|
Office Overtures: Played
Dolce
|
The Office was doubtlessly upset by emergence of our independent
national Soviet Jewry organization. It posed a threat to their
control of the Soviet Jewry issue in the U.S. So a week following
Dinstein’s bad-cop threat to destroy “all of you”, the Office
good-cop phoned. It was Nir Baruch (the Office rep stationed in the
Israeli Embassy). |
|
 |
|
Nir Baruch > |
|
He proposed that the Embassy act as go-between to
resolve differences between the American Jewish Establishment and
our grass root organizations. Specifically, he suggested we meet at
the Israeli Embassy with “Jewish organizational staff people such as
Phil Baum and Jerry Goodman.” On March 13th, after consulting my
colleagues, I wrote to decline his proposal: “We consider that a
meeting solely with staff personnel would be unproductive. Our
continuing concern has been with the quality and quantity of the
movement for Soviet Jewry…Its evident that the low level of effort
reflects, in the main, policy decisions by the American Jewish
organizations and your government. Accordingly, it might be of value
to exchange views with executive directors and presidents of
national organizations and members of your government who are in a
position to influence policy.” My letter produced no response. To
view the letter,
click here.
|
|
The Union of Councils for
Soviet Jews was formally launched April 6, 1970. In a letter to
all the council heads I wrote: “We have now formalized our loose
confederation of grass-root organizations. As agreed by all, we
shall continue to supplement and complement the work of the AJCSJ
and act as a “loyal opposition” to spur the national organizations
to greater activity. We shall avoid guiding our policy or action by
the political exigencies of either the governments of Israel or the
United States.” |
In August, Nir Baruch phoned with an urgent message:
“Mr. Levanon [now, head of the Office] will be in Washington for a
short visit and wishes to meet with you.” I was intrigued: what was
the sly fox of Kfar Blum up to now? When I arrived at the Israeli
Embassy several days later, I was ushered into his presence. He was
cordial but reserved. He began by stating that he, personally,
wanted me to understand that his office was taking a more open view
to releasing information regarding Soviet Jews. Good, I responded,
we’d welcome that. But let’s talk takhleet (‘practical
purpose’). There are a few things your office can do to help us
promote greater activity in behalf of Soviet Jews. Specifically,
would you 1) provide names and addresses of Jews who have applied to
leave for Israel, so that cards and letters can be mailed to them;
2) provide telephone numbers of applicants; and 3) permit a few
recent arrivals from the Soviet Union to tour the U.S. and speak
publicly of their experiences?
Regarding the first item, Nehemyah promised to send me a list of
several hundred names. (Levanon’s ‘list’ arrived at the end of the
year: incomplete and out of date. The deficiency was evident when
compared to information from Ann Shenkar and
the Action Committee of Newcomers from the Soviet Union in Israel,
who provided us with regularly updated lists of aliya
applicants and new arrivals in Israel.) In regard to my request for
telephone numbers, Nehemyah demurred, stating that telephone calls
to Soviet Jews put them in danger. (This was in direct contradiction
to advice I received from Soviet Jewish activists.) As to my last
request, he said he would send Soviet olim to the U.S.; but “visits
would be managed discretely — only ‘parlor’ meetings, no public
appearances and no radio, TV appearances or newspaper interviews.”
So much for the Office’s new openness. As the French proverb has it,
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose, the more things
change, the more they stay the same.
next > Office
Control Crumbles |
