Page Four

DETROIT JEWISR CHRONICLE

Detroit Jewish Chronicle

Friday, July 23, MI

It Depends on Whose Shoe Pinches

Published Weekly by Jewish Chronicle Publishing Co., Inc., 548 Woodward, Detroit 26, Mich., CA. 1040

SUBSCRIPTION: $3.00 Per Year, Single Copies, 10c; Foreign, $5.00 Pee Yell,
Roamed as Second-dau matte: March 3. 1916, at the Pon Office at Detroit, Mich., under the Act of March 3, 3879

SEYMOUR TILCHIN, President

Vol. 50, No. 27

GEORGE WEISWASSER, Editor-in-Chief

Friday, July 23, 1948 (Tams 16, 5708)

). Whom We Owe Allegiance
Two statements at the recent ZOA con-
vention merit further comment. One is the

affirmation by Dr. Emanuel Neumann of
American Zionists' relation to the State of
Israel, and the other is his vigorous proposal
for a merger of Zionist bodies into one or-
ganization, all working together as American
Friends of Israel.
Both propositions take on added signi-
ficance because they were enunciated by the
president of the largest group of Zionists in
America, representing more of a cross-sec-
tion of American Jews than any other Zionist
body and speaking for an organization that
has no special causes to promote as Mizrachi
has orthodoxy, Revisionists, the rightists'
economic viewpoints, and Labor Zionism, the
' dogmas of socialism.
In other words, the ZOA represents, in
greatest measure, American Jews who have
certain nationalistic and sentimental attach-
ments to Israel not tied up with any skond-

ary loyalties such as religious, economic or
political issues.

• • •

,Dr. Neumann answers the question of the
Jew who wants to know what allegiance he
owes to the new State of Israel and how that
conflicts with his Americanism.
It seems to us that the ZOA president
makes it unequivocally clear that the Ameri-
can Jew owes no allegiance whatsoever to
Israel; that all his allegiance belongs to the
United States and to no other political body;
that American Jews are ardent friends and
supporters of Israel because of historical,
religious, nationalistic, ethnic or sentimental
links; that America is our home and that the
Stars and Stripes is our flag; that we have
no more intention of dividing our allegiance
and loyalties than does an Irish-American or
an Anglo-Saxon-American or a Greek-Ameri-
can.
•
This has been the traditional view of
American Zionists even before the proclama-
tion of the State, and its establishment does
in no way affect their exclusive allegiance to
the U. S.
i
Yet, it should be made clear that the
overwhelming majority of American Jews,
actively or passively approve the creation of
an independent and sovereign Jewish State
to add dignity and prestige to the name of the
Jew everywhere; to end Jewish homeless-
ness for the exiles and those who do not wish
to dwell in lands of savagery and hate; to
establish a center for Jewish religion and
culture; to revive some of our past history
and past glory.
• • •
1 . We must and can help the eventuation
Of all this without the surrender of an iota
of our love and allegiance to America, our
home.
We are particularly pleased with Dr.
Neumann's statement indorsing OW views
for a consolidation of all Zionist forces in
America into a single body to be known as
American Friends of Israel.
We were not so sanguine as to believe
that our joint proposal would be welcomed
with open arms by the different factions in
Zionism. We were well aware that the very
thing we were fighting by urging a coalition
of forces, namely factionalism, would stand
in the way of the fulfillment of our objec-
tive.
To put it bluntly, too many of the Zion-
ist bodies are only Zionists as a side-issue.
They are first for labor or for orthodoxy or
for lobor-orthodoxy or for women's rights
or. for capitalism or what not. They are Zion-
ists in the zocond step of progression, and
that is exactly what Dr. Neumann and we
deplore.
If we are to be true Friends of Israel,
we must stop being for labor and orthodoxy
first, and as Dr. Neumann puts it "sink ideo-

DETROIT 26,

mien.

America, there should be a divorce of labor
from Zionism, of orthodoxy from Zionism,
of capitalism from Zionism.
The different viewpoints and ideologies
shod
►
not be forced to mix. An American
Jew should be a Zionist because of his friend-

ship for Israel and not because he wishes to
foster orthodoxy or socialism in Israel.
He can promote his religious or economic
theories outside the realm of political Zion-
ism so that there need be none of the wrang-
ling and disunity of the past.
That is the program that Dr. Neumann
and the Chronicle support. If the different
factions would put selfishness and fictions of
their primacy aside, there would be a unity
which would prove a blessing for the new

State forever.

New Truce Too Restrictive

Letters to the Editor

The UN is trying Israel's patience with

the new truce scheme.

Under the proposals put forth by the
United States, a virtual trusteeship, once
rejected by the special General Assembly
session on Palestine, will be set up. And Is-
rael, which has been compliant and coopera-
tive towards the UN is penalized under the
plan whereas the Arabs who have been un-
compromising and defiant are rewarded.
Count Bernadotte and a small army of
aides will march in and effectively tie up
many of Israel's governmental activities,
limit Israel's rights as a sovereign nation and
weaken the tiny State's prestige in the eyes
of the world.
The UN arrangement will definitely re-
strict immigration into Israel, preventing the
25,000 still behind barbed wire in Cyprus
from attaining their freedom and blocking
tho entry of thousands more whose existence
as DP's daily becomes more galling.

QUERY ON WEIZMANN
Dear Editor:
Why is it that Dr. Chaim
Weizmann, the president of Is-
rael, has not given up as yet
his British citizenship?
How is it conceivable that
the highest official of Israel is
still retaining the passport and
the citizenship of the country
which, is responsible for the
bloodshed in Palestine and is
nut a citizen of Israel? Why
are the provisional government
of Israel, the Hebrew press there
and the Jewish press here silent
about this shocking fact?
Is it a mystery which must
not be disclosed for "security
reasons?" Is it a "war regula-

Certainly, the Arabs and the UN will

protest that they cannot accede to the im-
migration of young men destined for the
battlefield. Yet, thousands of foreign Arabs
are within Palestine's borders as fighting
men and the UN will do nothing to force
them to withdraw.
Moreover, because Arab guerillas sneak
in easily into Palestine across the Jordan
and the weakly-guarded borders, Israel is
the loser since her potential warriors must
come by sea and can be easily spotted by
the UN naval and air blockade.

The UN program also reaffirms the arms
embargo against Israel, preventing her from
supplying herself with sufficient guns and
planes for defense whereas tier enemy is well
equipped, thanks partly to the weapons sup-
plied by one of the members of the Security
Council which has ordered the truce.
The provision demilitarizing Jerusalem
and placing it under UN supervision must
not be the first step towards the eventual
handing over of the Holy City to Abdullah as
a palliative. Jerusalem ought to be Jewish,
but if that cannot be, the General Assembly
decision for its internationalization must not
be set aside, so that the city's Jewish in-
habitants need not become second-class citi-
zens of a feudal Arab princeling.
Israel has shown all along that she is
ready to negotiate and to compromise for
the sake of peace in the Middle East. But
the UN goes too far if it insists on scorning
Israel's sovereignty and her right to open
her doors freely and to import arms.

British 'Bomb' Haifa
Anyone who thinks that Israel and world
Jewry have been rather harsh and unforgiv-
ing towards Britain ought to consider the
following revelation, well authenticated by
reliable sources.
During the original truce, the Royal Air
Force, in anticipation of the rejection of the
Bernadotte proposals, gave the Arab armies
logical differences which have lost so much detailed instructions for bombing the port
of their former validity and coalesce into one of Haifa when the fighting started anew.
united Zionist organization."
Two days after hostilities resumed, Haifa
We do not simply imply, of course, that was blasted for the first time and the raids
exponents of orthodoxy should stop being were kept up for several days.
orthodox and that friends of labor should
How can anyone ask, in view of such bar-
cease fostering their pro-union or socialistic barism, that Israel be more conciliatory to
viewpoints. What we do say is that, in Britain?

E

tion?" It is an outrage which
requires an explanation and
immediate rectification?
LOUIS PANUSH,
3437 Oakman boulevard.

ZEDAKAH THANKS
Dear Editor:
We of Zedakah Club take this
opportunity of thanking you for
your splendid cooperation which
helped make our linen shower
and garden party at the horse
of Mrs. Irving Shevin, July 7
so huge a success.
We are grateful to our mem-
bers and friends who contrib-
uted linens and cash for the neer
State of Israel.
MRS. ABE ROSENBERG.

Random Thoughts

By Seymour Tilehin

AS WE PREDICTED last week, one else's point of view, but that
the battle in Palestine the point of view cannot come about
early part of the week was a by force of arms or by defiance.
furious one, bcth sides attempt- I dread to think that it might be
ing to gain as much ground be- true that the present leadership
fore the anticipated new truce. is guilty of the treachery Mena-
Without question, the Israel army chem Beigin charges.
• • •
came out the victor.
Apparently, the for - week IN DETROIT NEWS
truce gave Israel's army a
IT WAS GRATIFYING to read
chance to consolidate its forces tee flood of replies to Rachel An-
and the troops took advantage of thony's lette" in the Detroit
every bit of war strategy at their News, particularly so since elf
command.
the answers were intelligent and
The main fear of the stew truce to the point.
is that 't might become a form
It proves that Jews in this city
of permanent trusteeship with not only keep themselves well
such limitations on immigration posted on the Israel situation lint
and armament that would retard arc 90 deeply concerned and
the development of the Jewish moved so as not to allow any
State.
misinformation to go :what-
• • •
lenged.
A LETTER
1 wo years ago, it might have
DEAR SEYMOUR:
been a job for some Zionist lead-
"Read the enclosed broadcast er to answer that letter. Today,
of Menachem Beigin, and see for most any intelligent Jew can re-
yourself how the Irgun 'defied fute these letters since he has
recognized authority'] (July 16 sufficient knowledge and infor-
Random Thoughts.) mation to make an intelligent re-
'I am for law and order and Ply
• • •
against any rebellions. But I am
against party rule in Israel, and ABOUT HAGANAII
tot that matter in our Zionist af-
THERE IS NO army called
fairs and in the local Emergency Haganah any longer. There is
Council. And because of that I just an 'Rae, army called "Zva
am a 'dissident' and God knows Haganah" meaning, "defense
what! ,
army." R is considered the most
"Who is responsible for the dramatic army in the world and
'Hillel HaShern' in Israel? Who one of the best disciplined in the
is responsible for the shooting of world.
Jewish patriots? Read for your-
There are no orderlies, and of-
self.
ficers wash their own mess kits
"If unification Is to take place, and make their own beds. There
the present leaders and dictators are a large number of women
will have to try and understand in the fighting ranks but most
someone else's point of view and of them have been withdrawn
give him a shame of the responsi- from the front line because of
bility and the benefits ...
the fate that some of them met
Yours,
after capture.
LOUIS PANUSH."
The most colorful unit of the
• • •
army is Palmarh, meaning "strik-
THE ANSWER
ing force." This outfit was orig-
DEAR LOUIS:
inally trained as night fighters
I time with yon. I, too, be- against Arab bands by the late
lieve that the present leaders Gen. Orde Wi•gate and it is a
should try to understand some-
(Continued on page 10)

.

