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Memo Regarding Propaganda Efforts from the American Jewish Committee

Considerable concern has been expressed over public disclosures of spy activities by Jews and people with Jewish-sounding names.  The present situation is regarded as being potentially more dangerous than the situation which obtained during World War II; for now the enemy is seen as Communist Russia rather than as Nazi Germany.

The main reason for concern is the belief that the non-Jewish public may generalize from these activities and impute to the Jews as a group treasonable motives and activities…

Because it seems likely that the AJC will undertake some kind of propaganda campaign in connection with these problems, I should like to make some constructive suggestions along propaganda lines…

Instead of arguing exhortatively that Jews are not Communists, that they hate Communists, that they hate Russia, that Russia hates Jews, more positive approaches based on propaganda of fact can be used…

The following propaganda of fact ideas may be tried out:

  1. Stories about how Russia stifles and oppresses its various minorities, including Jews, despite its claims to the contrary.

[items 2 through 4 have been omitted...]

  1. Stories of how Communists are fought in this country through institutional means such as labor unions (Dubinsky [David, President of the ILGWU 1932-1966] kicks them out) and through government, featuring the work of such U.S. attorneys as Irving Saypol. (In this connection it should be pointed out that Saypol and other Jews on the “right side” may have as much or as little chance of recognition as do Jews on the “wrong side.”)
  2. Stories and reprints of stories on Russian attacks against Israel, against Zionists, against the use of the Hebrew language.
  3. Reprints and stories of Israel siding with the United Nations against Korean aggression.
  4. Stories of how the present government in Israel keeps down Communists…
Victor S. Navasky, Naming Names (New York: The Viking Press, 1980), 115-116.

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How to cite this page

Jewish Women's Archive. "Memo Regarding Propaganda Efforts from the American Jewish Committee." (Viewed on March 28, 2024) <http://jwa.org/media/memo-regarding-propaganda-efforts-from-american-jewish-committee>.