JDL Denies Office Firebombing

The Jewish Defense League today denied its members firebombed the offices of a German-American group in Santa Monica that claims the history of the Nazi Holocaust has been greatly exaggerated. JDL leader Irv Rubin said a recorded message telephoned to United Press International claiming JDL responsibility for the early morning bombing of the German-American National Political Action Committee office on Santa Monica Boulevard was a fraud “probably done by GANPAC itself.”

The fire was determined to be incendiary and caused about $50,000 in damage, the Fire Department said. Hans Schmidt, chairman of the German-American group, said he believed the JDL was behind the firebombing because “that’s their purpose.”