The Unending Struggle
for Truth and Justice in
the Embattled Middle East
Purely Commentary
Once again, war threats can be linked to appeasement. If it
were not for the coddling of the Arabs by the Big Three, chances
for peace in the Middle East would have been better. But the
oil interests continue to dominate the scene, power politics re-
mains the game of the hour and Israel once again is the scape-
goat in a situation that may well lead to a world conflict.
A single Soviet vote has, for the second time, overruled the
unanimous decision of the non-Arab world to force an end to
Egypt's blockade of Israel-bound ships through the Suez Canal.
Such tactics undoubtedly win Moslem friends for the Kremlin,
but they paralyze the United Nations, they weaken, the position
of the Western Powers and they make matters worse for Israel.
The Western Powers have placed themselves in a ridiculous
position by their reactions to the frightening series of reprisals
taking place in the embattled Arab-Israel areas. There was sil-
ence when hundreds of Jews were murdered by Arab infiltrees
into Israel. It was the misfortune of these Jewish victims of,
Arab aggression that they were murdered singly or in small groups.
Then came the Kibya tragedy which resulted from the vicious
and regrettable cycle of events created by Arab insistence upon
continuing an unnecessary war among cousins. The Big Powers
were quick to condemn Israel. There followed the murder of
11 passengers on a Negev bus and once again: silence from the
sanctimonious statesmen. But the reprisal at Nahhalin again re-
sulted in a scathing rebuke of Israel—and the holier-than-thou
politicians continue shamelessly to follow a policy of one-sided-
ness which only gives courage to the war-mongers.
The Dutch have a proverb to explain such inconsistency:
"To see the 'mote in another's eye and not the beam in your own."
And perhaps we also should remind the vacillating "statesmen,"
as they waver in their inconsistencies, of the. Spanish proverb:
"Said the frying-pan to the kettle, 'Stand off, black bottom.' "
In the interest of peace, it is high time that the world powers
adopted a consistent stand in their dealings with the Middle
Eastern problem. As matters are today, they stand condemned
as inconsistent, perhapS even deliberately biased, acting in the
interest of expediency rather than justice. The New York Herald
Tribune gives a realistic interpretation to the present crisis when
it charges editorially that "Russia's veto of a New Zealand pro-
posal that Egypt stop interfering with Israel-bound shipping in
the Suez Canal is the latest evidence of the grim political game
which is being played for stakes which have little to do with the
establishment of a just peace in the Near East."
The Herald Tribune headline over the story dealing with the
Nahhalin tragedy read: "Israel Raid Condemned Promptly." By
having ignored the hurt to Isra,elisin 'the Negev massacre—while
exercising . promptness in the Nahhalin reprisal, the UN Mixed
Armistice Commission stands 'condemned as biased and Israel is
proven to -have been justified in having walked out of.Such a corn-
mission.
Meanwhile audacity remains the ruling element in Arab quar-
ters. Jordan's King Hussein I, in his 18 2.year-old wisdom, with an
effrontery made possible by the encouragement his country re-
ceives from the British-financed Arab Legion, generalled by John
Bagot Glubb, asks the halting of assistance to Israel. The Mos-
lem rulers, saturated With oil, dominating over areas more than
300 times the size of tiny Israel, begrudge their homeless cousins
a place to breathe in. Nonetheless, gullible people fall prey to
propaganda that Jews are the aggressors.
The struggle for justice goes on unabated—while politicians
are gambling with the destiny of nations by pursuing policies of
inconsistency for the sake of expediency.
*
•
Friday, April 9, 1954
Israel Sends Tombstone
.
The Blackest of Lies —.The•Half Truths
The annual High SchoOl• Forum sponsored by the New York
Herald Tribune provided a forum for Israeli and Arab students to
present their viewpoints on "The Roots of Race Prejudice." A
comparison of their . opinions helps throw light on the conflicting
sentiments of the young spokesmen for two nations virtually
at war.
While the Israeli pleaded for understanding and for peace,
the Lebanese was bitterly antagonistic. A Jordanian spokesman,
Raja el Ajlouni, managed to throw in this barb: "American stu-
dents asked me what we do in my country, Jordan, about sports.
I said, 'We play them!' But I appreciated it very much when stu-
dents who had heard only the Jewish side of our trouble with.
Israel asked me to tell them the Arab side."
In an atmosphere loaded with Arab-instigated anti-Israel
propaganda, this is part of a scheme to give the impression that
only Israel's side is heard! "A lie that is half a truth is ever the
blackest of lies."—Tennyson).
The chief participants in the Herald Tribune High School
Forum included Nurit Auerbach of Israel and Thuraya Lababidy
of Lebanon. Miss Auerbach had this to say:
"When I first came here I could not understand how the Jews
here are first of all Americans and then Jews. For me, as an
Israeli, it was hard to understand how any Jew could live in any
country other than Israel. How could they feel safe and secure
in a foreign country after what had happened in the Second
World War?
"Now I have been here three months, I realize that in the
United States it is different somehow. Different people came
over here from all parts of the world. The Jews were only one
of many different peoples of different backgrounds.
"Many Jews here have - a very strong feeling toward Israel.
They are ready to help and support it, but they feel that they are
Americans first of all. Jews here think about themselves in many
different ways. Sometimes they don't know exactly what to think.
"To be truthful, I myself, Nurit, didn't find any prejudice
against Jews at all in America. But I heard '.bout it a lot. I
found not only prejudice of Christians against Jews but Jews who
have prejudice, too. Gerhard, from Germany, told me that in one
school he visited there are Jews who still feel much hatred
against Germans.
"During my stay here, for the first time, I had an opportunity
to discuss the Israel-Arab problem. For the first time I heard
the other side's opinion. Having to defend my country's position
made me consider it with greater depth. I realized that 'there
are always two sides to a coin.'
"Once, Raja Ajlouni, from Jordan, and I were talking with
Mattanee, from Thailand, trying to explain what had happened
between Israel and Jordan. I was shocked to realize that we
looked at the some fact in an entirely different way. This is The
result of our education. I hate to be pessimistic, but I think that
unless the people of our countries realize that there is another
way of thinking, unless we are ready to admit our faults, and
unless we try' to come to an agreement without 'being stubborn,
Peace will never find its place in our countries.
"I .haVe realized a very important fact which was not so ob-,
vious for me before I came to this Forum. I am able to• like
everybody no matter what his nationally is, no matter if he is an
Arab, ar a German, or from any other 'country that does not
—
have good relationships with my country. As a human being, he
To U.S. for Grave of
or she can be my best friend. If more people would realize that.
Poetess Emma Lazarus
I think it would prevent them from being ready• to fight against
TEL AVIV (JTA)—A special
each other.
tombstone with a marble
"While talking to Raja,- for instance, I noticed a tension comes
plate to be placed over the
between us when we talk about our countries' problem. We could
grave of the American Jewish
not be free any more, although I was trying very hard to be nat-
poetess Emma Lazarus was
ural. Why should it be like that? Why could we not just forget
shipped to New York by the
about our governments? Why do our governments not try to take
Foreign Ministry. A portion
advantage of such a wonderful opportunity for their young people
of one of Miss Lazarus' poems
to meet, and perhaps to help to bring a better understanding to
is inscribed on the base of
their countries? 'A small help, but at least something. Instead of
the Statue of Liberty in New'
this, some governments limit their delegates and give them very
York harbor.
helpful orders and advice. How can the world reach its goal in
such ways?
"Many people get tired and bored talking about world peace.
They say, 'Oh, yes, we have heard that already, but there is Kottler to Solo With
nothing to do about it.' This indifferent point of view is very Center Symphony
dangerous. Even if words about peace are repeated again, let us
not become bored by the subject. We have to continue to discuss
The Jewish Community Center
it until we find solutions, not only written and spoken but prac-
Symphony
Orchestra, Julius
ticed also."
Miss Lababidy, however, injected into the discussion of "The Chajes, conductor, will present
Roots of Prejudice" the following:
Mischa Kottler as soloist in Bee-
"What I know of human relationship in the world is limited. thoven's Concerto No. 4 in G
Yet the over-all picture seems to be bad. Let me start from my Mt or in its next concert on
own society, in the land where Moses received the Ten Command- April 20, in the Dexter Center.
ments, where Jesus was crucified and where the message of Mo-
Kottler, one of Detroit's most
hammed spread in peace—even there in this Holy Land you can
respected
pian-
.
see prejudice against those very same religions which preached
i.sts, was born in
against prejudice. They are even more deep-rooted than that; it
Kiev, Russia. He
is not only, against the religion itself, but against the person that'
began his music
practices it, and even against the child who was born to parents
studies on t h e
who practice this religion. And I believe that in other countries
violin at the
of, the world, where religious differences do not exist, the genius
age of four. At
of man has created other forms of prejudices, those of race,
five he switched
money, social class or ideology.
to piano. When
"Before I came to the United States I had prejudice against
he was seven,
all the Jews in the world, because I was an eye-witness to what
Kottler entered
happened in the Zionist occupation of Palestine. But now, after
the Imperial
meeting many Jews in the United States who agree with the
Conservatory of
Arabs in many points concerning the Palestine problem, I still
Kiev, and at
keep my feelings about Zionism, but I have been wrong in my
nine made a
prejudice against Judaism as a religion. It is a religion that I
Kottler concert tour of
should respect as much as I respect Christianity and the rest of
major cities in the Ukraine. He
the religions of the world."
What a difference: the young Israeli pleads for peace, but ' continued his studies in Paris
the Arab antagonist keeps feeding her audience ideas of hatred and Vienna under Felix Wein-
gartner and Emil Von Sauer,'
and confusion!
Note the comfort acquired by the Arab youth from the en- the latter one of the famous
couragement Israel's antagonists are receiving from the anti- i Liszt pupils.
, .
Kottler has concertized exten-
Israel Council for Judaism. And note also the subtle way in
which Zionism is made the scapegoat in a game of accusation I sively in this country and abroad
against Israel. It is a cunning way of misleading people into and has appeared as soloist with
believing that there are culprits—Zionists—in the Israel state- . the Detroit Symphony on four
building task, ignoring the truth that a homeless people, fully occasions. As music director of
supported by world Jewry (remember: the Council for Judaism radio station WWJ, and through
represents less than a tenth of one per cent of the Jewish people), his, recitals and Sunday broad7
has the blessings of all its kinsmen and of tens of millions of casts with the Chamber Music
devout Christians irr their quest for freedom and of the right to Ensemble, Kottler has won wide
live as human . beings in a state where they can -be masters of acclaim from music lovers
their own destiny. But these things have to be explained anew throughout this area.
every time another propagandist—old or young—arrives from the
Tickets are available at Grin-
Middle East. All of which does not make Israel's job too easy. nell's and :at the : Center offices.
Inconsistency of Politicians Gambling with Peoples' Destinies
*
2 DETROIT
- " JEWISH NEWS
By Philip
Slomovitz
Jewish . News Articles
Placed by R,abaut in
Congressional Record
t'
1 Community Religious Schools Plan
Congressman Louis C. Ra-
baut of Detroit on April 1
inserted in the Congressional
Record two lengthy articles
from the Detroit Jewish News.
With a personal comment on
the importance of his pro-
posal to insert the words
"Under God" in the Pledge
to the Flag, Rep. Rabaut in-
cluded in his Extension of
Remarks in the Record the
Jewish News editor's Com-
mentary on the question,
from the issue of March 5,
1954, and .the article which
included his letter of com-
ment, from the issue of
March 26.
Cantor Sonenklar Honored
By Zionist Organization
At the annual, Hebrew music
program at the Zionist .House,
Wednesday, the Zionist Organi-
zation of De-
troit presented
the guest solo-
ist, Cantor Ja-
cob H. Sonen-
klar, with an en-
g r a v.ed resolu-
tion honoring
him for his
services to the
Detroit District
and the Michi-
gan Zionist Re-
Sonenklar gion.
A portion of the program was
devoted to good wishes of fare-
well to Mr, and Mrs. A. C. Lap-
pin on the eve of their departure
for Israel and Europe. A gift was
presented to .Mr: Lappin in re-
cognition of his distinguished
services to the Zionist Organi-
zation,
Boris Smolar's "Between You
and Me" column on Page 28 in
tlpis issue. ' " '
Model Sedorim for Students This Week
As the community began prep-
arations this week for the ob-
servance of the Passover holi-
days, the Jewish Community
Council announced that it has
available 'a special holiday kit,
including program suggestions,
games, puzzles, songs and other
related ideas.
The kit, available to youth
and adult organization planning
programs for Passover, is free
upon request to Council, 803
Washington Blvd. Bldg., Detroit
6, Mich., according to Louis La-
Med, chairman of the cultural
commission.
Meanwhile, throughout the
city, especially in the religious
schools, plans are being made
for Passover programs in the
coming week. A schedule is list-
ed below:
Beth El Religious School
Each class will conduct its
own model seder at regular
classroom sessions. Confirma,
tion department sedorim begin
at 9:45 a.m., Saturday, with pri•-•
mary and intermediate depart-
ments holding their programs at
11:15 a.m., Sunday.
Rabbi Minard Klein will con-
duct the seder with the high
school on Sunday, and also lead
a Passover workshop for parents.
Adas Shalom School
The school's children's theater
will offer a•model seder on Sun-
day, culminating the Passover
activities. For the past few
weeks, children have become
acquainted with the holiday's
signifiCance, rituals and symbolS.
Beth Abraham, School
Students will report to class
as usual at 10 a.m., Sunday, fol.-.
lowing; which a model seder will
be offered for parents and
guests at 10:45 a.m. Rabbi Israel.
I. Halpern will participate in the
Orvice,.,an4 refreshments
served by the educational board.
Cong. Bnai Moshe
Siyurn b'Chorim services will
be held at 7:15 a.m., Thursday
as the traditional prelude to the
Passover ritual. '
The religious school will di-
vide its 425 students into eight
rooms where sedorm will be
held.- Teachers will explain the
symbolism, and holiday songs
will be sung. In charge are Abe
Gornbein, Joe Edelman, Mrs.
Florence Zacks, Geraldine Ber-
shas and Meyer Mathis.
Cong Ahavas Achim
Sunday school children will
congregate at 10 a.m., this Sun-
day when students of the upper
grades conduct a model seder
for the entire school. Communi-
ty singing will f 011ow, announces
Alex Roberg, principal. The con-
gregation's Sisterhood will • serve
refreshments. This will be the
last session of the school until.
May 2.
Cong. .Beth Shalom
A model seder for youngsters
of the religious school (formerly
known as the Oak Park Syna-
gogue) will be held at 11 a.m.,
Sunday, in the Andrew Jackson
School. Rabbi Herbert S. Eskin
will lead the ritual.
In charge of arrangements for
the program are Mrs. Albert Ko-
mer, committee
of mothers
chairman, assisted by Mesdames
Paul Baker, Jerome Baseman,
Leo Brodsky, David Dickman,
Harris Lloyd, Louis Perlove, Nor-
man Rubin, Philip Smith and
Paul Steiner. Parents are in-
vited to observe the ceremony.
_United •Jewish.Folk Schools
Two,. sedorim are planned for
students. on Thursday. Grade
school will hold their program
at 4:30 p.m., preceded by the
kindergarten celebration at 2:30
p.m. Parents of children are
be welcome`' to: pAtfp4,,
.