American Jewish Period ca
Thursday, May 11, 1950
DETROIT JEWISH CHRONICLE
Fighting Spirit
Made Haganah
Effective Unit
Britain's Give and Take
Detroit Jewish Chronicle
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. '
SEYMOUR TILCHIN
Publisher
GERHARDT NEUMANN
EMILY SOMLYO
Editor
Business Manager
lyar 24, 5710
Thursday, May 11, 1950
Arab League Finds a Loophole
•
Jordan's surprising annexation of Arab Palestine—and the
rapid recognition of this step by Britain—keeps the world guess-
ing as er the consequences.
As we pointed out last week, Israel's best policy at the
moment is to bide its timu' and accept the existing frontiers as
temporarily satisfactory. Although a few hotheads on the right
and on the left would like to make this the issue for another
round with the Arabs, th . moderate elements of Israel, under the
leadership of David Ben Gurion, know that it would be detri-
mental to the interests of the Jewish state to start a war.
Such action would b.. Inadvisable from many points of
view, especially Israel's reputation. Israel cannot risk losing the
good will of the big powers. Anyhow, a small coutry al-
ways will fare better with a policy of compromise, as long as
this does not destroy its integrity.
The Arab countries seem to be completely bewildered.
At first, they were speechless. From all information available, it
appears that the Arab countries felt the impact of Jordan's
action like a thunderbolt from heaven.
There was some talk about a special session of the Arab
league. But it seems that the League considered the potato too
hot to handle.
Finally, the story broke. Instead of a full-dress meeting, the
Arab League's legal department assembled to study the situation.
And the legal department concluded that there is no reason to
be alarmed or to apply sanctions against King Abdullah, because
everything he did was only "temporary" and to protect himself
against "possible Israeli aggression."
In studying the annexation proclamation, the Arabs found
out that the measure was not to effect "the final status of Pales-
tine." By this pledge, in the opinion of the legal department,
Jordan has merely taken measures to prevent the Israelis from
overrunning the country. (It reminds one somehow of Hitler who
also grabbed small and big countries to "protect" the German
nation.)
However, if the annexation was really only a temporary
measure, why did the Jordanian parliament debate the matter
for days? Why did Abdullah have to issue formal and solemn
declarations assuring the Palestinian Arabs that this annexa-
tion had made their happiness complete?
No doubt, the Arab League, well aware of its weakness and)
splits, just sought a loophole to escape the moral obligation of
taking any action against Jordan. The Arabs, like the Israelis,
know very well that Jordan has no intention whatsoever of
turning Arab-Palestine over to someone else. The annexation
was final, and will remain so as long as Israel is not strong
enough to change the status quo by diplomatic means or by force
of arms.
We also have no doubt that Jordan was conniving with
Britain before it announced the annexation, for the British
recognition came too promptly not to have been premeditated.
The most serious aspect of the matter, as far as Israel is
concerned, is the status of Jerusalem. Jordan's action tends
to perpetuate the separation of the old city from the new city.
Politically, it is an unfortunate situation because the stationing of
heavy frontier guards within the city may make for bad blood
and tense situations.
Only great discipline on the part of the Jewish population .
and skillful diplomatic tact on the part of the Israeli government
can prevent disorders that might grow into disaster.
The Kurdistan Jews
ution •of
Last year, Iraq made the headlines with the pei
its Jews Now Iran—or to be specific, Kurdistan—follows suit.
Whether Iran is to be blamed is difficult to say. The Kurds
are known for their disrespect for the central government. They
are mostly farmers and cattle-raisers, but consider robbery a
legitimate way of complementing their income. They are fol-
lowers of the Shia sect, which is one of the most intolerant sects
in Islam.
It is believed that the Kurdistan Jews settled there as early
as in the time of Ezra. Their language shows similarities with the
Aramaic translations of the Bible and with the language of the
Babylonian Talmud. Their number probably does not exceed
12,000.
• When about 50 years ago the Alliance Israelite Universelle
sought to establish schools in Kurdistan it found out that those
Jews were backward and superstitious. It was reported that
they had but little opportunity to study their religion or history,
"since the rabbis have been so actively engaged in extracting
the sinews from meat, in circumcising children (in Mohamedan
houses also) and in making amulets, that they have had no
time left for teaching."
Family life among the Kurdistan Jews has been rather
primitive. Girls are married off at the age of 13 or 14. Monogamy
is the rule, but exceptions occur when the marriage is childless
or the levirate comes into effect.
Amulets and superstitions play a great role in the life of the
women, and it is reported that even the Kurds at times ask
Jewish scribes for such amulets.
The Kurdistan Jews earn their livelihood by keeping stores
or acting as agents in the export trade. Many Jews go into the
villages and trade with the natives in grain, cheese, wool, honey,
v:s.x, grapes, etc. These products are either sold in the towns or
exported.
It is important to know this background, since the pogroms
in Kurdistan will probably start a wave of emigration to Israel.
Th es e oriental Jews are not the pioneer type needed for the
I
reconstruction of Israel, and it will take intensive training and
re-education to enable these Jews to adjust themselves to the
* requirements and ideals of Israel.
4
ai
ISRAEL
By GERHARDT NEUMANN
THE ARMY OF ISRAEL by
Lt. Col. Moshe Pearlman.
(Philosophical Library,
New York.)
Back in the early 20s, when-
ever British police visited Jewish
settlements in Palestine, the col-
onists used to hide their Haganah
arms and signal apparatus. When
the police arrived shortly after
an attack had been beaten off
and asked settlers how they had
beaten off the Arabs, the answer
used to be that, of course, those
licensed twelve-bores had been
used.
This is the atmosphere under
which the Jews of Palestine built
up their self-defense which was
to become known under the name
of Haganah.
And an exciting account it is.
A story of miracles, of doing the
impossible, of coping with seem-
ingly unsurmountable odds. What
made the Haganah so efficient,
despite its numerical inferiority,
IEMAYER, DETROIT JEWISH OIRONICII
was its esprit de corps.
"Fighting spirit," the author
says, "the principal weapon in
the Haganah armory, was a con-
venient composite that covered a
multitude of qualities. They in-
cluded attachment to the soil,
dedication to the task of building
man beings we could thrill at the Jewish home, the refusal to
By ALFRED SEGAL
what other human beings have allow 'impossible' to figure in the
I WAS QUITE ALONE at the been doing in Israel: Whining a Jewish vocabulary, the prepared-
dinner, though I wasn't in the war against six stronger nations, ness to die rather than surren-
least lonely. Indeed, I was sur-
building a new land and a good der."
rounded by most friendly people life, showing the world a nation
It is well known that under the
with whom I
founded on loving kindess and British mandate the Haganah had
had shared the
liberty.
important tasks to fulfill. Some-
geniality of
As human beings are we any
times it functioned in cooperation
cocktails before
less American if we admire and with, or under the tolerance of,
it all began.
help other members of the human the British: sometimes it was
I was alone in
race who have been behaving in hunted as an illegal outfit.
that I was the
a way most creditable to the
It also is important that the
only one among
whole breed? Dual loyalty? Sure
Haganah never was a terror or-
have
dual
loyalty.
We
are
t he 250 who
we all
ganization. It rejected the meth-
wasn't frighten-
loyal to America and loyal to
ods of the Irgun and the Stern
ed to think what
mankind in the world.
group and preferred to put up a
the fact of Isra-
Are we any less loyal as Amer-
clean fight for the existence of
el - in - being
nations
the
icans when we help
Segal
might do to the
of Europe to return to gainful the Jewish people.
It also is well known that dur-
standing of American Jews as living, by the Marshall plan? We
the last war the Jews had a
citiens of the United States.
pour out our billions. Nobody has ing
It was the convention dinner come up to say that it's dual hard time persuading the British
of the American Council for Ju- loyalty to pay out a portion of to accept Jewish units in the Brit-
daism (anti-Zionist). I had been our taxes for the support of Eng- ish army. Only when manpower
was at a premium did the British
invited on the idea that I might land and France.
finally consent to the formation
• • •
come to see the error of my own
ways — a brand that could be
WELL, MY FRIENDS in the of a Jewish Brigade, ,Ithough
plucked from the burning, you Council for American Judaism earlier many Jews with special
didn't put up any argument on qualifications had been used by
might say.
The speaker was Morris Ernst, that. They said they were wor- the British in one capacity or an-
the New York libertarian, who ried because of some of the Am- other.
After the war, it became the
must have been quite a disap- erican Zionists, the way they
pointment. Ile scarcely touched have been behaving. They have Haganah's main job to keep the
on the favorite topic of the Am- been behaving like nationals of flow of immigration going, when
ican Council for Judaism — dual Israel, as if their purpose were the British army and navy did
loyalty and all that. Mr. Ernst to establish cultural Israeli colo- their utmost to keep the "illegals"
out of Palestine and to Intercept
was full of his own pet subject— nies in U. S. cities.
They meant they had seen the immigrant boats near the Pal-
civil liberties and bigots who are
Israel flag (but always beside estine coast as if they were buc-
the enemies of civil liberties.
He said he wasn't bringing any the U. S. flag) at Jewish meet- caneers.
In retrospect, it can be said
message. He was just speaking ings; they had heard the Israeli
out loud, he said, and everyone anthem sung (but always with that Bevin's clumsiness had no
who listened to the speech could the "Star Spangled Banner" be- chance against the intelligence
wrap it up and make his own ing sung first); they knew of em- with which the Haganah handled
phasis on Jewish culture in cer- its job. The period from 1946
bundle out of it.
• • •
tain groups.
to 1948 became a period of "con-
I could comfort them. During structive resistance" and 'con-
HE BROUGHT UP the movie
"Abie's Irish Rose." Jews in New a long experience as newspaper structive sabotage."
When the Jewish state had been
York were frightened lest an an- reporter I have seen the Italian
ti-Semitic smell might be de- flag waving at meetings of Ital- proclaimed and the Arabs be-
rived from "Abie's Irish Rose." ian-Americans and I remember gan moving toward Israel, it was
They went to Mr. Ernst: Could attending a dinner of the Italian the small force of the Haganah
Republican Club in our town.
which had to bear the brunt of
he do something about it?
I have seen the flag (+Ireland the attacks while Israel was train-
Mr. Ernst is a man who in-
vestigates before he gets fright- being waved by electrfc fankt at ing the army which was to bring
ened. He went to see the picture. St. Patrick Day dinners and have the war to a successful conclu-
He found it quite hammy, but it heard misty-eyed Irishmen and sion.
Italians singing the native songs
Pearlman lists the progress of
didn't scare him.
He found that what frightened of their fathers. (To say nothing the war, describes the various
battles and the unbelievable deeds
some Jews was the Jewish fath- of spaghetti and ravioli.)
And in our town there used to of the Jewish soldiers who, be-
er in the picture, because he wore
a beard and spoke with an ac- be an area called "Over-the- cause of lack of equipment and
cent. They were afraid: What Rhine" where German was the numbers, had to rely on their
might be made of that by anti- every-day speech of most. Ger- wit and intelligence.
Semites? Mr. Ernst himself isn't tnan was taught in our elemen-
It is, however, hard to under-
one to be scared out of his wits tary schools.
stand why Pearlman fails to give
• Nobody was afraid of these credit to the Many men from
by a beard and an accent.
I myself couldn't find any manifestations. They were es- America and other lands who
cause for alarm either in Abies' teemed as unique ingredients of volunteered to join in the fighting
father's beard or in the fact that the cultural stew of the American and who brought much needed
Israel is a Jewish state-in-being, melting pot, as it was called.
I got home from the dinner skills to Israel.
or in what anti-Semites might
The time of improvisation is
about
11 p.m. and slept well-ut-
think of me because of Israel.
gone.
The Israeli army now is
I spoke to some of the other terly unafraid of Abie's papa's firmly established and growing
beard
and
his
Yiddish
accent,
un-
said,
sup-
guests on that. Look, I
strong. But we do hope it will
pose we weren't Jews but other afraid of Israel or of what anti- never have to fight again.
Semites
might
think
of
me.
kinds of human beings. As hu-
That Dual Loyalty Talk
Appears Inexhaustible