Canadian Jewish Review

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Title: Canadian Jewish Review

Full text: 14 CANADIAN JEWISH REVIEW December 5, 1958 The Central Issue In Jewish Life Today: To Overcome The Danger Of Silent Disintegration Of Community "™"""-•—i—————"•—————— • _ . - • - . ^ _ _ .^ Addrett to ihe World Jewish Congrets World Executive of Geneva, Switzerland 1Y DR. NAHUM MLDMANN, PRESIDENT OF TRI WORLD JEWISH CONGRESS r ] I The situation of Jews in the k world is always determined by three basic elements: 1) The general international situation, naturally, affects the position of every people in the world but especially that of the dispersed Jewish people inevitably involved in every important international development. 2) The second element is the attitude of the non-Jewish world to Jewish communities in the various countries; the degree of anti-Semitism, and the positive or negative relationship of governments to the Jewish people. 3) The third is the internal state of affairs of the Jewish people itself, its sociological tendencies, the forces within it, and their positive and negative impact on Jewish consciousness. to be the least important and effective is anti-Semitism. Not too long ago this factor was decisive. It dominated the character of our life and o'ur people. During Tsarist rule and the violent persecutions in Eastern and Central Europe, anti-Semitism was the outstanding problem of Jewish existence. It reached its unparalleled climax in the fatal Hitler decade. A decisive change which has taken place in Jewish life since the, end of the Second World War is the fact that anti-Semitism has become a minor factor in any examination of our situation. There is some anti-Semitism in nearly every part of the world. But antagonism to minorities is a permanent feature of history and Jews, dispersed all over the world, are more subject to this phenome- than other minorities. At the same time Jews are enjoying equality of rights in nearly all countries and, although it is not always fully implemented, the Jewish situation from this point of view is better than it was in any other period of the past. Jews, nearly everywhere, are equal citizens, 'both politically and economically. In some countries, such as Argentina and other Latin-American countries, where Jews have .played nearly no role politically till now, they have lately come forward and begun to take a very active part in the general political life of their countries. Even in the newly established states of North Africa where Jews lived for centuries without legal equality, they gained a position and are being treated -as-equal citizens. In-one group still constitutes a serious problem. Two countries where anti-Semitism is certainly not an actual danger nor a phenomenon of too great importance also deserve to be mentioned although for opposite reasons. The one is France. In the turbulent weeks and months through which France has passed recently, expressions of anti-Semitism made themselves heard and felt. Nobody will over-estimate their size but it is only a compliment to the great humanitarian tradition of modern France, the country of the French Revolution and of human equality, when we say that to any manifestation of anti-Semitism in France Jews react with the utmost sensitivity. We all hope that France will find soon her equilibrium and internal •stability and that these anti- TCA prop-jet countries, however, discrimination against Jews is still openly practised* I refer to the- Arab countries, especially to the United Arab Republic, which expelled thousands of Jews in the last year, confiscated their assets, and open-ly discriminates against them now when the _Suez action which _se_ryed as a flimsy pretext for these measures has come to be forgotten. That these countries are still officially in a state of war with Israel, in itself a violation of international rules and a defiance of the UN decision.-eannot serve Semitic incidents will remain a short lived episode soon to be forgotten. We have every confidence in General de Gaulle who has always manifested understanding for Jewish aspirations and has often exressed his expressed his sympathy for Israel. He will certainly not allow anti-Semitic tendencies to become a part of the rejuvenation of France to which he aspires. For quite different motives we are more sensitive to anti-Semitic phenomena in West Germany. Here again, nothing should be exaggerated— an4— over-estimated, I MONTREAL - NEW YORK 10 flights daily (9 Saturday) TORONTO • NEW YORK 10 flights daily (9 Sunday) *most frequent service 'only prop-jet service to New York *oll non-stop flights by VISCOUNT as the slightest justification for discrimination against their Jewish citizens and residents such as are illustrated by the decree of the thrHed-Arab-RepubHcr-forbiddhig Jews to return to Egypt. In this connection I have also to draw attention to the fact that in Morocco the right of Jews to emigrate is 'far from being implemented and Anti-Semitism in West Germany of today is far from being a serious trend and, at the moment, represents no real threat. We must also-reiterate that West-Germany-is making a serious effort to show that it has nothing in common with the barbarian anti-Semitic tendencies of the Hitler decade. 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