Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Biblical History Reconstructed

A London Jewish Chronicle report from Jerusalem states:
Early next month what is claimed to be the original tamarisk
tree planted by Abraham is to be moved to the center of Beer-
sheba. Around it a grove and a religious and cultural center are
to be .established in the town. In Genesis xxi, 33, it is related:
"And Abraham planted a tamarisk tree in Beersheba, and called
there on the name of the Lord, the Everlasting God."
Thus, Biblical history is being reconstructed—and continued—
in Israel. The patriarchal tree is symbolic of land, people, ancestry
and the word of God. The rejoicing over the rebirth of the trees
in Israel is best expressed in Psalms (96:12):

"Let the field exalt, and all that is therein;
Then shall all the trees of the wood sing for joy."
* * *

Turkey's Attitude: A Pile-Up of Debts to Israel
_ There are conflicting reports about Turkey's attitude in the

Lurie and Fisher Named Co-Chairmen of 1956
Allied Campaign, Women's Leaders Selected

John E. Lurie will be general
chairman of Detroit's 1956 Allied
Jewish Campaign and Max M.
Fisher co-chairman, it was an-
nounced this week by Judge
Theodore Levin, president of the
Jewish Welfare Federation.
Chairman of last year's cam-
paign, Lurie feels that because
at this time Israel is confronted

chairmen are Mesdames Abra-
ham Cooper and Abraham Srere,
with Mesdames Max M. Fisher
and I. Jerome Hauser as vice-
chairmen.
Members at large are Mes-
dames Theodore Bargman, Harry
Becker, William H. Frank, Har-
vey H. Goldman, Theodore Levin,
Philip Lipson, Royal A. Oppen-
heim, Samuel H. Rubiner, Nate
S. Shapiro and Nathan Simons.
Mrs. Jones also announced the
following 14 appointments to her

* * *
Prepare for JWF All-Day Institute

Arab-Israel crisis. For several years, Turkey has been friendly to
Israel. There still are good trade relations between the two coun-
tries. But the Baghdad Pact seemed to have forced Turkey into an
anti-Israel position. What does the future hold for Israel vis-a-vis
Turkey?
• An enlightening analysis of Israel-Turkish relations by the
Jewish Observer and Middle East Review of London shows that
while, up to and including .1953, there has been a continuous deficit
in 'Israel's trade with Turkey, there has developed, since then, a
growing surplus, as this table shows:
JOHN E. LURIE
Israel's
Israel's
Value of
Value of
Year
Surplus
Deficit
Exports
Imports
with problems more serious than
to Turkey
from Turkey
•at any time since her War of In-
dependence in 1948 every Jewish
1950—
1,967,000 •
655,000
2,617,000
citizen of Detroit will want to
1951
2,387,000
- 718,000
3,105,000
participate in the 1956 Campaign
1952
2,185,000
6,836,000
to the greatest extent of his or
9,048,000
1953
917,000
12,600,000
-
11,743,000
her ability.
1954
1,650,000
4,900,000
3,250,000
1955
Accepting his post, Fisher said
(Jan. May)
Metropolitan Detroit Jewry will
(figures are given in dollars)
need to contribute, in addition to
What effect will this have on peaceful relations and on eventual
support , of•Israel's position-by Turkey? It is very difficult to make
any predictions. In "love an d war" even friendly trading nations
start trading blows. At the moment, Israel and Turkey are on
friendly terms. Perhaps the perpetuation of this relationship de-
pends entirely on the wisdom that will be shown in the Middle
Eastern situation by the Western powers, and on their determina-
tion to assure peace for all by guaranteeing Israel's security.
Turkey's leadership in the establishment of the Baghdad Pact
has great bearing upon the Arab-Israel crisis. There have been
so many conflicting reports on the existing situation, involving
Turkey, that. a report of the London Jewish Chronicle's diplomatic
:correspondent, who asserts that the Baghdad Treaty is not directed
iagainst - iSrael, is worth taking into consideration. The Jewish
:Chronicle correspondent states:
Preliminary reports from Baghdad suggest that the first
. meeting. of the member countries discussed Israel at least as
much as joint defense against the Soviet Union, which is to
be the objective of the new organization.
After the visits paid by the Turkish President Bayar to
Jordan an _ d by the Turkish Foreign Under-Secretary Zoilu to
Lebanon, the Baghdad Powers, especially Iraq and Britain, had
MAX M. FISHER
hoped that they could announce at the meeting that Jordan,
Lebanon and Syria would join the Pact at an early date. They the $4,100,000 raised last year and
needed the accession of these Arab countries in order to be required for the on-going pro-
able to say that the Baghdad Pact ! -.-q3resented Arab opinion. grams of the United Jewish Ap-
That hope has been dashed, and the reason for the failure is peal and 55 other causes at home
the basic intransigence of these countries regarding Israel.
and abroad, $1,230,000 as De-
After this failure the British Foreign Secretary, Mr. Mac- troit's share in the $25,000,000
millan, went to Beirut to make a special personal appeal to Special. UJA Emergency Fund.
the President, Camille Shamoun, of the Lebanon, to get that
At the same time announce-
country at least to join the Pact. If Mr. Macmillan has failed ment was made of the appoint-
to persuade the President, Britain, the United States, Turkey ment of Mrs. Seymour J. Frank
and Iraq, will have suffered a loss of face in the Middle East. as 1956 Women's Division pre-
The Lebanese government is -now about to conclude a
military alliance against Israel with Syria. The latter country
is Egypt's principal ally and fanatically hostile to Israel. The
alliance is arSo - aimed against Turkey, because of the cession
of the territow of Alexandretta to Turkey by the French in 1938.
It appears now that the Baghdad Powers have given up
bone of persuadin.g any Arab country, except Lebanon, to join
the Pact.
This means, simply;- that the Arab countles can get eco-
nomic aid, indirectly from the United States, of course, without
having to do anything in return—if only they enable the pro-
moters of the Pact to say that other Arab countries except
Iraq, are at least members of part of the organization.
The Turkish attitude at the conference, and this is im-
. - -portant, appears to have been detei -nined by the rebuff Turkey
.-Iias suffered in the course of the diplomatic maneuvers to get
When Mr. Bayar visited Amman
new members for the
the population insulted him personally by keeping the shops
closed and the streets empty of the usual welcoming crowds.
The Arab Legion had to set up automatic weapons on the roofs
of houses to ensure the protection of the Turkish guest, because
MRS. SEYMOUR J. FRANK
Turkey has diplomatic and trade relations with Israel.
According to reports from Baghdad, the Turks appear to
campaign chairman by Mrs.
have spoken with some candor about the necessity for Iraq Harry L. Jones, Allied Jewish
and other Arab countries to recognize the existence of Israel.
Campaign Women's chairman.
The Turkish Premier's praise of Persia's "courageous and real-
Mrs. Frank, in turn, appointed
istic policy" is held to have referred not only to her having
her vice-chairmen and cabinet
joined the Pact but also to her attitude to Israel.
According to Turkish sources here, there has been no and announced an initial fund-
change in the basic Turkish attitude adopted when the alliance raising meeting for contributors
p.m.,
with Iraq was originally concluded, namely that neither the of $500 and over for 2
alliance nor subsequent Baghdad Pact should in any circum- Wednesday, at the home of Mrs.
stances be directed against Israel. These sources hold that the Theodore Levin, 2806 Cambridge.
Maria Riva, star of the play,
Turkish Premier's broadcast on the eve of the Baghdad meet-
"Tea and Sympathy," daughter
ing, in which he said that the only way to gain peace was "to
of Marlene Dietrich, will ad-
iron out" Arab-Israeli differences, was meant to restate that
dress the meeting.
attitude. Mr. Bayar's phrase used in Amman that the Turks
Pre-campaign executive vice-
might fight on the side of the Jordanians is explained as re-
ferring only to a case of outright attack. One can conclude from chairmen are Mrs. Harry Barnett
all this that owing to the rebuffs, Turkish policy is back on its and Mrs. Ivor J. Kahn. Vice-
chairmen are Mesdames Edward
original line of friendly neutrality regarding Israel.
A. Atlas, George C. Golanty and
combina-
a
This, of course, is not sufficient guarantee against
tion of forces in an impending battle against Israel. The fact is Sidney Weisman,
Pre - campaign fund- raising
that there is "shooting in earnest" and Israel must look to her
few
friends
for
defense.
That
is
why,
while
hoping
that
Turkey
•
will continue an attitude of friendship toward Israel, we also 2—DETRO1T JEWISH NEWS
Friday, December 30, 1955
devoutly pray for it.

-

campaign executive committee.
Mrs. Joseph H. Ehrlich and
Mrs. Henry Wineman, honorary
chairmen; Mesdames Hyman C.
Broder, Julian H. Krolik and Mel-
ville S. Welt, honorary vice-
chairmen; Mesdames John C.
Hopp and Sidney J. Karbel,
executive vice-chairmen; Mes-
dames Eugene J. Arnfeld, Leo
Mellen, Herbert Frank, Abra-
ham Cooper, Abraham Srere,
Max Frank and Leonard H.
Weiner, vice-chairmen.

Invitations and posters are being prepared by the art commit-
tee of the Women's Division of Jewish Welfare Federation for the
10th annual All-Day Institute, to begin at 9:45 a. m., Wednesday,
Jan. 18, at Congregation Adas Shalom. Left to right, standing,
Mesdames ALBERT A. ASTON, BENJAMIN SHWAYDER, HER-
BERT S. KEIDAN, JOSEPH GILBERT, EDWARD D. QUINT,
and (seated) PAUL M. HANDLEMAN.

Between You and Me

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1955, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

New Year's Expectations:

The new year of 1956 will witness much activity in Washington
in ,connection with the Arab-Israel issue . . . It is expected that
the issue will come up for debate in Congress in January . . . The
occasion for such a debate will be a request by State Department -
for Congressional approval of an initial grant of $56,000,000 to
Egypt for the building of the Aswan Darn on the Nile . . Some
members of Congress would like to see the American grant—which
will ultimately grow to several hundred million dollars—given to
Egypt on condition that she reaches peace with Israel . . . Otherwise,
they feel that the grant is nothing but "blackmail" offered to Egypt
which is playing Soviet Russia against the United States . . . These
sentiments will find expression in Congress when the foreign aid
budget is submitted by the Administration . . . Some Washington
officials are of the optimistic opinion that the State Department's
decision to finance the building of the Aswan Dam will gradually
pave the way for an Egyptian-Israeli peace . . . They figure that it
will take about 15 years before the dam is completed . . They
assume that during these 15 years, Egypt will be inclined to take
American advice more seriously and will therefore refrain from
any war against Israel .. . Thus, they claim, the building of the
Aswan project with American funds and with the aid of American
technicians, may serve as insurance for Israel for 15 years ... They
reason that it is impossible to believe - that an Arab-Israel peace will
not be achieved within 15 years . . . This way of thinking is
strengthened in Washington by the fact that Israel does not, in prin-
ciple, object to America's financing of the Aswan project . .. But
Israelis believe that unless financing is conditioned upon real peace
with Israel, this project will complement rather than counteract the
substantial arms shipments Egypt is obtaining from the Soviets.

*

New Year's Plans:

Numerous non-Jewish groups in this country plan to start the
New Year with requests to the U. S. Government to speed up the
sale of arms to Israel . . . Some of them will insist on the conclusion
of an American-Israel security pact to check the ambitions of Arab
extremists "to push the Israelis into the sea" . . . More than 75
American scientists, industrialists, labor leaders, writers and other
prominent persons will issue a joint statement presenting "the case
of Israel" to the American public . . . There will be a pro-Israel
proclamation by a number of governors—Democrats and Republi-
cans alike ... The "Governors Proclamation," asking American sup-
port for Israel, will be matched by a similar "Mayors Proclamation"
signed by mayors of 60 large cities . . . Labor unions throughout
the country will publicly endorse the resolution on Israel adopted
last month at the historic convention in New York at which the
American Federation of Labor and the CIO merged . . . Many of
these unions have few Jewish members, and some of them have- no
Jewish members at all, since there are no Jewish workers in their
trades . . . The pro-Israel sentiments of American Jews will be
heard forcefully at the two-day conference of representatives of
major Jewish organizations which will be held in Washington in
the middle of January ... George Meany, president of the AFL-CIO,
may be one of the principal speakers at this conference.

*

*

*

New Year's Needs:

Jewish community needs in 1956 will be greater than in any
year since 1948 when the largest sum ever was raised by American
Jewry for philanthropic purposes . . . An indication of these needs
is the request made to United Jewish Appeal leaders by Israel
Minister Golda Myerson to increase its Special Fund from $25,-
000,000 to $100,000,000, in addition to the $105,000,000 set by the
UJA as the regular goal for 1956 . . . Although the UJA leadership
refused to commit itself on Mrs. Myerson's unexpected request, it
is clear that unprecedented efforts will be made by the UJA in

1956 . . . The moving of 45,000 Jews from North Africa to Israel
has been started and their settlement in Israel will require funds
to which Israel is not able to contribute . . . Thus, the burden of
supplying these funds rests entirely with American. Jewry.

