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ND OF EVENTS: (" She Tnpeemationsl Antisemitic Conspiracy” FayemSayegh, Deputy Director of the Arab States Dele- } told a correspondent of the Jewish Newsletter last week the recent charges made by the ADL in the book Cross vntg about a-new international antisemitic conspiracy and ‘ole of the Arab Information Center (AIC) in it are com- ly false. He denied tbat there had been any contact be- 1 any official or employee of the AIC and any known anti- ‘e mentioned joCross Currents, and that any of the mem- da allegedly written by the AIC staff and mentioned or ed in. the book ever/ existed. Dr. Sayegh also stated that AIC had never distributed any antisemitic literature. Publi- ms mentioned in Cross Currents, such as The Story of ist Espionage in Egypt, were not distributed by the Center. latter pamphlet was distributed by the Egyptian Embassy. larly, the Syrian government publication, Tension, Terror Blood in the Holy Land, which was mentioned in a letter Jewish Newsletter in the issue of February ted by the AIC. a L_zesponse questions about visits of the well known anti- ate, Jami adole, to the AIC, Dr. Sayegh pointed out the . ole tried on several occasions to see him, The t few times, Dr. Sayegh did not receive Madole nor did any er meraber of AIC. On’ the fifth visit, Dr. Sayegh granted dole a two-minute interview, in which he rejected a request full: cprrnties af ATO Miterature @0 two other occasions, _ Sayegh refused to provide Madole’s organisation with speak- | or lecturers from the AIC staff or panel of speakers. Dr. Sayegh challenged the ADL to produce one piece of anti- nitie literature which had ever been distributed by the AIC, i f evidense to prove the existence any connection or coptact between the antisemites mentioned any member of the Center. He pointed it that the “evi Currents which is e basis of all the ADL charges sgainst was all ted in inter-office memoranda of the ADL or its representatives. This is tantamount to a man being sued by another on the sole ysis of evidence in the latter’s diary,” he charged. Dr. Sayegh referred to the speech dealing with the same sub- et he made on Barry/Gray's prograth on March 15 in the surse of which he en ne hots an tse “The accusation that the Arab Information Center or the Arab States Delegations engeged jn antisemitic propaganda directly or indirectly is an gecusation that is not borne out even by the ridiculous documentation contained in that book. ‘Ag far as the Arab States Delegation is concerned, even the contentions which, in the form of conclusions, were heralded with all the hullabuloo and fanfare of a soap opera, were not defended, were not in any way vindicated, by any of the alleged quotations or any of the alleged facts that are con- tained in the book. —— co Tt ig a queer thing for so-called antivlefamation agency to be engaging in defamation and secking to achieve its pur- pose through defamation. I would say, it is as queer a5 8 wee ie Ne at feb Ny de =~ ee Det te le eed sama Nae Dae arte ate ett “ i eee pi te ae s ee lets tie a ge ee dea a tae . € which makes them se 2 “tie conspiracies everywhere and brand as antisemites. fe. + protest that they are fot anti- semites, but opponentr of Zionist theories and Israeli policies. Only in Commanist Russia is criticism of a political party equated with criticism of the entire people. While we welcome the repudiation of antisemitiom on the part of the Arab Information Center, we regret that the AIG evidently docs not speak for the individual Arab States affiliated with it, We are certsin that Dr. Sayegh’s statement would have carried more weight if the representatives of Syria and Saudi Arabia repudiated antisemitism as thoroughly as does the ALC and would discontinue the gistribption of such vile antisemitic material as Tensions, Terror af Blood in the Holy Land, and stop their inflammatory P i against all Jews.--Ed.) Reappraisal in Israel? Ig Isracl contemplating @ reappraisal of its foreign policy in relation to Soviet Russia? This question is widely discussed In the pages of the Israeli newspapers, it the Knesset, and in other opinion-molding groups. Tt even eame up for discussion at the last conference of the Histadrut held in Jerusalem last toonth. The debate has partly been quickened by the latest disappaint- ments in Israel with the American policy on arms to Israel. But actually the question is older than the present crisis, There hes always been a body of opinion, in Tsracl favoring & position of neutrality between the Eastern and Western blocks rather than of exclusive friendship with the West. This view is not limited to‘the Left, but includes prominent personalities of all political parties, among them such men as-#liezerLivneh, ohsirpafi of the Israel American Society. The primary cause of thia movement 18 10% irpihieny tar, eof Wacdgieul ainglép with, the Communists, but the obvious fact that Israel is. too small and too near to the Communist countries to antagonize them by allying itself exclusively with the West. Zionists also from Communist countries to Israel and this obviously cannot be accomplished in an atmosphere of cold war. There ig no doubt that this movement bas grown since Egypt f deal with Czechoslovakia and since the USA embarked on what Israelis believe to be an unfriendly stand on arms to Israel, The Jerusalem correspondent of the London Jewish Chronicle refers to this trend in the current issue of his publication (March 23): whh the West. In many small, but quite important, ways wre Soviet Union had shown, « readiness to create same Take with Yeracl The now steady point a way out of Taracl’s dilemma to cosure survivel? In the urgent need for a reappraisal of its fercign policy Israel must inevitably ask itself this question. a On the other hand, there is an important section of public cpinion which holds that Terael’s interests are bound up too - sauch with the United States and with American Jews and that vt has more to lose than to gain by changing jts pol to one of complete neutrality. This view was stated eattidtd beeen person who to achieve peace through declaring war, OT- Gurion at the last Histadrut conference and it put an end to a8 a person who seeks to achieve freedom through tyranny. I repeat my challenge to them to prove one single con~ tention they made in that book in any form, shape or manner, at any time; I challenge them to meet me at any public de- bate, at any public discussion; I challenge them to do that through the press, to do that through the radio or TY, to rich they seem to have infinite access — or else to stand convicted of engaging in outright defamation.” . — = a og te she atatement br the Deputy the open discussion on the subject. Yt is strongly advocated by ‘American Zionists, particularly by Hadassah, which is reported Communism in the Middle East. The Jewish Observer and Mid- ee a a de : die Hast Review, official organ of the British Zionist Federation, reports that some ideologists have eriticized Israeli diplomats for not forming. Committee to Save the Middle est from Communism’ ‘ore the Irgunists.in the United States