The director of the Congress of Racial Equality confirmed yesterday reports that he had formally dissociated himself from a Black Power resolution condemning the “imperialist Zionist war” between Israel and the Arab countries. The resolution was adopted at the National Conference for New Politics in Chicago last week.
Floyd B. McKissick, confirming the report, said he had attended the Chicago meeting as an observer and had not voted on any issues. Most of the delegates were opponents of the Vietnam war and militant civil rights advocates, including a strong bloc of Black Power advocates.
The resolution said that the “condemnation” did not imply anti-Semitism but this disclaimer failed to satisfy Jews and Jewish sympathizers at the conference and several national Jewish organizations which formally denounced the resolution.
In disclosing his position, Mr. McKissick said CORE had received an inquiry about its stand on the issue from the Commission on Social Action of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations and the Central Conference of American Rabbis, the Reform congregational and rabbinical bodies. Mr. McKissick said that CORE did not oppose Zionism because it considered Zionism a form of nationalism.
Mr. McKissick said he had sent a telegram to the Commission yesterday on CORE’s position, which said that “Zionism is a form of nationalism. CORE supports nationalism and is now studying various national-state theories. Thus CORE cannot support a position against Zionism.”
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