1
ie Na^tWaW^.
OCT 25 1974
to oust war criminals
.MONTREAL -
Canadian Jewish Congress President.Sydney.M. Harris has asked the Canadian government to deprivesuspected
•War criminals in Canada of . their citizenship "if prima facie evidence exists. that they j^have been respdnsible . for major war crimes." Following is the full text of Harris's statemerit;onsus-{ jiected war criminals in Ca--nada: ■■■■^
"Over the years the Canadian Jewish C6ngress°has brpught to ; the attention of the Cahadiah gbyernment the fact that persons suspected of major war crimes have been admitted to and are re- . siding in Canada: It Vould appear that the Canadian im-migratipn authbrities, im-, mediately following Woi-ld War li; gave more consideration to the possible Communist affiliatipris of ppten-. tiai immigraints and .citizens ■ than to the question of their ; membership in a "criminal ; organization" (siich as S^S., . Waffeh; SS,,V Fascist .militias, etc.) as defined by the protocols and results of the Nuremberg Trials. V . It appears, therefore, that ' insufficient care was taken by ourCanadiahimniigratibn • authorities to ascertain if prospective immigrants were suspected war crimih-als or had had Nazi affiliations. The position that was . taken by the government is that the prospective immigrants were not usuallyask-ed If they had beenmembers " of'a "criminal organization," and therefore such persons were not in breach of Canadian immigration regulations and the government was not able to refuse entry to Ca-. nada, nor in due course to refuse citizenship.
Furthermore, no extradition treaty exists between Canada and the USSR or other socialist countries, and thus there is no possibility of extraditing war criminals 'i suspected of murder to such countries. Nor is Canada a . party to any treaty covering war criminals. : (In Vienna last week. Si- : mon Wiesenthal, headof Jew-. ish Documentation Centre, urged the Canadian government to take measures a-gamst. Imre Fmta. a former Hungarian police officer who commanded the Jewishghetto in Szegged in 1944 and allegedly co-operated close-Iv with Adolf Eichmann in deportation of Jews to Ausch-
I Cont'd on Pag»8
Day school tuition fees are raised
By EHE COLEMAN
MONTREAL
Parents sending theirchil.-dren to Jewish day.schools this vear face tuition fees that in some cases have, increased drasticallv to meet the rising costs of education.
At Herzliah High School, part.of United Talmud Tor-ahs, tuition fees for grades secondary one to secondary five ranged between $70Q and $850, compared, to the $500 to $575 range for the 1973-74 school year.
A member of the board of directors for United Talmud Torahs, Carl Laxer, said the need for new teachers and specialists as well as recent salary increases were important factors in the tu,Lv tion hike.
Teachers' salaries rose approximately T0% • from 1973-74 under the provincial government salary scale set upm 1972. A new law making eight hours of weekly French instruction mandatory in private schools, has forced the day schools to hire Frenchrspeakingteach-ers.
Laxer said the qualifications of Hebrew teachers were also improving, caus-' ing a corresponding increase in their salaries. ^^Tuition fees also increaSr ed because the length of the day wasV extended by one period this^year. 7
The fee structure of United Talmud Torahs is one of the lowest in NJ)rth Ameri-
Cont'd on P«9« 8
14 Pages
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; Canadian ewisnnews
Friday, October 25,1974 Cheshvan 9, 5735
15<^
ij3 *j i
A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE!
Donald Curtis (left), president of CP Hotels, shows off model of CP's $30 million luxury hotel planned for Tel Aviv, to Ammon Gil-Ad, director of the Israel Government Tourist Off ice. in Canada. The model was displayed
publicly.for the first time prior to a luncheon meetmg of the Canada—Israel Chamber of Commerce and Industry at the Royal York Hotel. Premier Davis and Ambassador Meron were guests of honor. See Pg. 5. (CP Hotels)
Abolition of double taxatfe seen for Canada, Israel, says ambassador
By LEWIS LEVENDEL ; CJN Associate Editor
TORONTO -
Israel and Canada have negotiated a draft agreement abolishing double taxation, between the countries. Ambassador Theodor Meron revealed last week.
The agreement is currently being studied in Ottawa and. Jerusalem, an Israeli trade official told The Canadian Jewish News. Long under negotiation, the accord is considered a major step which will greatly bene-fit businessmen in Canada and Israel..
It means businesses and individuals will not have to pay. taxes on investments
abroad in both their home country and the foreign country. The agreement has to ^be approved by parliaments m both Canada and Israel.
Ambassador Meron also told about 500 persons attending a luncheon meeting of the Canada-Israel Chamber of Commerce and Inr dustry at. the Royal York Hotel that a delegation of about 30 Canadian businessmen will be going to Israel , at the end of the month for a two-week visit. For many, it will be their first trip to Israel.
The chamber received much praise for its work from Meron, Ontario Premier William Davis and Dr; Shlomo Sitton. a senior Is-
raeli finance ministry official, who was a guest ofhonor at the luncheon.
Meron praised the growth of the chamber under the chairmanship of Ray. D. Wolfe. Davis stressed the importance of the organization, founded 13 years ago, "as a force for understanding, mutual prosperity and peace." .
Sitton. director of the follow-up unit of the Jerusalem . Economic Conference, told The CJN the Canadian group IS ^ one of the best and most active m the 30 bi-national chambers in the world.
At the luncheon. Davis formally announced plans to visit Israel with his wife in January; And for the first
time. Canadian Pacific Hotels publiclv showed a model of a $30 million luxury hotel to be built on the Tel Aviv-Jaffa waterfront. It IS owned by CP Hotels and a group of investors mainly from: Toronto.
Discussing potential trade between Israel, and Ontario. Premier Davis, in his 25-mmute address, said opportunities may exist for sale of transit equipment.
"At this point. I'm not in a position to in any way accurately assess the transit needs of Israel's larger cities or whether the Transit. Development Corporation could be of assistance," said the premier., "For that matter, I have no.first-hand knowledge at all of Israel's
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I MacEachen bcnlains' vote 1
OTTAWA -
Canada's abstention in a UN General Assembly vote regarding the admission of the Palestine Liberation Organization to take part in a Mideast debate was part of this country's "consistent policy pfabstaining when this issue has been before either the UN or other agencies," External Affairs Minister A!lan_MacEachen said last week.
Following is the Hansardjreport of Liberal Robert Kaplan's question in the House of Conimons ■ Friday and MacEachen's reply;
ROBERT KAPLAN (L. YORK CENTRE):
Mr, Speaker. I have a question for the secretary of state for external affairs. In view of Canada's position on theadmission of the Palestinian Liberation Organization to participating in the United Nations Middle East debate can the minister tell th6,^l1ou^\Whether Canada accepts the legitimacy of this gang^of self-confessed murderers and terror- • Ists..■ ' ' :V
MR^MacEACHEN:
Mr. Speaker, the vote which.my honorable friend mentions with respect^^the participation ofthePLO in the plenary ses^on oft^e United Nations was unplertaken or placed by Canada in a con-sisten t - poncy of abstaining when this issue has been before eitherJheUm'ted Nations or the agencies. I wainuo make it clear therefore, that there
has been absolutely no change of policy in this respect. My predecessor and. the prime minister have stated more than once as Canadian policy, that the Palestinians have rights in the over all peace efforts that will be undertaken for the Middle East.
SOME HONORABLE MEMBERS: Hear, hear:
MR. MacEACHEN^
-and that the Palestinian people ought to be represented in one form or another at peace negotia? tions. With respect to the PLO itself, the Canadian explanation made it clear that the Canadian government did not wish to prejudge the form of the representation of the Palestinian people at any such conference. In fact, the Canadian explanation recorded formally and without ambiguity Canada's refusal to prejudge both whether the PLO should be qne of, or the only representative of thePales^ tinians. We have taken the consistent position that this matter should be settled among the parties concerned.
GEORGE HEES
IPC. PRINCE EDWARD-HASTINGS):
You are getting more like Mitch and Paul every day.
MR. MacEACHEN'^
That is a good tradition.
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needs in Other areas or of Its undoubted potential.'^
Davis, then mentioned his impending trip to Israel-
And he expre.ssed hope that trade between Ontario and Israel can.be increas-. ed. "We each possess products and expertise that the ■ Other needs and I can assure vou that the Ontario ministrv of industry and tourism will ■do everything within its power to facilitate trade m both directions.■■
In his speech. Merontalk-ed of the growth of Canada-Israel trade and praised CP Hotels for their new venture "which willstand as a landmark for foreign investors ..."
Earlier in his address, the ambassador bitterlv.con-demned developments at the , United Nations. The vote to admit the Palestine Libera-: tion. Organization . representative to take part in a debate "casts a great dent on the credibility of the UN for allowing m its midst an organization publicly committed to the destruction of a member state."
Among the politicians at. the head table were Ontario. Industry and Tourism Minister Claude Bennett and Metropolitan Toronto Chairman Paul,Godfrev. Davis brought attentionto York Forest Hills MPP Philip Givens and Mis-sissauga Mayor Dr. Martin Dobkin in the audience.
Women attended a chamber luncheon here for the first time ~ among, them Kathleen Davis,' wife of the premier and Rose Wolfe; wife of the" chamber presjj: dent. ■ ■■■ - ■:.
Dr; Sitton, the Israeli finance ministry official on a world tour, told The CJN of a number of upcoming inter- . national meetings m IsraeL In April in Jerusalem, there will be a conference on publishing and printing combined with, the. Jerusalem Jnternational Book Fair. Israel's third international metal week will take place in Tel Aviv in October, 1975 and the third international food week is: scheduled for / early In 1976..
60,000 Russian Jews may depart annually if agreement ratified
WASHINGTON (JTA)-
■ The first effects of the successful negotiation on Soviet emigration policy probably will
■ not be felt until early next year after the Trade Reform Act becomes law; But the Soviet authorities, as a token of good faith, may lift their_barfiers early. _ , .
Sen. Henry. M. Jackson (D.~Wash.), in making public the.texts of two letters between himself and Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on the Soviet assurances regarding ernigration" practices'*henceforth" thought the trade bill will be legislated by Congress in December. The Senate finance committee, he expects, will present the measure to the Senate shortly after it returns Nov. 18 from its re-election recess. • :V .
After enactment there, the bill will go to the Senate-House conference where the language of the two branches on the bill as a whole, including the Jackson/Mills-Vanik measure linking Soviet emigration with U.S. trade benefits and credits, will be made to conform and then voted by both chambers. From there it will be sent to the president for signing into law. Sentiment for theJ/M-V measure is overwhelming in both chambers.
The House passed,it last December by a 4-1 margin and 78 senators have sponsored it in the Senate. ■
Jackson pointed out in his letter to Kissinger that he considers the issuance of visas by the Soviet authorities at: the rate of 60,000 a year ."a minimum standard of initial compliance" and that "we understand the president proposes to use the same benchmark as the minimum standiud of initial compliance." , . '
(In-Tucson, Arizona.President Ford said the U.S. has no.assurance the USSR will permit a minimum of 60,000 Jevys and others to leave that country each year in return for improved trade status with the U.S. The president said the accord on emigration mentions no specific figures, but deals with the principles to be applied in handling applications and visas of those wishing to emigrate.)
To newsmen aji the White House where he made the historic announcement, Jackson, emphasized thaf'the agreement is based on, and the secretary's letter conveys, the assumption that the rate of emigration from the USSR will begin to rise promptly from the .1973 level . and that.it will continue to rise to correspond to the numbers of applicants." Jackson, stressed, "this ■ . '
Trains in Toronto
V figure - is not a quota" and that m his judgment "if the agreement, is implemented, in good faith, the actual num -ber will exceed 60,000 per annum since there is abundant evidence of a current backlog in excess of 130,000 and the agreement calls for the number to rise to correspond to the number of applicants." . . When a reporter indicated .to Jackson that he thought the Jackson / Mills - Vanik . legislation: affected onlv So-. Viet. Jews; Jackson pointed ; out that neither the word. ■Jew" or -Jewish" appears in the legislation and that the third element in Kissinger's letter on Soviet assurances says that applications for emigration will be "nondiscriminatory
Kissinger's letter'of approximately 800 wordsspell-ed out the assurances he said he received fro.m-"So--Viet, representatives" on the •'criteria and practices" that "henceforth govern emigration from the USSR;" :
Jackson and others m Congress did not. consult with Soviet.authorities apart from a meeting between Jackson and Soviet Ambassador Ana T tolv Dobrvnin more than a vear ago. .■
"We purposely avoided negotiating with the Russians:." Jackson said, but worked through the president and secretary - of state as "we should do . in all administrations.". ..
Hostility confronts
Israeli swimmer Olympic prospect?
By MIRIAM CHINSKY
TORONTO -
■ Hostility and obscenities greeted the Group of 35 when
.they demonstrated in front of. Massev Hall Sunday night prior to a performance by the Kiev Opera: and Ballet Company.
, ;Robed in black, the young women of this small, but. very visible group, paraded m absolute silence outside the theatre, carrying a set of unbalanced scales and placards protesting Soviet in-: justice. Prominent in their ranks was a newly-arrived Russian Jewjn striped pri-son garb.
As theatre patrons came-• along, they were offered reprints of a recent Globe and Mail article concerning the impending trial of Victor Polsky. He is the Russian-Jewish physicist who, after a peculiar series of events, was charged with hitting a young girl whilehe was driving. He had applied, over four years ago. for permission to emigrate to Israel, had promptly been refused the right to practise his profession, and was obliged to work as a truck driver to avoid a conviction for "parasitism". Several witnesses to the Cont'd on Pagi 8 (See pix Pg. 3)
By ROCHELLE CARR
TORONTO -
For six days a week, twice, a day. Ami Shaht, a 17-vear-old Israeli can be found in the University, of Toronto swimming pool, racing a-
gainst the clock; It's all part of a training program to help him gain a spot on Israel's swim team atthel976 01ym--pics in Montreal.
The,tail, good-looking high school student was encour-. .aged to come to Toronto by Zvi Eldar. assistant swim' coach at the'University of TorontoandbvRobin Campbell, the swim coach,- when they learned that ShajUt had swum the : 100-metre freestyle; in a competition m Iceland, in 58.3 seconds.
It all. started four years, ago when Shalit began doing dry land swim exercises; done in the winter. He en-. joved it so much he joined the Maccabi Kiryat Bialik swim club., • ■ -
Within four years, Eldar (he also coaches the 130 club members between April and . September each year) watched Shalit. progress ■ rapidly enough to. make the Israeli national swim team; "He's the best on my team. He has great potential." explains Eldar
AlthoughShalit cannotpar-ticipate in any meets with the University of Toronto team (it is reputed to be the best swim team in Canada), ..both the coach and assistant -coach feel that practicing with the team, for SIX months will be invaluable to his swimming career. Israeli sports' officials seemed to
think so too, for it was the Israeli Sports' Federation, his 'township and his swim, club that paid for his plane ticket here.
In.addition to his intensive training, Shalit must also concern himself with his studies. He is actually in his last year m high school and pext. spring must go back to Israel to write his final examinations before entering the army.
The well-mannered teenager speaks very warmly about his Israeli friends, schoolmates for. 11 years. Although. he is considered an excellent student (he also had to relinquish the presidency of the student council when he. left), he is most grateful to them and his teacher for sending carbon copies of school work.for him to study.
Now he has his swimming-and study schedule downpat, .he is endeavoring to. solve one final: problem. Although Hillel'. House has provided him with accommodation, and he has a small job at the University pool, he needs some form of small employment to help him pay for his food.. .
In addition to help from his friends, he credits his parents, particularly., his father, who is also an.official timer, for encouraging him. The. family IS also encouraging his I5-year-old. 6" 2" brother, whom it IS felt has a good future in basketball. ^ "
How does Shalit feel a-bout swimming through a Canadian winter? Actually Canada has an advantage over Israel — heated pools.
Ami Shalit, 17-year-oId Israeli swimmer, receivei encouragement from Zvi Eldafi assistant swim~^oach of the Unirenity )f Toronto. Shalit is considered to haVe great potential for the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. (Brian Wilier photo)