THE JEWISH NEWS Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951 Incorporating the Detroit Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Jew Member American Association of Englis Alsociation. Published every Friday by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17100 West Seven Mile Road, Detroit 35, Mich. VE. 8-9364. Subscription $5 a year, Foreign $6. Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1952, at Post Office, Detroit, Mich., under Act of March 3, 1879. PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Editor and Publisher SIDNEY SHMARAle Advertising Manager FRANK SIMONS City Editor Sabbath Scriptural Selections selections will be day of Tebet, 5717, the following Scriptural This Sabbath, the eleventh read in our synagogues: portion, I Kings 2:1-12. Pentatcuchal portion, Vayehi, Gen. 47:28-50:26. Prophetical today. Fast of Tebet is observed Licht Benshen, Friday, Dec. 14, 4:43 p.m. VOL. XXX No. 15 Page Four December 14, 1956 Proof of Oil Interests' Pressure O Proof of the pressure that is being ex- erted against Israel by the oil interests was published recently in Petroleum Week, an important magazine circulated among oil dealers. Under • the heading "Socony Sells Out in Israel," Petroleum Week's article stated: Socony Mobil Oil Co. has sold out its busi- ness in Israel effective Dec. 31, be-cause of the difficulties of doing business in Israel and Arab countries simultaneously Sonneborn interests of New York have pur- chased the business of Mobil Oil - Israel, Ltd., the Socony affiliate, according to a joint an- nouncement. Negotiations for the transaction had been under way for many months. A Socony spokesman declined to say whether Arab states had forced the company to withdraw from Israel. The only explanation it gave, in answer to questions, was the "long-continued and in- creasing difficulties of doing business in Israel and in the Arab countries." Socony has a share in the crude oil produc- tion of both Saudi Arabia and Iraq-10% and 12%, respectively. Socony has been a marketer in the Pales- tine area (now Israel) since before World War I. It has no oil production 'there. The company has been the third largest marketer in Israel, following the government- owned marketing company and Shell. The volume of its business amounted to a little under one-quarter of the total business in Israel. Israel's oil consumption is currently running around 20,000 b/d, with the Socony share apparently about 5,000 b/d. The company had a processing agreement at the Haifa refinery for crude oil it imported. It also imported some products, notably The Rambam's 750th Yahrzeit lubricating oils. The Sonneborn interests will continue the business of marketing "a full line of petroleum products through a company which will have an adequate supply of crude oil and transpor- tation," according to the announcement. It intends to retain all present employees. No details were given as to where Sonne- born will get its crude. Presumably, it will come from Western Hemisphere sources, though there has been no official information released on this. The Sonneborn interests have been in the oil business for more than half a century. Their operations include marketing and refining, as well as petroleum chemicals. The Teachings of Maimondes While the Sonneborns and other fair- minded oil dealers will undoubtedly strive to counteract unfair methods in the trade, which are aimed at dealing a death-blow to Israel, the role played by oil magnates generally is unsavory. It accounts for most of Israel's troubles and is a major reason for the failure of public-spirited men in democratic countries, including our own ,to come to Israel's defense in time of crisis • A Time to Prevent War Is NOW In an. Open Letter to the President of the United States, a message entitled "Is an Attack on Israel Less a Threat to Peace Than an Attack on Iraq?" the So- ciety for the Prevention of World War III had this to say: On Nov. 29, you warned Russia and Syria that any threat to the territorial integrity or political independence of Iraq, Iran, Turkey or Pakistan, members of the Baghdad pact, "would be viewed by the United States with the utmost gravity. Are the Baghdad Powers the first targets of Russia and Syria? Is not the real plot against Israel? Three times in recent weeks the Russians have denounced Israel and ominously warned that her very existence is endangered. In his new role as protector of Arab in- terests, Russian Prime Minister Bulganin sent a direct communication to the Prime Minister of Israel threatening its "continued existence as a state." What did this warning portend— except liquidation of Israel by the Russians and Arabs? On the very day you were protecting the Baghdad Powers, Ilvestia, the Kremlin's offi- cial organ, reiterated the threat, "the very existence of Israel as a state is now at stake." And joined this threat Itgith new denunciation of Israel's leaders as "irresponsible adventur- ers" acting "as a tool in hands of 'external imperialists' " carrying out "an alien will, the will of the colonialists." What is this, Mr. President, if not deliberate incitement to war on Israel? By fomenting an Arab war against Israel, Russia could secure popular support to over- throw the Arab governments not yet in the Soviet orbit, create chaos and control the Mid- dle East. Arab countries which have adopted the Russian-Nazi barbarism of deportation, expro- priation and human hostage, which for eight years have shouted for Israel's extermination, are now sated with Russian arms. Are they made calmer by this calculated Russian provo- cation? One-half a billion dollars worth of Russian arms in Egypt, $100,000,000 worth in Syria certainly do not upset the arms balance of the Baghdad countries who are protected by the military might of the U. S. and NATO. But what about Israel—protected nowhere by treaty alliance with the big powers—left in isolation? Since the United' States, Russia and the Arab States have made common cause against Israel in recent weeks, 4 there not the explicit danger that your unfortunate omission of refer- ence to Israel could be exploited by the Arab States to obliterate Israel? Two days after you gave your protection to Iraq, that country's King Faisal called on all friendly nations to support the "elimination of Israel." You, Mr. President, did not leave the Bagh- dad countries to the protection of the U. N.— for the obvious reason that the U. N. could not protect them. Nor can the safety of Israel, surrounded on three sides by enemy states, two in the Soviet camp, be left to U. N. action—action which, if it came at all, would come too late to prevent the destruction of its cities and industries by Russian weapons, Russian satellites and con- ceivably Russian "volunteers." If Russia's Arab stooges should attack Is- rael, can any one predict that it will be a little, limited war? Or that it will not be the begin- ning of World War III? If we mean Peace, — then the time to pre- vent war is now." Traditional Photo of Maimonides Edited by Dr. Simon Federbush, eminent Jewish author and publicist, a series of essays, written. on the occasion of the '750th anniversary of the death of Maimonides — the Rambam — Rabbi Moses ben Maimon — are incorporated in an impressive volume, "Maimonides: His Teachings and Personality," published by the cultural department of the World Jewish Congress and the the Jewish Agency. Indeed, "if we mean Peace—then the Torah culture department of a bilingual work, with 171 pages of essays in Hebrew It is time to prevent war is now." There can and 71 pages of special articles in English. be no two ways about it. Dedicated to Dr. Nahum Goldmann, president of the World But the issue can not be treated incon- Jewish Congress and the World Zionist Organization, "in recog- sistently. If Russia can be warned when nition of his distinguished leadership and his outstanding service the Baghdad pact members are involved, to the Jewish people," this volume, admitting that it makes only when Hungary's freedom is threatened, "a modest contribution toward the exposition of his (Maimo- when Formosa is endangered, why are nides') teachings and the delineation of his ethical personality,* the Arab states different when Israel is nevertheless fills a great need. In addition to his forewords to both the Hebrew and English, in danger? sections, Dr. Federbush has contributed two essays to this col- Grave errors have been committed, but lection, "Maimonides and His Critics" (English) and "MaimonideS' there still is time to correct them. View of the Hebrew Language" (Hebrew). Chief Rabbi I. Herzog of Israel heads the list of English This is the time to act—to impel direct negotiations for peace in the Middle East, essayists. In this group are included articles by Drs. Salo Baron, I. K. to protect the world against a third world Israel Goldstein, Abraham I. Katsh, Israel S. Elfenbein, A. R. Malachi and Zevi Tabory. war—by avoiding another conflict in the Mikliszanski, The Hebrew writers' list includes Rabbi Isaac Stollman, Middle East. of Detroit. His essay is on the topic "Torah and Science in This is possible only through firm steps Maimonides' Works." Other Hebrew writers include Rabbi J. L. Mahnon, Dr. in direction of peace—and such steps are possible only when Nasser and his cohorts J. Rosenthal, Dr. Joshua Wolfsberg, Rabbi Federbush, Rabbi S. K. Mirsky, Dr. Mikliszanski, I. J. Dinstag, Dr. W. Blattberg and are told to talk peace. Dr. S. Z. Kahane. We dare not lose patience, and must Every aspect of Maimonides' genius — rabbinic, philosophical; retain faith that the proper steps will be medical, scientific, is covered in these essays by men who have taken in such directions. President Ei- made a deep study of the great teacher's works and his person- senhower holds the trump card, as the ality. It is a book of great merit for our time. Tabory, for in- leader of our Government whose policies stance, points out that "the 750th anniversary of the Rambain are dominating the scene at the United offers us an opportunity to embed in the hearts of Jewish children Nations. We pray that the proper steps in the two great loves of this teacher, the Torah of Israel and the the direction of peace should be taken im- land of Israel." History and philosophy play a role in 'the delineation of the mediately. We join in the appeal to our and works of Rambam. This volume is an excellent inspira- President in behalf of this urgent peace life tiOn for deeper study of the ideas of the great rabbi and physician. move.