Editing Jewish Defense League (section)

===1971===

On January 8, 1971, a bombing outside of the Soviet cultural center in [[Washington, D.C.]] was followed by a phone call including the JDL slogan "Never again." A JDL spokesperson denied the group's involvement in the bombing, but refused to condemn it.<ref name="backgrounder" />

On January 17, in response to JDL tactics against Soviet personnel being condemned by the Israeli Cabinet and American Jewish leaders, eight former Soviet Jews living in Israel sent cables to American Jewish leaders denouncing their condemnation of the JDL and denying that the JDL's acts endangered Soviet Jews. The cables said they were convinced that the JDL's "policy and activities are most effective." The group also attacked Israeli authorities for alleged softness in fighting the Soviet Union on the issue of Jewish rights. One of the signatories, [[Dov Schperling|Dov Sperling]], claimed that the recent cancellation of the Bolshoi Ballet's scheduled American tour was forced by the JDL and hailed it as the first public surrender by Soviet authorities to Jewish pressure. [[Herut]] leader [[Menachem Begin]] also declared support of acts of harassment against Soviet diplomatic establishments abroad.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/1971/01/18/archive/goldmann-jdl-tactics-a-catastrophe-soviet-jews-differ-on-jdlers-indicted|title=Goldmann: Jdl Tactics a 'catastrophe'; Soviet Jews Differ on Jdl'ers Indicted|date=1971-01-18|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|access-date=2016-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160816103743/http://www.jta.org/1971/01/18/archive/goldmann-jdl-tactics-a-catastrophe-soviet-jews-differ-on-jdlers-indicted|archive-date=2016-08-16|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 19, twenty JDL members had conducted a half-hour sit-in at the offices of Columbia Artists Inc. in Manhattan, leaving only after they were assured a meeting would be set up with the company's president in the near future.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=http://www.jta.org/1971/01/21/archive/jdl-old-goals-new-tactics-non-violent-actions-against-cultural-exchange-programs|title=Jdl: Old Goals, New Tactics; Non-violent Actions Against Cultural Exchange Programs|date=1971-01-21|website=Jewish Telegraphic Agency|access-date=2016-10-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161019012448/http://www.jta.org/1971/01/21/archive/jdl-old-goals-new-tactics-non-violent-actions-against-cultural-exchange-programs|archive-date=2016-10-19|url-status=live}}</ref>

On January 20, JDL national chairman Rabbi Meir Kahane announced that JDL will conduct "non-violent actions" against organizations engaged in cultural exchange programs with the [[Soviet Union]] and that there had been "unofficial contacts" between his group and "some Jewish establishment organizations" which were welcomed.<ref name=":1" />