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The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, January 13, 1983 - Page 3
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MONTREAL
The Canadian Jewish Congress has had "intensive and Gbntinuous ~ meetings- on the matter of Ethiopian Jewry with the federal departments of external affairs and immigration, CJC president Irwin Cotler reported here recently before leaving for Israel to discuss the plight of Ethiopian Jews with the Israelis.
CJC leiaders made representations about the conditions of Ethiopian Jews in Sudan based on information that had been conveyed to them by people in the refugee camps there, and outside, Cotler said.
CJC has asked the Canadian government to use '-its good offices'' through the United Nations High Commission on Refugees to intervene on behalf of the Ethiopian Jews whose safety, CJC believes, is imperiled in these refugee camps.
"I even used the Sabra and Shatila analogy with respect to the situation in Sudan, said Cotler. "The whole world is aghast at what happened in these camps because they said that Sabra and Shatila were under the control of Israel.
''Ethiopian Jews in refugee camps are Con-
vention refugees. Therefore, their safety and - welfare is equally the responsibility of the UNHCR and the host state, Sudan. We wanted to ensure that Canada, through UNHCR, does what is necessary to secure the safety and welfare of Ethiopian Jews now languishing in Sudanese refugee camps."
Cotler and CJC executive vice-president Alan Rose discussed with Canadian government officials the use and application of Canadian and international law with respect to providing for the emigration of Ethiopian Jews now in Sudan.
Sumniarizing the response of the government officialfit, Cotler said that the Canadian government's reaction was "positive and even hopeful.'*
On the subject of public criticism of Israel's operations on behalf of the Ethiopian Jews, Cotler said it should be made directly to Israeli government officials.
"One should not judge others unless one is exactly in their place,'' said Cotler. "It is not going to help the Israeli operation if I go aheajd and publicly criticize the government of Israel. My objective is to help
Ethiopian Jews."
Cotler is meeting in Israel with leaders of the Ethiopian Jewish community, the Israeli representatives or^the Public Council for Ethiopian, Jewry, Prime Minister^ Menachem Be gin, Foreign Minister Yitzhak Shamir, officials of the Jewish Agency, and
individuals involved with the Ethiopian Jewry rescue effort in the Knesset and the media.
Cotler pointed out that the news media in Israel „haye dealt with the issue
of Ethiopian Jews extensively and the story is frequently given front page coverage.
He said many of the stories in the Jewish and general press outside Israel criticizing the Israeli goyemmeht's stand on the Ethiopian issue have often been ^written by those who are not privy to what has Ixeen said in the Israeli press and the committees of
the Knesset. * *Most of those who criticize the goveinment of Israel do not read Hebrew, do not speak with Israeli Offi^ cials and do not really know,", stated Cotler.
"I think that the
rescue of Ethiopian
Jewry is to be an urgent
priority for Israel and the
Jewish people. I think we would do far more to bring about both the arid rescue of Man Jews by exploring all possible avenues, and remedies to affect their wellbeing, rather than jerigaging in indictments. This is not going to help Ethiopian Jews," he said.
TORONTO —
The Canadian Jewish Congress last week condemned as ^^deplorable'' the Ufting of Canada's year-long ban on the mailing privileges of Ernest Zundel, Toronto-based publisher of doubtful literature.
Zundel, who operates as Samisdat Publishers Ltd. out of 206 Carlton St., in Toronto and also out of a postal box number in Buffalo, is the author of a book titled the Hitler We Loved And Why and has admitted in his autobiography published in Germany that he advocated the "truths" he learned from Adrian Arcand, the late leader of Canada's
Nazi movement in the 1930s.
Following complaints made in the West German Bundestag that Zundel was responsible for Nazi propaganda being mailed to Germany, Canada Post issued an interim prohibitory order in November, 1981, prohibiting Zundel use of the mail.
However, a 3-man board of review recently heard his appeal and Postmaster - General Andre Ouellet signed an order revoking the ban, based on their recommendation.
Ben Kayfetz, executive director of the National Joint Community Relations Committee of
the Canadian Jewish Congress, told The CJN he considers that decision ^*deplorable as it permits a known propagandist to proceed with his offensive attacks with impunity."
Kayfetz said he particularly found "appall ing" this statement in the adjudication of the board of review:
' 'The board believes that what is before it is a much larger problem or struggle between two peoples, i.e. the Germans and the Jews, and is reluctant to recommend to the minister that the interruption of mail services be continued."
Kayfetz said this revealed that the board
had no real understanding of the issues involved.
"It assumes that attacks on a religious or ethnic group are the concern of that group alone and no one else's," he said. "It disregards the lessons of World War II and the impact of Hitlerism whose 50th anniversary is coming at the end of January."
Kayfetz said he *'found it passing strange" that Zundel should disavow being a Nazi, and yet foi* years has beec distributing Concerned Parents of German Descent. Kayfetz said this is a book promoting the thesis that
there was no Holocaust and that the entire *'story was concocted by the Zionists for the purpose of extracting money from Germany
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