1968_4_arabisraelwar

192 / AMERICAN JEWISH YEAR BOOK, 1968
ten other Yiddish writers. Only six of the paper's ten-member editorial board
were among them.
COMMUNIST BLOC
Although, with the exception of Rumania, all Communist East European
countries severed relations with Israel, the degree to which the Jewish communities
were affected differed from country to country. Thus, in Bulgaria,
where the Jewish community is isolated and without support from outside
(AJYB, 1967 [Vol. 68], pp. 411-13), there was no anti-Jewish propaganda.
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia's Tito unexpectedly lined up his policy to agree with that of the
USSR. For years Tito had maintained friendly relations with Israel, and there
was a lively cultural exchange between the Yugoslav Jewish community and
Israel, particularly with labor groups. It would seem that one reason for
Tito's break with Israel was his commitment to the Third World idea which
he, Nasser, and the late Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India tried to
organize to give leadership to the less developed countries wishing to achieve
some form of native socialism. However, when the chips were down, Tito
followed Moscow. Still, Jewish activities continued without restriction and
without interference on the part of the state (AJYB, 1967 [Vol. 68], pp.
408-410). Apparently the government did not object to the community's
continued pro-Israel attitude.
Hungary
Following the meeting of Communist leaders of the Eastern bloc, Hungarian
Foreign Minister Janos Peter denounced Israel for "aggression against
the territories [of] its neighbors." But, according to reliable reports,
Hungary reluctantly severed diplomatic ties with Israel on June 12. It did so
only under heavy pressure from the Soviet Union. In fact, differences in the
government over the Middle East policies continued. Laszlo Pataki, first
secretary of the Gyor-Sopron party committee, stated in an interview with
Nepszabadsag (Budapest, September 22, 1967) that the crisis in the Middle
East had given rise to a considerable controversy over the handling of this
policy and more particularly over its "antisemitic and philosemitic aspects."
Earlier, in a discussion of the Arab-Israeli war at a Writers Union meeting in
Budapest (July), the majority of attending members had objected to the
government's anti-Israeli stance.
As a result, the Arab-Israeli conflict had little effect on Jewish communal
activities. At the annual meeting of the Central Board of Jewish Communities,
its president, Geza Seifert, referred to it in an appeal to the great powers
and the United Nations to help solve the conflict "in the spirit of humanism
and progress." (Folks-shtimme, Warsaw, July 18, 1967). And while a piece