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The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, July 3, 198^Page 3
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PAUL LUNGEN
TORONTO -
Rev: Harvey Lainson is facing a formidable task. As newly elected leader of the federal Social Credit Party^ he is attempting to bring the party back to the national prominence it once enjoyed.. At the same time; he's encountering dissension from the Alberta wing of the party.
At the parly's recent national convention in Toronto. Lainson defeated former Eckville, Alta. schoolteacher Jim Kecg-stra; 67 votes to 38. follow-; : ing which Keegslra promptly labeled Lainson a racist. .\
Lain.sori declines to verbally joust with Keegstra. who wa.s convicted last year of promoting hatred against Jews.
. ; "1 don't want to attack Mr. Keegstra in the press." Lainson told The
:CJN.'i don't want to respond to him in the way he did to,me.-'
Laiii^n also declined to overtly condemn Ketgstra's views, or lead a move to push Keegstra out of the party. Instead, -Lainson said he would be directing his energies in a "positive" direction reorganizing the orice-importaiit party (in the 1984 federal election it received only .13% of the vote) by disseminating its message through modem technological means^
While Lainson wouldn't overtly criticize Keegstra. he pointed to his promise that "if (Keegstra) was elected.:! would resign as national organizer;"
Laihson; refused to say whether he took that stand, because' "of Keegstra's beliefs towards Jews,- addling '"I'm definitely not" anti-sernitic, (Keegstra taught that Jews control the international banking
System and are behind most political upheavals, revolutions and "evil" in the world.)
The pastor of the Missionary Church in Listowel; pnt.. Lainson said he would promote the beliefs of former Alberta premier William Aberhart — "Christian principles applied to government and monetary reform.'' ;
Lainson said the pairty was growing quickly in Ontario, appealing mostly to evangelical Christians;.
When asked whether he agreed with Keegstra"s view of an international "conspiracy extant in the world. Lainson replied ''there are always conspiracies;" •
Pointing to Hitler and Lenin, he said there have been conspiracies to remove people's freedom. "I don't,agree with connecting that with Jews," he said, adding David Rockefeller (cited bv Keccstra
as; an linpgrtant figure in jhe so-caljed conspiracyHs a Baptist. ■
"The real foes of the party are the three shades of humanism," the Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New bemocractic parties, as . well as the debt problem, said Lainson.
Responding to Lainson's election, a spokesnian for Canadian Jewish Congress said "we were encouraged by Lainson's pubHc declar-' ation that he'd resign as national organizer if Keegstra was elected leader.
"We are also encouraged that even though the racists were disturbingly out in the open at the convention, the majority of the delegates voted for Lainson and rejected the theologians of hate and secular white supremacists," said Manuel Prutschi, national director of community relations of CJC. ■
Among those in attendance at the convention as observers were Ernst Zun^ del, convicted ofspreading the no-Holocaiist lie, Robert Smith and Donald Andrews, convicted of promoting hatred of non-whites, and John Ross Taylor, convicted of violating a court order not to disseminate hate messages by phone.
Also present were Frank Cotlingham and Jim Gre-
bne. who daily accpirn-Vpanied Keegstra^. to court during his trial last year.
Prutschitold the GJN that Congress, sent a letter to Lainson noting the rejection of the party of Keegstra and pointing out that Aberhart and Ernest Manning in the late 1940s -moved to root put ariti-semitism from the party.
Prutschi said the letter suggested tfiat in his moyesl: to revitalize the ^party, . Lai nson should follow that lead "to ensure that racists" will riot find a comfortable niche in.Sbcial Credit and not be permitted to run under the party's banner;"
The letter also statoJ that Congress /'is, heartened that the party's philosophy
is God-centred, but is somewhat troubled that this jpositive God-conscipushess Is exclusively ChrisTian."
It is disturbing that a party that seeks a national dimension 'is "not sufficiently conscious that •Canada is a religiously pluralistic and multicultural society." the letter states.
NEW YORK (JTA) -
Pockets of Nazi com-, munitics. made up of the children of ;Nazi war crirninals and local Nazis, have developed in several South American countries.
According to Gerald Ppsner, a New York attorney who is c6-author of the newly published Mengele: The Complete Story (McGraw Hill, $18.95), there are at least 20-25,000 hard core Nazis in Siouth America, with large pockets in Argwi-tina, Brazil and Paraguay. ,
"The remnant of the Nazi killing machine is alive in South America," the 31-yearHOld lawyer, who spent months in South America in the guise of a
Nazi propagandist while working on his. book, he said at ian Anti-pefamatiori : League of B'naiiB'rith luncheon here: ,.'
'■■The Fourth Reich Nazis in.South America hate the: jews with passion," he said, adding that the "second generation of Nazis, the sons and daughters of the German Naziswho took refuge in South Arrterica. are unrepentant and Willing to; cany on with the atrocities committed by their fathers.
Discussing his new book,, which he co-authored with John Ware; Posner said that he became interested in the Mengele case in 1981 when he was retained to represent twins whohadl survived the grue-
some experiments' Conducted on - theriv by Mengele, the Angel of Death, at the Auschwitz ' concentration camp durins; World War 1L; ; ^
Posner disclosed that there are 118. known twins survivors who were tortured by the"medical" experiments of Mengele. About 97 of them live now' in Israel, he .said.
Until Adolf Eichmann uas abducted in:l96p from Argentina by Israeli intelligence agents of the Mossad, Mengele lived in Buenos Aires almost openly, Posinersaid. But following: the Eichmann abduc-tipn, Mengele fled to Paraguay, where he lived in constant fear from -the Israelis. Ppsner said.
One of the lighter moments at a ceremony congratulating the Israeli national basketball team. TohyRuprecbtOeft) and Gideon Saguy <right) look on as Montreal-born Arie Rosenberg makes like a Harlem Globetrotter, spuming the ball off his finger. [Graphic Artists photo]
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TORONTO -
:The recent visit of the Israeli national basketball team to Canada did not go unnoticed by those in the political realm, as the: government of Ontario hpsted a farewell reception for the Israeli delegation.
.At a brief ceremony in; the government, caucus room in Queen's Park. Tony Ruprecht, minister without portfolio responsible for: citizenship and culture, presented members, of the Israeli team with certificates congratulating each on their participation in an exhibition series against the Canadian national te;am.
In remarks to the team. Ruprecht described Ontario's "close ties" and friendship with Israel arid he told them of the recent decision of the Ontario government to officially recognize Israel Independence Dav (CJN May 22)." .
Izhak Fuchs.head oTihe Israeli delegation, which
included athletes, coaches and trainers, thanked the minister and the Israeli' consulate for their hospi-, tality. saying "despite the geogi^phic distance between the'two countries, we feel we're at hpme."
Israel Consul-General Gideon . Saguy added his thanks and translated Ruprecht's remarks for the .. team. : • •.
Sid Greenberg. president of Maccabi Canada, told The CJN the 4-game series was ' 'a success, "despite the sweep by the Canadian squad.
Canada won by 8-10 f)oints in the first three games, and then, with the clock running down in the final game in Toronto, Canadian captain Jay Triano sank the winning basket to win 93-90.
The event, co-sponsored by Basketball Canadai and _Maceabi Canada, saw the two natioial teams play the 4-game series as a tune up for the World Chariipion-
ships, to be held in July in Madrid.
The exhibition games, played in London. Hamilton, Waterloo and Toronto, grossed $65,000, C3reenberg said, with Basketball Canada and Maccabi Canada sphttine the proceeds. Greenberg estimated each party would net about $25,000; with Maccabi'^ share going to develop sports prosrams in Canada. ,
Greenberg. noted, a byproduct of tournament was the interest generated in.the Jewish communities in the smaller centres. They were "excited to see something to do with Israel.he said.
Alex Fisher, honorary president 6f Maccabi Canada, described the matchup as '*a wonderful bit of diplomatic exchange." adding a reciprocal visit by the Canadian team to Israel is slated for 1987._
Despite the disaf^inting result on- the court. "everybody won" at the tournament, Greenberg said.. ■ . :..:-"
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