Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Mrs. FDR Demolishes the Arab Arguments
2—DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, August 28, 1953
Detroit Soldier
Edits Camp Paper
Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt's recent tour of the Near East, her
visits in Jordan, Israel, India, Pakistan and Syria are described in a
fashion especially worthy of Eleanor Roosevelt. Under the title
"India and the Awakening East," her
travelogue (published by Harper), not
only is a very personal account of a
great experience but is • an excellent
description of the "problems and hopes
of peoples now coming of age."
Especially meritorious is her report
on the Arab refugees, the Arab com,
plaints against Israel, and her descrip-
tion of Israel as "A Dedicated Land."
The Arabs won't _like her book. She
has seen through the unreasonableness
of their arguments and has demolished
them with skill, at no time abandoning
her sympathy for homeless Arabs who
• fled Israel without cause.
Mrs. Roosevelt
Eleanor Roosevelt pays honor to a great American school,
the American University at Beirut, and its present president,
Dr. S. B. L. Penrose. The Beirut group entertained her and
related tales against Israel. Their argument, to quote Mrs.
Roosevelt: "What the Arabs had urged was independence for
Palestine as a whole, with the Jews to be a protected minority."
Throughout her report, Mrs. Roosevelt speaks with the utmost
respect of Dr. Penrose and his associates. But she speaks her
mind to indicate wherein they are wrong.
Pfc. MAYNARD M. GORDON
(right) receives the tools of the
trade from Sgt. BOB NEWCOM-
ER, former editor, as he prepares
to assume the editorship of the
Mrs. Roosevelt reveals anew, in her interesting book, that the Camp Gordon Rambler, base
Arab aim not only was but still is to freeze Jews to a permanent newspaper.
*
*
protected minority. We know what that means: that Jews, had
they not proclaimed their own independence, had they not fought
for self-liberation, would have been doomed to a status of per-
petuated danger, of constantly being subjected to attacks, of the
undignified position of always having to plead for simple rights.
But Mrs. Roosevelt does not permit this offer of a "protected
minority" to pass by. She declares:
"Remembering the Arab-Jewish riots in Jerusalem in 199,
one may question the soundness of this argument."
*• * *
Israel and the Arab Refugees
Mrs. FDR, having listened to Arab arguments against Israel
for several years, as a member of the United States delegation
to the United Nations, can't be fooled easily.
To offset their fears that Jews will want more territory,
Mrs. Roosevelt writes: "I tried to make them understand that
their surest defense was in a strong United Nations that opposed
aggression everywhere; but I am afraid that I was not success-
ful in allaying their fear."
"Paradoxically," she writes, "they will sometimes tell you
that the Arabs have long memories and someday will drive the
people of Israel into the sea—a claim not altogether consistent
with their expressed fear of Israeli aggression." Thus it has
always been; double-talk of an offer of minority protection and
the threat of being driven into the sea.
In her objective analysis of the tragedy of the Arab refugee, Mrs.
Roosevelt shows how little is being done by the Arab states to
help them and what serious planning is being done for them by
the United - Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine
Refugees. And then she makes this statemeAt which corroborates
Israel's claims that the Arabs left the Jewish state under com-
pulsion from their leaders:
"I could not help wondering whether in all instances this
precipitate flight from Palestine was absolutely necessary. Of
course, as in all wars, atrocities are perpetrated by both sides,
and certainly the Arabs were told stories and shown pictures
of cruelties committeed during the fighting between Israeli
and Arab forces. In one case the entire population of a Moslem
town was massacred one night; and I was told during a United
Nations meeting of another place where innocent people were
killed and thrown down a well.
"One cannot be surprised that such things happened, nor
can one blame people that fled, for they were obviously driven
by a great fear; also there is no doubt that they expected to
return shortly with the victorious Arab armies. But one is sur-
prised that they would leave places that were fairly safe, unless
from panic and hysteria spread through authoritative channels.
And it is a fact that some of the villages that were evacuated
were not threatened at all or even in the path of the fighting.
It is also a fact that some 170,000 Moslems are still living peace-
fully and unharmed in Israel. The truth is that the Arab auth-
orities are to a large extent responsible for this wholesale flight.
Mass evacuation was apparently a part of their strategy. They
urged the people to leave, assuring them of the quick success of
the Arab armies. Then, they were promised, not only would
they get back their own land but would share in the spoils won
from the Israelis. Arab responsibility for the present situation
must be shared, it seems to me, by the British, who furnished
the refugees with transportation,"
*
*
The Past Must Be Forgotten': Plea for Peace
Israel and the Arabs need each other, "The past must be
forgotten and the future must be made possible by the inter-
national community," Mrs. Roosevelt pleads, while urging that
the refugee problem be solved through logical agreements. Peace
would help both sides, America's great lady states, and she
concludes her observations of "The Arab Side" thus:
"Instead the Arabs still talk hopefully of wiping out the
people of Israel. I have a feeling that this would not be easy.
Even if it were possible, such a war would be a grievous thing.
The immediate suffering it would cause is obvious. But I am
thinking also of the fact that although the Arabs would gain
some land, perhaps, and the refugees could return to what
homes they have left, they would not put into the country the
hard and intelligent work that the Jews have. And unless they
did, all development would stop; the land would deteriorate,
barren plains and dry deserts would appear where tree-planted
fields and productive farms now flourish. The loss would be not
only to the people of Israel, but to the future development of
the entire Middle East."
Would that the reasonable people in the Middle East could
force their leaders to strive for a logical solution of the war-
menacing problem, based on Eleanor Roosevelt's realistic warn-
ing! Her chapter "Israel: A Dedicated Land" proves that Israel is
a vital factor in developing the entire Middle East.
The great value of her book, with its impressive chapters on
India and Pakistan, is her expose of fallacies inherent in the
anti-Israel campaign and her appeals for peace. May her plea
fall on listening ears!
New editor of the Camp Gor-
don Rambler, Camp Gordon,
Ga., is a young man with a name
appropriate for the job—Gor-
don.
He is Pfc. Maynard M. Gordon,
of Detroit, Mich., son of Mr. and
Mrs. Max M. Gordon, of 19964
Vaughn. Gordon has been in
service since Sept. 25, 1952. He
formerly was senior associate
editor of, the Detroit Automotive
News, a trade paper.
A graduate of Central High
School in June, 1944, Gordon at-
tended Wayne University and
was speaker of the Philomathic
Debating Club. He is married to
the former Lucille Mandel,
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Sam
Mandel, of 12722 Santa Rosa.
The Gordons, who are mem-
bers of the Young Men's Hebrew
Association in Augusta, Ga., nea •
the camp, live at 2412 Norton
Dr., Augusta.
Stiff Sentences
Given 13 Israel.
Extremists
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
TEL AVIV—Seritences ranging
from one to 12 years' imprison-
ment were meted out Tuesday to
13 members of an illegal under-
ground organization convicted
by a military court at the Sara-
fand Army Base of membership
in and participating in the ac-
tivities of a terrorist organiza-
tion.
The three-man court gave the
stiffest sentence of 12 years to
Shinaon Bachar, who escaped
. from jail during the trial and
is still at large. He and Yaacov
Heruti, who received a 10-year
sentence and Yaakov Blumen-
thal were all convicted of three
charges involving membership
and activity in the underground
unit. Zeev Badian and Miss
Yaffa Dromi, his fiancee, were
given four year terms. Miss
Dromi was an announcer on the
underground Sternist radio be-
fore the State of Israel was es-
tablished.
Yeheckel Mizrachi received a
five-year sentence while two 16-
year-old girls, Zila Mogori Co-
hen and Malka Paposhdo, were
given one-year terms. The re-
mainder received terms ranging
between one and • three years,
with Yefet Taizi and Yehosho-
fat Givon, who confessed to an
abortive attempt to set fire to
the car of the Czech Minister in
Israel receiving two year sen-
tences.
When sentencing was conclud-
ed, the defendents rose to their
feet and sang "Hatikvah." The
sentences are subject to appro-
val by Premier David Ben-Guri-
on in his capacity of Defense
Minister.
ir
• ft...
e-.41
Internationalization of Jerusalem
Is Impossible, Stevenson Declares
Adlai Stevenson opposes inter-
nationalization of Jerusalem. He
made this statement to David
Horowitz, of the World Union
Press, upon his return to the
United States after touring the
globe.
Supporters of 'Israel were con-
cserned over Stevenson's attitude
toward the internationization of
Jerusalem since the 1952 Demo-
cratic presidential candidate
wrote in the August 11 issue of
Look Magazine: "It is hard to
see how a city divided against
itself can stand, let alone flour-
ish; and certainly all faiths are
concerned." Many Jews were
puzzled by this statement, oth-
ers disappointed.
But Stevenson removed all
doubts about his views on Israel
as he revealed a position quite
opposed to that of Secretary of
State John Foster Dulles who
favors internationalization of
the holy city. His attitude on
the problem coincided closely
with that of "the Israeli govern-
ment.
"Internationalization of Jeru-
salem in the face of the present
realities," he declared, "was im-
possible. Negotiations must pro-
ceed from and be based upon
the present situation." He en-
visaged an "international corn-
mission to supervise the holy
places." (This has also been
the hope of Israel). Explaining
that "the city cannot remain
split," he advised the formation
of a special Israel-Jordan com-
mission to take up the inter-
city problems in what may be-
come "the most intricate city
government the world has ever
known."
He made it clear that the
question of Jerusalem concerns
primarily the two nations in-.
volved, and these two must work
out some plan of coordination.
"No one man's opinion on the
internationalization of Jerusa-
lem is important," he added.
Reporter Horowitz also inter-
viewed Soviet Foreign Minister
Andrei Vishinsky, and asked
him: "In view of the recent es
tablishment of diplomatic rela-
tions between your country and
Israel, would the Soviet Union
consider at this time the emi-
gration of Soviet Jews to Is-
rael?"
Vishinsky replied: "This is an
artificial • matter warranting
consideration." Although puzzled
by the Soviet official's reply,
Horowitz felt that with the word
"artificial" he may have meant
that the reestablishment of re-
lations with Israel is a matter
quite apart from the question of
emigration of Jews from Russia.
But, writes Horowitz, "his re-
ply seemed to hint that the door
might be open for further dis-
cussion on this delicate matter."
Future of ZOA,
Problems of Israel
Head Parley Talk's
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
NEW YORK — The 56th an-
nual convention of the Zionist
Organization of America opened
its five-day sessions Wednesday,
in the Waldorf Astoria Hotel
here to discuss and act upon
burning issues involving the fu-
ture of the Zionist movement
and the problems confronting
Israel today.
Among the issues to be con-
sidered will be American foreign
policy on Israel and the Middle
East relationship between world
Jewry and Israel, the future
tasks a n d structure of the
World Zionist Organization and
an expanded program of eco-
nomic aid to Israel.
The convention deliberations
will cover the entire range of
Zionist activities in this country,
the role of the ZOA on the
American scene and in Israel
with emphasis on the structural
and organizational pr o b 1 ems
which must be solved in order
to increase the ZOA's scope and
effectiveness.
Uncover Fourth Century
Inscriptions in Israel
TEL AVIV, (JTA) — Im-
portant inscriptions d a ting
back to the fourth and fifth
centuries C. E. have been dis-
covered in Beth Shearim, in
the Emek Jezreel. President
Itzhak Ben- Zvi and Hebrew
University experts have pro-
ceeded to the site to inspect
the inscriptions, unearthed by
the Israel Exploration So-
ciety.
.
Between You and Me
By BORIS SMOLAR
(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency)
Inside Israel
The question of the exchange rate between Israel bonds sold
in the United States and the Israel pound is now being seriously
considered by the Israel Cabinet When the bonds were sold,
the exchange rate of the pound in American dollars was quite dif-
ferent from what it is today , „ At that time the Israel pound
was worth $2.80, while now the official rate of the Israel pound
. This is beneficial for those who
is about 50 American cents
especially for those who wish to
have acquired Israel bonds
cash them in Israel—but not so beneficial to the Israel Treasury
• . The Israel government is also devoting particular attention to
the question of the bonds which are now becoming "bearer bonds"
and can be presented for cashing ... The original three-year period
of the Israel Bond drive ends in May, 1954, but it seems certain that
the drive will be continued and that it will be marked by new
features ... A special ministerial committee is now engaged in Is-
rael in the preparation of plans to solve all problems in connec-
tion with the drive in the United States ...It is expected that soon
after High Holidays leaders of the Israel Bond Drive in this cotintry
will be summoned to Jerusalem to get acquainted with these plans
• So will the leaders of the United JeWish Appeal.
Washington Moods
The State Department has indicated its willingness to-permit
Israel to use a part of the 1953-54 grant-in-aid to repay short-
term debts of Israel in the United States ... This despite the fact
that only recently the State Department refused to agree to a
long-term loan of $75,000,000 by the Export-Import Bank to Israel
to consolidate - the short-term indebtedness of the Jewish State in
this country ...That refusal was made, it is believed, because of
economic and not political considerations ... It can now be revealed
that the adverse decision came after several months of careful
consideration by interested American government agencies ...
The State Department, Treasury, Mutual Security Adminis-
tration and Export -Import Bank have ruled that funds for
converting short-term into long-term debts in this country .'
However, the State Department, while rejecting the refunding loan
scheme, told Israel that it might consider allowing part of Amen-
can grant-in-aid funds for Israel to be used for liquidating exist-
ing debts.... The money. used for this purpose would, of course, be
deducted from American Mutual Security funds now allocated for
specific develOpment projects in Israel ...Incidentally, the idea of
permitting the use of grant-in-aid funds to cover short-term debts
is not new...This has already 'been done in the past on suern
totalling tens of millions of dollars.