THE DETROIT JEWISH NEW S-2

11,

Purely Commentary Israel Launches Diolomatic Fight

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Spencer S. Fishbaine: Remembering a Good Friend

One often wonders about the vanity of man. So many of our
neighbors are so anxious to make their mark in their lifetime,
to be thought of (the politician says "I don't care what you say
about me, as long as you talk about me"), to be mentioned pub-
licly. Then comes the final day—and so very few are truly
remembered.
How many, even now, recall the gifts of our good townsman,
Spencer S. Fishbaine?
Because he had so many good qualities, it is proper that we
mention him at least now, soon after his passing from our midst.
Spencer was an organizer of one of Detroit's first Zionist
groups. He did not remain too long as an active leader in Detroit
Zionist ranks, but his heart was with his people.
As a boy, he already evidenced a great interest in Jewish
activities. He was one of the pioneers in the now defunct Philo-
mathic Debating Club. As a boy, he delivered a speech before
that club on Theodor Herzl. His talk was received coolly. The
young fellows, like so many of their parents, snickered at Zionism.
Who would have believed, even three decades later, that the move-
ment, would triumph. Spencer was outraged by such disrespect
for a great cause. He tore the Philomathic button from his lapel,
threw it on the floor, and said he was ashamed to be associated
with a . group that did not honor Jewry's great aspirations for
freedom for the oppressed. Then he began to make converts to
the cause.
Spencer Fishbaine was a leader in the Kadimah and Haskalah
societies and his papers read before these two societies were
among the most learned. Everything he did was steeped in learn-
ing. The fact that he inspired so many students of journalism to
produce great Central High School newspapers indicated that he
left a fine impression on his students. Surely they, if none others,
remember him. Together with them, we pay honor to the memory
of this man of culture, this fine teacher whom we always were
proud to call friend.

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A Peculiar Book About an "Unknown Apostle"

Philosophical Library has issued a puzzling book — "Ephraim
of Israel: The Unknown Apostle" by Paul- Constant. In it, the
mythical "Ephraim" is questioned by other Jews, at the time of
Jesus, about "the immaculate mother - Mary and her husband
Joseph" and about Jesus. Ephraim is the adherent of the -new
Christian group that follows Jesus. His argument, at one point, is:
"The immaculate conception is in vraisemblance, when Heavenly
Father hath spoken to Moses, and given him the Holy Command-
ments."
Thus, this book, the title of which may mislead some Jewish
readers, actually is a follow-up to Christian proselytizing propa-
ganda that truly serves no good purpose. It advocates the idea
that "the best attitude would be to confirm and to conform our-
selves to the Son of God and Man," and may be good christo-
logical propaganda. But Christians do not need such an additional
book—they have all - the re ligious sermonizing they desire in
existing literature—and Jevis will not be misled by it. So—what
purpose does this Philosophical Library volume serve?

* 4:
Apologist for Nasser Writes a, Very Vile Book

We have seen a great deal of vile literature; maligning Israel,
most of it emanating either from Arab . propaganda bureaus, or
from anti-Semitic groups, or the Council for Judaism..But a book
that matches them all in repulsive viciousness is "The Sphinx
Awakes," by an Englishman, Gerald Sparrow. It comes from the
Pitman Publishing Co., New York, but was published by Robert
Hale, Ltd., in London.
Sparrow, who at one time served as a judge in Bangkok, has
all the rights of a writer to act as an apologist for Nasser and to
glorify him as much as he wishes. But he also takes occasion to
slander world Jewry with a malevolence that cries to the high
heavens. He abuses Israel. He misrepresents facts.
He writes in his book: "No major statesman has said as
often as Nasser has: 'I don't believe in the United Nations.'
What he really means is that, in Arab eyes, the United Nations
. means Britain and America, and more Britain than America."
Yet he goes along with Nasser. True, he wrote the book before
Israel's slap at Egypt in the Sinai Peninsula two months ago; but
there is nothing in his book to indicate that he would say a harsh
word to Nasser even when he discredits the UN when it acts
against him and utilizes it—and Britain and the U.S.—when it is
in his interests.
He follows the old line: of emphasizing the mythical "danger
of Zionist aggression"—a non-existent factor in world affairs.
There is no indication that he has even been to Israel, yet he is
Israel's enemy. But that, too, is a stock in trade of anti-Semites.
The major profligacy in the book is the chapter "The Dagger
That Drips Blood" in which he launches a shocking assault on
Israel and Jewry. In it he puts on a pontifical front by saying
that he was at first shocked and surprised by the Egyptian
leaders' hatred for Israel and proceeds to say: "I had no particular
love for the Jews, but I felt that all nations were entitled to a life
of their own, a country of their own, where they could practice
their own faith, work and develop their own culture, unmolested.
Palestine, obviously, had great historical associations for the
Zionist movement. Prior to 1949, some fifty thousand Jews lived
there in peace with the Arab majority. I knew that Britain, more
than any other State, had been responsible for creating the State
of Israel. I was only offended when I heard Jews, who might
well be grateful, running down the great powers without whose
'help and aid no Jewish nation would exist."
So far so good. His lack of information could easily be
,defended. But then he proceeds to reveal his hand. He goes for
information to a man whose bias has earned for him the designa-
tion anti-Semite, in spite of his world fame as a historian—
Arnold Toynbee. And although he "had no particular love for
the Jews," he turns to Jews for guidance in his attacks. He goes
to the most discredited Jews: William Zuckerman, a tool of the
:Council for Judaism, who has rendered Israel great harm; Rabbi
'Morris S. Lazaron, the man who at one time delivered fiery
;Zionist speeches, who now smacks his lips every time he can dig
a dagger into Israel's body and twist it.
This Englishman distorts the honest views of Hal Lehrman
,about Israel. After all, Israel is not above reproach: nations like
:individuals make mistakes, and Lehrman believed, when he wrote
the articles. Sparrow quoted from, that he was criticizing honestly
on several scores. Sparrow distorts him. His .eoriffie bbok is a dis-
'tprtion. It is a vile insult to Englishman;J ,*;- libertarian—to all
;:Who _seek fair play. What a pity that such venom would find a
publisher.

:

at UN to Stem Afro-Asian Squeeze

(Copyright, 1956, JTA, Inc.)

UNITED NATIONS, N. Y.,
(JTA) — Israel, fighting to re-
tain control of the Gaza Strip
and the Sinai position protect-
Mg transit to its Red Sea port
of Elath, launched an intensive
diplomatic drive against an un-
relenting United Nations' ef-
fort to compel total and uncon-
ditional withdrawal of Is-
raeli forces from the Sinai pe-
ninsula.
Mrs. Golda Meir, Israel's For-
eign Minister, and Ambassador
Abba Eban met with three dif-
ferent groups of delegates at
the UN in two days, and out-
lined Israel's position to 20
delegates from Western Europe,
Scandinavia, the British Corn-
monwealth and the Latin Bloc.
Ambassador Eb an met
twice in three days with UN
Secretary General Dag Ham-
marskjold, who reportedly re-
mained adamant on Israel's
prompt compliance with the
UN Nov. 2 resolution of com-
plete withdrawal.
Mrs. Meir conferred with
French Foreign Minister Chris-
tian Pineau and
it was under-
stood that Pi-
neau gave as-
surances of "ab-
solute sympa-
thy and under
standing" con-
cerning Israel's
insistence o r
guarantees tha'
the old status
quo of Aral
b e 11 i gerency
would not be
Pineau
reinstated.
The Israeli campaign was car-
ried directly into the UN when
Zev Argaman, Israel's repre-
sentative on the 80-member
Economic Committee of the
General Assembly, addressed
that committee. He hit sharply
at the Arab states for their
economic and shipping block-
ades against Israel.
Under Arab League pressure,
the Afro-Asian bloc named a
special five-member committee
to press for Israel's immediate
Sinai withdrawal tinder threat
of calling a plenary session of
the General Assembly to con-
sider a censure resolution.
S.everal members of the bloc,
among them Japan, Thailand
and Burma, were understood
to be cool to any demand for
an Assembly meeting for that
purpose. The Arab League re-
mained. determined, however,
to press for an Assembly ses-
sion.
A slight softening of the U.S.
position was indicated in re-
ports that, while the U.S. re-
mains insistent on speedy and
unconditional withdrawal, the
U.S. delegation to the UN has
no intention of seeking a cen-
sure resolution.
Israel Agrees to Evacuate
El Arish, Key Sinai Point
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—El Ar-
ish, capital of Sinai, was evacu-
ated Tuesday but Israeli forces
are staying in Sharm el Sheikh,
the area from which Egyptian
artillery stopped passage of Is-
raeli shipping into the Gulf of
Aqaba, Maj. Gen. E. L. M.
Burns, commander of the
United Nations Emergency
Force, told newsmen.
Reporting on his meeting
with Maj. Gen. Moshe Dayan,
Israel Army Chief of Staff,
Gen. Burns said Israel would
draw back an additional 15
miles and evacuate El Arish in
that withdrawal.
The line of evacuation ex-
tends southward from El Arish
through the site of St. Cather-
ine's monastery. Yugoslav
troops moved into the monas-
tery site last weekend as Israe-
li forces began withdrawal.
Mrs. Golda Meir, returning
from the United States, re-
ported on her efforts to win
support in the UN with the
comment that it was `very
hard to explain Israel's posi-
tion" • Ihroughout the ,world,

despite the fact that Israel
has gained many more
friends.
Herut leader Menahem Bei-
gin for a second time demand-
ed the resignation of Premier
Ben-Gurion for ordering with-
drawal. of Israeli forces from
the Sinai peninsula.

Acheson Talks on ME Plan;
Says U.S. Must Back Israel
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—For-
mer Secretary of State Dean
Acheson, testifying before the
House Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee on President Eisenhow-
er's Middle East plan, said the
plan left unsolved the .need of
producing a U. S. policy to
meet the basic problems of the
Middle East.
His sharp criticisms were re-
inforced by Secretary of State
Dulles' explanation to the same
committee that the Eisenhower
plan would not apply to Israel
if the Jewish State was at-
tacked by an Arab nation sup-
plied by the Soviet with arms
and technicians.
Acheson said that the U.S.
has a responsibility to -estab-
lish, underwrite and support
with force an international ar-
rangement for preventing eith-
er Arab or Israel government-
supported raiding and attacks.
Such a policy, he said, would
have a substantial chance for
execution through internation-
al negotiation and organization.
Supporting Dulles' explana-
tion of the application of the
Eisenhower plan to Israel, State
Department sources said that
U.S. arms would not be sold
nor given to Israel because Is-
rael has used its present arms
to attack a neighboring coun-
try.
These sources said that among

r

the Middle East states, only Is-
rael is not eligible for military
assistance.
Eisenhower Asked To Intercede
Against Egyptian Persecution
President Eisenhower w a s
asked to intercede against
Egyptian persecution of Jews
and to consider an emergency
immigration measure • to admit
some Egyptian Jewish refugees
in a resolution adopted at a
mass meeting here sponsored
by t h e Jewish Community
Council.
The meeting was addressed
by Gov. Theodore R. McKel-
din of Maryland, Sen. Joseph
C. O'Mahoney, Wyoming Dem-
ocrat, the Rev. Dr. Russel H.
Stafford, president of the Hart-
ford Theological Seminary, Vic-
tor G. Reuther, of the United
Automobile Workers, AFL-CIO,
and Rabbi Barnett R. Brickner,
past president of the Central
Conference of American Rab-
bis.
The United States Govern-
ment was asked by the Amer-
icans for Democratic Action to
offer relief and transportation
for the Jews exiled from Egypt
and to admit into this country
any of the Egyptian Jewish ref-
ugees who desire to come here.
Ambassador Henry Cabot
Lodge, Jr., permanent United
States representative to the
United Nations, assured the
Farband-Labor Zionist Order of
the deep concern of the U. S.
Government over the reported
persecution of Jews in Egypt.
The letter was in answer to
an urgent inquiry addressed
by Farband to t h e United
States Delegation to the, UN
concerning American action to
stop "the inhuman treatment of
Egyptian Jews by the Nasser
Government."

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Boris Smolar's

'Between You
... and Me'

(Copyright, 1957,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

By BORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1957, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold makes
no secret of the fact that he is prejudiced against Israel's Pre-:
mier David Ben-Gurion . . . He talks freely about it to people
with whom he discusses the Arab-Israel problem . . . His per-
sonal feelings against Ben-Gurion have been intensified since
the entrance of Israeli troops into Sinai . . . He claims that Ben-
Gurion told him only a few weeks before the Sinai campaign
that he was opposed to preventive war . . Therefore, he feels
insulted by what he considers misleading information given to
him by Ben-Gurion when he conferred with him last in Jeru-
salem .
Hammarskjold is impatient with the tempo of Israel's withdrawal
from Sinai . . . To persons pleading with him for patience, he
advances the argument that since it took no more than four days
for the Israel Army to occupy the Sinai Peninsula, there is no
reason why the Israeli withdrawal should last weeks . . . It has
been known for some time in inner United Nations circles that
Hammarskjold holds prejudiced sentiments against Israel . . .
However, never before has he been as outspoken on the subject
as after the Sinai aperation . . . All indications point to the fact
that Hammarskjold's influence on Arab-Israel relations will in-
crease with the stationing of United Nations troops on the -Egyp-
tian-Irsaeli border.

American Jewish leaders are on the alert for unjustified pres-
sure that may be exercised by the United States on Israel . . . The
initiative in this respect has been taken by the "Presidents'
Club" which is composed of the heads of 17 major Jewish organ-
izations in this country, a number of them non-Zionist . . _For
the first time since its formation several years ago, the Presi-
dents' Club is now arranging regional conferences . . . They will
be held this week-end in a number of cities throughout the
country and will be addressed by members of the Presidents'
Club . . . The major reason for fanning out into regional parleys
is the grave responsibility which the Presidents' Club feels for
bringing American Jewry up to date on the developments in
connection with Israel's withdrawal from Sinai . . . The confer-
ence will be held simultaneously in Chicago, Cincinnati, Balti-
more, Atlanta, San Francisco, Tulsa, Providence, and in one of the
large cities in Texas . . . Discussions at these conferences will
center not only about U. S. pressure on Israel to withdraw from
Gaza and two tiny islands in the Aqaba region, but also on
President Eisenhower's new Middle East policy . . . No stand is
being taken for the time. being by American Jewish leaders on
the President's proposals to Congress with regard to the Middle
East ..-.-These proposals can spell good as well as bad for Israel,
depending on the interpretation they are given when imple-

