Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Israel's Problems in the Gaza Area

Israel's military successes in the Gaza area can not be inter-
preted as having ended the struggle either with Egypt or with
the world powers. In a sense, they mark the beginning of new
controversies which will tax the Israelis' diplomatic competence.
In the first place, there is the problem of the 250,000 refugees.
Then there is the danger of British-French intrusions in that
area which may mean the beginning of a new colonialism.
Contrary to earlier observations, there is reason now to be-
lieve that the Israelis acted on their own when they invaded
Egypt; that they did not have an understanding either with the
French or the British; that their action, necessitated by the need
to protect their statehood, was a serious gamble—a daring chance
that could have ended in calamity but resulted in a remarkable
triumph for Israeli statesmanship.
The objective correspondent of the Christian Science Monitor
in Israel, Francis Ofner, offered in a cable from Tel Aviv, the
following analysis of the problems we have enumerated:
Some - Vowerful Israeli groups are suggesting that the gov-
ernment here should offer resettlement of the refugees on ter-
ritory under Israeli control. This, they hope, could become
the Arab refugee prob-
Israel's major contribution to solution
lem, which is one of the greatest humanitarian challenges of
this region.
Though it may sound paradotical, the Anglo-French inter-
vention against Egyptian President Nasser is also the subject of
anxiety here. However beneficial for this country the Anglo-
French struggle against what is termed here Colonel Nasser's
expansionism may be at present, the Israelis fear this may not
be the case in a later phase.
Many in Israel, along with a number of other nations, sus-
pect that some Anglo-French circles may eventually use the
conflict with Colonel Nasser for reverting to orthodox colo-
nialism.
These fears have been indicated by the Israeli government's
instruction to its representative in the United Nations to abstain
from voting on whether or not the current armed conflict should
be put on the agendi of the Assembly's extraordinary session.
The Israeli attitude thus differed from that of the Anglo-French
delegates, who voted against the motion.
The dominant trend of thought appears to advocate barring
Egypt from a return to Gaza, which the Israelis aver may
again be used as a base for-guerrilla warfare.
The entrance of Israeli troops into the town of Gaza was
smooth unlike that of Samson, who wrecked the gates of the
town some three thousand years ago. The surrender was effected
according to strict formalities of 'international usage. The Egyp-
tian major general who until then had served as the Cairo War
Ministry's governor for the Gaza strip signed the surrender
document, which he handed to the Israeli Army's commander of
the southern district.
The majority of Gaza's Arab civilian population took the
change calmly. Curfew from dusk to dawn was imposed upon
the town as a safety measure during the first night of Israeli
authority.
The first Israeli civilians who visited Gaza ware farmers
from Nahal Oz, a communal settlement some three miles east-
ward. Innumerable mutual cross-border attacks have roiled
relations between these two localities during the past eight
years—a situation which the Israelis hope has been terminated
We quote at length from Ofner's cable because it touches on
the major issues in the. present Middle East situation. It points
to the dangers of colonialism. It indicates the need for a realistic
solution of the Arab refugee problem. It emphasizes the Israelis'
hope for the termination of the enmity that has existed until
now in that area.
One objective must not be overlooked: Israel's operation in
the Gaza area was with the intention of compelling peace, a
lasting peace, the results of which must react to the benefit of
Israelis and Arabs alike. Intrusion of foreign military forces will
not help but surely will aggravate the situation. United Nations
debaters would do well to leave the matter to a team headed by
Dr. Ralph Bunche to iron out differences, to arrange • for meet-
ings between Arabs and Israelis and to encourage a lasting peace.
One of the United States resolutions, which has not been
acted upon, called for such a peace. Let that, rather than threats,
be the obj'ective. Then we shall surely have two great solutions.
an end to the refugeeproblem and to threats of war.

a

Second Israel Action Day, Sunday; Aim
to Set $500,000 Goal to Honor Golda Meir

Israel Bond Action Day has
been extended to an Israel Ac-
tion Week, to enable those who
could not be reached last Sun-
day to purchase Israel Bonds,
thereby offering economic en-
couragement to the embattled
Jewish State, Irwin Cohn, chair-
man of the Detroit Israel Bond
Organization, announced on
Monday.
Last Sunday, Israel Bond sales
amounted to more than $100,000.
The coming Sunday, wind-up
of Action Week, volunteers
again will gather at the Labor
Zionist Institute, Schaefer and
7-Mile Rd., and will proceed
to contact their prospects.
It was pointed out this week
that many who can not be
reached may wish to pur-
chase bonds by inviting sales-
men to visit them. Those de-
siring to volunteer for next
Sunday's Action Day or to
purchase bonds are asked to
call the Bond office, WO.
2-5092.
The Action Week Bond sales
are being credited to the $500,-
000 goal set for the sale of

—

Plans for the reception to fol-
low the concert by Gregor Piati-
gorsky, on Nov. 24, at Masonic
Temple, were announced by
Harry Cohen, chairman of the
Balfour Celebration for the
Zionist Organization of Detroit.
Mrs. William
B. Isenberg will
head a group
of women who
will greet the
guests in the
Crystal Room.
She will be as-
sisted by Mes-
dames Theo-
dore Bargman,
Samuel Feld-
stein, Max
Frank, Max
Osnos, Norman
Mrs. Isenberg Rom and Carl
Schiller.
Sponsors of the reception in-
clude Mr. and Mrs. Abraham
Borman, Mr. and Mrs. Walter
Field, Mr. and Mrs. Abe Kasle,
Mr. and Mrs. Leon Kay, Mr.
and Mrs M. Ben Lewis, Mr. and
Mrs Milton S. Marwil, Mr. and
Mrs. Leonard L. Radner, Mr.
and Mrs. Sherman- Shapiro, and
Dr. Bernard Weston.
Tickets for the Piatigorsky
concert are available at Zionist
House, Linwood at Lawrence,
TO 8-9413.

There is so much confusion over Nasserism and the oratory
of the United Nations that this important comment, in Barron's
National Business and Financial Weekly, is of great importance:
"It is high time Washington woke up to the fact that in the
world community, as in any other, men cannot live by the law
of the jungle. Diplomatk experts of both major U.S. parties and
the Secretary-General of the United Nations have good reason
to ponder that truism. The Middle Eastern crisis that reached its
climax last week has been long in the making. Its outbreak sooner
or later became a certainty when President Nasser was armed by
the Kremlin's merchants of death, and when U.S. diplomacy, in
its search for peace at almost any price, through continuation of
economic aid, condoned his seizure of the Suez Canal. Feeling
sure of the support of both Moscow and Washington, Nasser
proceeded to organize his 'Arab Empire' by fostering rebellion
in North Africa, subverting Syria and Jordan, and openly pre-
paring aggression against Israel. In their recent action, Israel,
Britain and France took a leaf from the book of U.S. history —
Egypt's ruler had as little claim to the protection of international
law as the Barbary pirates. Only as his power is destroyed can
the Middle East arrive at lawful order. More generally, neither
law nor justice can prevail unless they are enforced. As the
charter of the United Nations has been drawn, law-breakers need
not fear the penalties commonly associated with evil-doing. For
Moscow, having seized upon the promotion of international
anarchy as one of its most effective weapons, has thrown the
mantle of its veto over every breach of international law, thereby
reducing the United Nations to a distinguished debating club
adorned with minor social,functions. But just as in common law,
the citizen has a duty to seize a felon and to stop his criminal
actions, so nations stopping a law-breaker from undermining the
world's peace can scarcely be called 'aggressors' for putting
an end to his activities."
The moment Israel announced that she would withdraw her
troops from the captured 23,090 Gaza territory, Nasser became
brave again. He began to boast that he alone could have licked

rection of the president of the
group, Albert Shapiro, Detroit's
Deputy Chief of Detectives.
This brunch club, meeting at
the temporary synagogue on
Linwood and Leslie, mobilized
its 80-member group for the
leadership on• Action Day. Da-
vid Sachs and Otto Silvers are
vice - presidents of the group;
Ben Alpert, treasurer, and Nat
Tarnopol, secretary.
The coming Sunday, follow-
up Action Day, is expected to
bring an additional large sum
of Israel investment dollars.
Reservations for the Golda
Meir dinner are being taken at
the Bond office.

Labor Zionists Map
Federated Campaign

Reception to Follow
ZOD Annual Balfour
Piatigorsky Convert

'Men Cannot Live by the Law of the Jungle'

Israel. The entire world admitted that Israel had shattered his

bonds in November in honor
of Israel's Foreign Minister
Golda Meir, who will be the
guest at a bond dinner here, at
Adas Shalom, on Nov. 26.
Last Sunday's sales included
$20,000 through Young Israel of
Oak Woods, through the efforts
of Morris Novetsky, who was in
charge of operations for the
group on that day, and Rabbi
Yaakov Homnick.
The major accomplishment of
the day was the $43,700 sale
made by the Sunday Morning
Brunch Club of Congregation
Bnai Israel—the offshoot of the
Old Mullett Street Shul. This
was accomplished under the di-

ALBERT SHAPIRO

r

The month of November has
been designated by the Labor
Zionist Movement for its an-
nual Federated Campaign to
support its national and local
institutions.
Allocations are made locally
to the United Jewish Folk
Schools, Habonim youth or-
ganizations and to the teachers
seminar. Among the national
beneficiaries are the publica-
tions Kemfer and Jewish
Frontier.
Ben Harold, chairman of the
local drive, has called a brunch-
eon meeting at 11 a.m., Sun-
day, in the LZ Institute, when
reports on cards covered to
date will be given and new
cards assigned.

.1•111.•11111112

Boris Stnolar's

'Between You
... and Me'

(Copyright 1956,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Eyes On Israel:
Jewish leaders have come to the conclusion that the situa-
tion in which Israel is now involved will require urgent aid from
American Jewry in unprecendented proportions. . . . They are
planning to proclaim 1957 "an emergency year" for Israel in
fund raising. . . . There is a tremendous upsurge in giving on the
part of many Jews, even before the 1957 UJA drive has been
proclaimed. . . . The Israel Bond Organization, too, reports- in-
creased buying of Israel bonds in these days of crisis. . . . In one
day this week the Israel Bond Organization received a total of
$600,000 in checks in the mail — the largest single sum ever
received by the organization in one day. . . . The mobilization
of American Jewish aid for Israel will find its expression at
the General Assembly of the Council of Federations and Wel-
fare Funds which starts its meetings today in Toronto. . . . The
question of aid to Israel in this decisive moment will over-
shadow all other problems now faced in American Jewish com-
munal life. . . Under the impact of the war atmosphere pre-
vailing around Israel, Jewish welfare funds raised the largest
amount which they had obtained in any year since 1951. . .. The
overall increase in welfare fund campaigns was 20 percent above
receipts of the year before. . . . There is no doubt that in 1957
might, but the dictator had to the giving will be even higher.
*
*
boast: for home - consumption.
Fact and Figures:
Like Hitler, who said that
The figures on fund-raising for Israel in this country in 1956
by repeating a lie often enough
you get people to accept it as campaigns show that the United Jewish Appeal, which had re-
truth, the Egyptian Hitler now ceived a trial of about $58,000,000 in 1955, obtained about $112,-
000,000 this year. ... Of this sum $72,000,000 was made in contri-
is following a Nazi method.
While Nasser was boasting, butions, including about $16,000,000 for the Special UJA Fund.
Premier Guy Mollet of France .. . The remaining $40,000,000 was secured in new borrowing.
stated in Paris that Egyptian . . . The communities had refunded in the past two years a
short term obligation
officers in the Suez Canal "were similar sum they borrowed to meet Israel's
percent of the
the first to flee, shamelessly al- in this country. . UJA received in 1956 about 65
about 58 per-
total
budgeted
by
welfare
funds,
compared
with
lowing their men to be taken
allocated
to
UJA
in
1955.
.
At
present,
Jewish
community
cent
prisoners alone." M. Mollet as-
of special
serted the Egyptians were not leaders are evaluating the advantages and weaknesses desirable
view to deciding whether it is
ready to die for Nasser and that fund earmarking with a
needs in 1957.
Nasser had "lost face," But Nas- to continue earmarking for * emergency
*
*
ser is spouting again. We have
a pretty good idea whose word U. S. Jewish Needs:
Cultural and educational needs of American Jewry are also
will. be honored.
The especially regrettable fac- to come up sharply before the General Assembly of the Council
tor in the present world situa- of Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds. . . These needs, and
tion is that the outbursts of the services designed to meet them, have been growing in volume
bigots in the United Nations is and importance, and their growth reflects basic changes in the
reaching so vast an audience. underlying economic, social and psychological forces affecting
When Israel first was opposed the Jewish population in this country. . . . It .reflects the emer-
in the UN, anti-Jewish senti- gence of this generation of American Jews as a religious-cul-
ments were repeated again and tural group, predominantly native born and middle class, corn-
again by Arabs and their agents. pared with the earlier status of the American Jew as an im-
At the UN, people stopped lis- migrant ethnic minority. . A survey to establish the extent of
tening to them, because they the growth of Jewish cultural needs in the United States brought
were rehashed lies. But the mo- out the fact that membership in Jewish community centers grew
ment all-night television and from 445,000 ten years ago to more than 550,000 now. . . . Center
radio broadcasts made the libels expenditures rose from $8,200,000 ten years ago to more than
available to large audiences, $155,000,000 in 1954. . . . The estimated value of Center buildings
the anti-Jewish elements emerg- rose from $40,000,000 to $75,000,000 in the same period. . . En-
ed in new glory. Out of the UN rollment in Jewish schools has been rising steadily since 1945
had come the words of inciters and is now double the number of what it was a decade ago. . .
At present, there are 400,000 Jewish pupils in Jewish schools.
to hate.

-