abdu.
The Israeli Consular statement
reads, in part:
“The Iraqi newspaper .41 Tora
published on August 17 that the
spy-net comprised thirty-five (in
cluding the above mentioned
twelve accused). It was alleged-
1> discovered at the beginning of
this year.
“It is known that the two Jews
now accused have been detained
at least since the middle of 1968,
and maybe even before that date.
“Other reports from Baghdad
tell of two additional persons ac
cused of espionage and it is high
ly probable that more Jews are
to be accused.
“At a press conference held in
Jerusalem on August 19, Mr.
Rhlomo Hillel, Deputy Director-
General of the Israel Foreign
Ministry, said inter alia:
“ ‘The accusation of espionage
•s entirely baseless; neither this
group nor any other persons or
other Jews in Iraq have any ties
whatsoever with Israel. We at
cne time had the feeling that the
situation would improve. It seem
ed likely to us that the Iraqis
took note of international pres
sure; they had also announced
that they had abolished discrim
inatory regulations against the
Jews. The President of Iraq also
announced that there were no
restrictions regarding the depar
ture of Jews from Iraq. 1500
Jews registered for emigration
from Iraq, but the Iraqis ap
pear to have reached the conclus
ion that public opinion is weary
and indifferent to the situation
of the Jews, and they recently
officially 'announced that no Jew
would he permitted to leave.’
“It is unfortunately not pos
sible to sav that there is no
link between the presence in
the region of the Working
Group of the UN Human Rights
Commission and the renewal of
show Dials: the Working Group
gave the Iraqis the final en
couragement, no one cares what
the situation of the Jews Ls.
“The Working Group visited
Syria recently and instead of
cheeking on the condition of the
Jewish community in Damascus,
Allepo and Kamishlo, who live
SOME OF THE fire damage in the El Aksa Mosque on the
Temple Mount, which sparked Arab fanatics in the UAR into a
frenzy of vitriolic revenge promises against the Israelis. Israel
officials have arrested a Christian Australian for the arson.
Mosque officials had refused Israeli offers to place Moslem
and Christian police at the facilities.
under frightening conditions,
it preferred to engage itself with
stories out of the “Thousand and
One Nights,” allegedly concerning
the conditions of the Arabs in the
Israeli controlled territories.
“It is certainly no coincidence
that the Iraqis have reached the
conclusion, at the very time of
the visit of the Working Group
in this area, that they oould now
recommence their show trials.
“The condition of the Jews still
in Iraq must be the concern of
the UN and of the international
community. These should exert
all pressure and influence in
favor of these helpless people.
“To cur great regret, the UN
Secretary-General has not mani
fested towards the condition of
the Jews in Arab lands the same
active and consistent effort that
he has in the setting up of the
Commission to examine the con
dition of Arabs living in Israeli-
held areas . . . The problem ap
pears to be that when the Iraqis
do not heed international pleas
—this gives rise to no protest.
The conditions of Jews in Arab
countries are well known to the
UN, to U Thant and to the In
ternational Red Cross. We regret
that we have not succeded in se
curing their active help-”
WASHINGTON (JTA)—Secre
tary if State William P. Rogers
called Tuesday for an end to the
mass executions of Iraqi citizens
for allegedly spying for the
United States and Israel. Mr.
Rogers deplored the executions
at dawn of 15 Iraqis, including
two Christians and two Jews in
Baghdad. According to the Iraqi
radio, six of the condemneTTwere
military men and were shot by
a firing squad. The nine others
were hanged in the central prison.
All had been accused as espionage
agents for Israel and the U. S.
Central Intellig e n c e Agency
(CIA), Baghdad radio made no
mention of a trial, saving merely
that the accused had been con
victed.
Mr. Roger’s statement, read by
State Department spokesman
Robert J. McCloskey. said “the
current blood bath in Iraq is a
matter of serious concern to peo
ple everywhere. We hope this
will be recognized and serve to
bring an end to the series of
executions in Iraa.”
At the United Nations Tuesday,
Secretary-General U Thant dis
closed that he had intervened in
a last minute attempt to influ
ence the Iraqi Government to de
lay the executions. He said he
asked the Iraqi representative at
the UN "to convey to his gov
ernment my serious concern
about the international repercus
sions that would be likely to fol
low the executions." Mr. Thant
added that he did not “question
the right of the government of
Iraq to try and sentence anyone
within its jurdisdiction who
might be charged with a serious
offense. But I did question the
contemplated action on both hu
manitarian and political grounds. ’
The Secretary General said he
felt the executions “will increase
tension and danger in the Middle
East.”
The executions brought to 51
the number of Iraqis put to death
for spying since last Jan. 27.
Eleven of them were Jews. Mr.
McCloskey recalled that on Jan.
2i, 1969, when 14 persons, in
cluding & Jews were hanged and
publicly displayed in Baghdad
and Basra, Secretary of State
Rogers denounced Iraqi author
ities for putting on a “spectacle
repugnant to the conscience of
the world.” The U. S. has no
diplomatic relations with Iraq.
Mr. Thant’s 11th hour attempts
to have the Iraqi executions post
poned followed a meeting he had
with Israel’s chief representative
to the UN. Ambassador Yosef
Tekoah. Mr. Tekoah informed the
Secretary-General of Israel’s ap
peal for intercession with the
Baghdad regime to prevent the
executions.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Israel
called on world political end re
ligious leaders to “act immedi
ately to save the remaining Jews
in Iraq, Syria and Egypt” by
making it possible for them to
leave those countries. Foreign
Minister Abba Eban said that
there would be further trials and
executions in Iraq on trumped up
spy charges unless all the weight
of world opinion is brought te
bear on Iraqi authorities. He dis
closed that Israeli envoys abroad
had been alerted to approach the
heads of state and of internation
al humanitarian agencies in that
connection.
The Knesset announced that it
will convene in extra-ordinary
session next Thursday to discuss
the situation of Iraqi Jews at the
request of the Government. The
Knesset is presently in recess.
The Jewish Agency Executive
held a memorial meeting Tuesday
for the two Jews hanged in Bagh
dad. They were identified as
Itzhak Eliahu Dallal. a small
shopkeeper and Raphael Yehez-
kel Yaacob. 55. who was engag
ed in trade and commerce and
w - as once among the richer Jews
of Basra. Both were married. Mr.
Yaacob was the father of three
children. QWrf
sim said that the Iraqi execu
tions were a "waging to man
kind” to do something about a
state which lives by the sword
.....I and continues to
lions. , . , ,, i.
In Tel Aviv Monday night, the
Association of Iraqi
rael held a mass rally •* whl “
appeals were made to 'world
leaders to help save Iraqi Jews
facing the gallows. The names of
the 15 Iraqis executed were not
the same as the 12 men and
women whose arrest on spy
charges was announced by the
Baghdad radio on Aug. 17. Two
Jewish brothers were in the lat
ter group. Their fate is unknown
and it is presumed that they and
the other accused are awaiting
trial and execution.
Christians, Jewish Leaders
oin in Protest Over Iraq
In the South, dozens of Christian leaders joined with
idership in a deluge of protest telegrams and messages to gov-
iment officials and to the United Nations.
U. S. District Judge Frank M. Hooper, in a letter*
tary General U Thant noted deep “concern with the treatment
,en by the government of Iraq to a number of Jewish nationals _
i warned (the letter was dated August 2D of “' t d4nf ’ and
revious practices by the Iraqi government of "mAmnb*
ecuting a number of people, including Jews, Christians
and telegrams in AtianU went onl >» ■“"£ ™
sentatives to the President and State Department from the Con-
renee of Christians and Jews, the Jewish Federation and many
wish organizations and individuals.
Judee Hooper also took the United Nations to task for not
Mowing up on proper investigations after the initial Iraq m-
stiee (hanging of the Jewish group in public) many months
o.
In the community message from the Atlanta Federation, Pres
ent Abe Goldstein called upon U Thant for UnRed Nations aetion
stop the execution of so-called spies In Iraq, which include*
iristians as well as Moslems and Jews.
On the national level, strong protest* condemning the Iraq
tpression and terrorism emanated from top Christton and Jewish
ergy and leaders, including Bishop Joseph Bernadine, associated
one time with the late Archbishop Hallinan in Atlanta.