Egyptian Correspondent Set Back in Interview with Ex-Air Secretary

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By DAVID HOROWITZ
UNITED NATIONS (AJP)—
Egyption newsmen covering the
UN constitute a rather strange
lot. We have once mentioned
Simon Selim Malley, an Egyp-
tion Jew writing for Al Gom-
bouria. There is another, Levon
Keshishian, an Armenian who
was born in Jerusalem and
spent most of his life there.
Ever-hustling Keshishian, who
represents Al Ahram of Cairo
and several other Arab papers
in the Middle East, indulges in
Arab propaganda here at the
UN and on the U. S. scene.
Every now and then one sees
and hears him on TV and radio
panels. He does not -always fare
so well, however.
For example, this week he
participated on the panel of the
Foreign Press Association's "In-
ternationl Interview" over radio
station WNYC. Here was a
good opportunity, the Armenian
"Arab" thought,. to present his
anti-Israel . case before the
American public.
But Keshishian, apparently,
did not know who he was going
to deal with when he came
face to face with the guest of
the program, former U. S. Air
Secretary Thomas K., Finletter.
Queried Keshishian: "Now
don't you think that Israel has
been the violator of the. UN?
She hasn't implemented any of
the resolutions . . If Israel
implemented these resolutions
there wouldn't be any belliger-
ency or anything."
"You asked me my opinion,
and I'll tell you what it is,"
Finletter quickly shot back.
"The basic violator of the 'UN
resolutions, starting with the
resolution of Sept. 1, 1951,
which ordered Egypt to re-
spect the armistice and stop
blockading the Suez Cinal to
Israel ships, is Egypt and the
other Arab countries who
have been in steady default
with the UN.
"It all conies from this one
point. If you want to have
peace in that area, the Arab
countries have got to give up
their determination to destroy
Israel. I think that the great-
est contribution which the
countries of the Near East
could make to world peace
would be jo give 'up this de-
terinination to destroy Israel
and to return to the rule of
law."

"That is not the point," the
mumbling .Arab correspondent
answered.. "The point is • that
Egypt has never attacked Is-
rael..." •
Fully aware of the record,
Finletter resumed his challenge:
"Is it or is it not Egyptian
policy to destroy the State of
Israel?"
"No! Definitely not! Belliger-
ency is something else. Destroy:7
lag is something else. Egypt is
not fighting Israel," the bewil-
dered Keshishian replied. Hay-.
ing completely failed in this at-
tempt to justify Egypt,, he
turned to another- issue Which
again backfired.
"We in: the Middle East," he
said, "honestly feel that if you
don-'t understand our problems
properly and you dictate to us
what we should do and what we
shduld not do, what would you
suggest to bring back the Arab-
American friend-ship as it was

before 1948. I mean the fact
that Mr. Dulles came and, with-
out consulting the country, dic-
tated what we. are going to do.
This is the thing that makes u's
mad."
Refuting the idea that the
U. S. has been dictating to
the Arabs, Finletter said: _"I
think that if we had made a
mistake in the Near East, it
has been that we have inter-
vened to much on the side of
the Arab countries. I think
that we tried to. appease the
Arab countries totry to make
friendship at the cost of the
things we believe in. Some of
those regulations that the .
Arab countries have against
the 'Americans of the Jewish
faith are extremely offensive
to us.
"I think that the best things
that can . happen to restore
American friendship with the
Arabs would be for the

.

Arabs to do two things. First
of all to stop that kind of
discrimination against Amer-
icans and, secondly, to give
up the idea of belligerency
and to live and let live and
to abandon their ideas that
Israel is to be going into the
sea."
Seeking a last word, the
utterly frustrated Keshishian
who seemed to have had enough,
inquired: "In the discrimination
of the Jews, you are thinking
of the Dharan base."
"No," said Finletter. "The
Dharan base arrangement is
something which grew out of
the armistice of 1949. It crept
up gradually and the Dharan
base arrangements of Ameri-
cans of the Jewish faith are ex-
actly what I mean when I say
that all this stems from the
asserted right of belligerency.
This is not a religious question.
It is an attack on Israel..." \

Name Abraham Hyman
to Assist Rabbi Friedman

NEW YORK, (JTA) — Abra-
ham S. Hyman, onetime ad-
visor on Jewish Affairs to the
United States military com-
mander in Germany and Aus-
tria, was named assistant exec-
utive vice chairman of the
United Jewish Appeal. The an-
nouncement was made by Rab-
bi Herbert A. Friedman, UJA
executive vice chairman.
During - the last four years
Mr. Hyman has served as exec-
utive secretary of the World
Jewish Congress. In recent
years Mr. Hyman has held a'
number of important U.S.
Army and Government assign-
ments including general coun-
sel of the U. S. War Claims
Commission from November
1950 to May 1953. During that
period he directed the first, ma-
jor study on war claims un-
dertaken in the history of the
United States.

•

"These new electric
water heaters sound
great, don't they?"

• •
• • '
•
• • •
•
• • •

"Sure do. Built to Edison's own
_specifications, backed by a new Edison
service to give you all the hot water you
need. How can you go wrong with that?"

•
• • •
•
L.. •
•

Keshishian, realizing that his
propaganda attempt was begin-
ning to boomerang, retorted
slyly: "There is no determina-
tion to destroy. Where do you
get this idea? I am surprised to
hear this from so many Ameri-
cans."
"Is it official Egyptian policy,"
Finletter asked, "to recogriiie
that there is no right of bellig-
erency - now under the armis-
tice of 1949?"

Witnesses or Not,
Ex-NaziS Are Freed

MUNICH, (JTA) — A for-
mer Gastapo official, on trial
here for torturing Jewish pri-
soners, escaped punishment
when the prosecution conceded
no witnesses could be located
to testify against him.
In two other cases where wit-
nesses appeared, crimes charged
involved penalties of less than
three years, and tlierefore,
came under a 1954 amnesty.
In Frankfort, two Nazi party
leaders who organized attacks
on Jews in Fechenheim during
the 1938 November pogom were
acquitted for lack of evidence
although witnesses identified
them in connection with two
cases of arson.
The West Berlin newspaper
Telegraf quoted the Municipal
Education Department of Steig-
litz as saying that no action
would be taken to remove or
investigate a teacher accused
of remaining a rabid Nazi. The
local PTA is pressing the case,
although the .teacher is soon
due for a pension.

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