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BRUSSELS, Belgium (JTA) — A senior European official is attempting to convince European Jewish leaders that the European Union has not become pro-Arab.

Speaking last week at a conference here about the peace process, Manuel Marin, the European commissioner in charge of Middle Eastern and Mediterranean affairs, said the European Union is "not pro-Israeli, nor pro-Arab."

Joining European Jewish officials at the conference were Israeli politicians and representatives from Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority.

"We are not playing the Israelis against the Arabs," as had "perhaps been suggested by the press," Marin said.

South African paper target of letter hoax

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (JTA) — The leading South African newspaper the Star has expressed regret for publishing a series of falsified letters designed to stir anti-Semitism.

The paper, which says it has been the target of a hoax, has been running letters on the Israeli-Arab conflict from a person with a Jewish-sounding name.

The letters, signed by an "Israel Melunsky" of Yeoville, a suburb of Johannesburg, apparently gave the Star a fictitious address, according to the Jewish Board of Deputies, which urged the paper to apologize.

Using stereotypes exploited by anti-Semites over the years, the letters claimed to vindicate Jewish and Israeli "superiority" over other peoples, particularly Arabs.

Last month, a letter said it was "Jewish brains, Jewish money, Jewish intellect, Jewish enterprise and Jewish military superiority which was today keeping the world going" and that "it was the duty of the Jews to guide lesser mortals and beings."

Russian Jews split over union protests

MOSCOW (JTA) — Russian Jews, like the rest of the nation's population, are divided over the call by Russian trade unions for protest activities.

Millions of workers and pensioners were expected to join a nationwide protest Thursday to demand unpaid wages and pensions.

"In that respect, Jews are not different from the general populace," said Alexander Sakov, editor of Shalom, a monthly publication of the 5,000-member Jewish community in Omsk, in western Siberia.

About 7 million of Russia's 45 million work force were expected to go on strike, which would be the largest in post-Soviet history, analysts say.