The Jewish Defense League said yesterday that it would continue to urge American Jews to oppose President Ford and Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger and sharply rejected an appeal by a leader of Reform Judaism not to make the President and Secretary of State “scapegoats” for concern over Israel’s future and the impasse in Middle East peace negotiations.
Dov Fisch, the JDL’s associate director and chairman of its “Committee Against Israeli Retreat,” insisted that Ford and Kissinger should be held personally responsible for the alleged pressures being exerted by the U.S. on Israel. Earlier this week, Rabbi Alexander M. Schindler, president of the Union of American Hebrew Congregations, told members of its Board of Trustees, meeting in Southbury, Conn., that the time has come to “cease the black mood and doom and put an end to over-reaction and yielding to despair” by so many “of our people.” Schindler had criticized groups like the JDL for attacking Ford and Kissinger.
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.