Purely Commentary
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
•
Israel increases Production of Anti-Tank
Weapons, Rockets; Arm Sellers, Informers
/Jailed; USSR Bars Athletes from llaccabiah
•
Friday, September
'Indefensible Att'of Appeasement'
TEL AVIV (JTA)--The ar- in civilian courts next week. after ,a quarrel with his -f'girl
New Statesman, of London, one of the most influential Brit-
Two Arab boys, and one friend" in a northern settle-
ish publications, stated editorially that "the decision of the Brit- mament industry in this coun-
ment. Once over the border, -
ish Petroleum and Shell to cease their operations in Israel is a try increased production during 16-year-old Jewish boy,'have
the boy is said to have con-
been
imprisoned
for
crossing
the
last
year
by
150
per
cent,
deliberate and indefensible act of appeasement." This, apparent-
fessed, he delivered military
ly, is the sentiment of most periodicals and leading personalities by comparison" with the 'pre- Arab' borders and delivering
information to the Syrians,
ceding year. Principal items information to Arab intelli-
in England.
gence. The case - of the Arab who had captured him and told
man'ufactured in quantity were
-
The New Statesman stated in its editorial opinion:
boys and the Jewish youth him they would kidnap his
anti-tank weapons and rockets.
As figureS in the possession of the Israeli government
"girl friend" and bring her to -
show, both companies were making a substantial profit; and
The information was made are not eonneted.
The Arab boys were accused Syria. Meanwhile, the Syrians
if some losses were incurred in working the Haifa refinery public in figures prepared - for
- the
(controlled jontly by BP-and Shell), this was entirely due to
the government's 'Year Book of having been - recruited by a ordered the boy to re-cross
their decision, taken for purely political reasons, to operate it which will be published before 20-year-old Arab youth in the border and gather more in-
at only 30 percent of capacity. Nor can it be contended that the Jewish New Year. In village Tirah, who had gradu- formation for them.
The Soviet Olympic Com,
the British government was not consulted. The government
spite of its preoccupation with ated from a Hebrew high
mittee has rejected an Is-
has a controlling interest (51 percent) in BP, and no major
furnishing arms and munitions school.. The Tirah youth is said
raeli plea to permit Jewish
policy decision can be taken without its consent; indeed, when
for the Sinai campaign, the in- to have headed up a ring of
the Abadan dispute was referred to - The Hague Court, Bri-
dustry, according to the re- Arab boys whom he sent out , athletes from the USSR to
tain contended that, where relations with foreign poivers were port, also filled many orders to collect information which participate in the Fifth World
concerned, BP and the British government were legally iden-
from abroad, especially from they would then deliver to Maccabiah which opens here
Sept. .15, 'the Israel Olympic
tical. In short, the government has connived at a decision which
European countries, for various Jordanians across the border.
Committee announced.
will provide the Arab boycott with its greatest victory since its
arms and munitions; especially The two boys caught_ working
inception. The whole of Anglo-Israel trade relations are now
the well-known "Uzi" sub- with the youth from Tirah
The Israeli unit released an
in jeopardy. BEA, ICI; Barclays and many other big firms, machine gun:
have ' been fined 500 pounds exchange of letters in which
each ($302.50). The ring leader Yoseph Yekutiel, a member of
which have hitherto -stood up to the boycott, might now be
A former major in the Is-
forced to surrender and leave Israel also. Indeed, in practical
has been tried by a military the Israeli committee, asked
raeli
Army
was
sentenced
economic terms, this issue is vastly more important to Israel
court, and his sentence will be the Russian group to assist
to 10 years' imprisonment' announced later this week.
than the right to use the Suez Canal. Now that the military
Jewish athletes to visit Israel.
and
expulsion
from
the
Army
-situation has been established, the • boycott represents the
In the case of the Jewish to participate .in the all-Jewish
for "selling Israeli arms into
Arab's one hope of destroying Israel; and the breaking of the
unauthorized hands." The boy, a magistrate at Tiberias games.. In a' brief reply, the
boycott is the West's best chance of getting the Arabs to agree
officer's name was not dis-: ordered him imprisoned for Russians regretted they would
to a final settlement Both the Labor Party and those Tory
closed by the military tri- 15 days. This boy said he h-ad be unable to permit such par-
MP's who have so vociferously denounced appeasement in the
bunal
which heard the crossed the border into Syria ticipation.
Middle East should force the government to reverse thiS deci-
charges and imposed the sen-
sion, which constitutes Nasser's first great diplomatic triumph
tence. Another officer, an
since the Anglo-French withdrawal."
army captain, is on trial at
Similarly, another outstanding British organ of public opin-
present on a charge of sell-
ion, The Spectator, had this to say on the subject:
ing .30 rifles and a large
"The announcement by • the British Petroleum Company
quantity of ammunition to.
and • the Shell Petroleum CoMpany that they intend to cease
Arabs. His name, too, is be
operations in Israel, seems an almost incredible surrender to
ing kept secret - •
Announcement was made this v- The local anniversary also
Arab blackmail on the part of these companies. - 'Whatever
they may say. about businesS in Israel being uneconoinic, the
The major was convicted of week by the Zionist Organiza- merits 'the 60th anniversary of
fact is that this decision is a victory for the. Arab - economic
selling six rifles, a pistol and tion of Detroit that a special the World Zionist , Congress
blockade, which has now scored a greater success than was
ammunition to a merchant in event is being planned- for Nov.
ever gained by military efforts. The mischief that will be
Petach Tikvah who, in turn, 16, to mark the 25th anniver 7 and the formation of the World
done by this appeasement at a moment when it looked as if sold the armaments to Arabs sary of the Balfour celebrations Zionist Movement, 'and the 40th •
the - Arabs were Coming to recognize that they must put np: in the Negev Desert. The that haVe been sponsored by the anniversary of the Balfour Dee-,
with Israel's continued existence can hardly be exaggerated; Arabs who bought the arma:- -ZOD. _ •
laration. Appropriate steps are
and the companies are acting in direct contravention of the
World:famous artists will be
merits were sentenced last
policy of the British government as stated by• the Prime week to 10 years' imprison- brought. here for the event, being taken to link these events, -
Minister in his letter to Marshall Bulganin. And this is all the
ment. The civilians connected which will be held at the Ford it was 'announced by -Robert_
Marwil, ZOD president; A. C.
stranger in . that a majority holding in at least one, of the com-
. V
with both cases will be tried Auditorium.
panies concerned belongs to the government. For some time
A history of the ZOD is be- Lappin, chairman of a special.
now, the whole question of Arab pressure on firms and
ing compiled for that occasion, arrangements committee, and
countries not to trade with Israel has been evaded, but I
Annual Stag Day
and pioneers in the - movement Ruben- Isaacs; who heads - the
should have thought that the time had come to call a halt.
public relations committee.
will be honored.
of
Allied
Jewish
Whatever Washington may feel—and it must be humiliating
for the U.S. to have to kowtow to the anti-Semitic policies of
Campaign - Sept. 18
Saudi-Arabia—there is no need for Britain to follow this bad
The eighth annual Stag
example. The oil companies should be told that they will not
Day for all Allied Jewish
receive the support of the _government in carrying out their
Campaign. workers will be
pusillanimous intentions, and every pressure, that the Foreign
held 'at Knollwood Country
Office can bring to bear on them should be used. Oil policy
By ITZHAK SHARGIL
Club, Wednesday, Sept. 13.
in the Middle East has' not always brought this country .good
(Copyright, 1957, Jewish Telegraph Agency, Inc.)
Reservations
now
are
be-
fortune, but there is no reason why we should now be dis-
On the evening of Oct 2, Tel Aviv will witness
TEL AVIV
ing taken at the Jewish Wel
honored by it."
one of the most important events in its cultural developments —
fare Federation WO. 5-3939.
The Manchester - Guardian is. more "guarded" in its opinion
the official opening of the country's most modern and biggest
and is inclined to credit the British government with a lack of
concert hall, the Frederic R. Mann Auditorium.
responsibility for the shocking oil developMents in the Middle
Committee
Gift
to
Same 6,000 tickets hae been bought by music lovers in spite
East. The Manchester .Guardian's opinion, Which we -quote in
of rather high prices for the gala opening concerts. Four of the
order to present both sides of the issue as it is seen in Great
world's top musicians — Leonard Bernstein, Isaac Stern, Piati-
Britain, is:
gorsky_and Artur Rubinstein — will participate.
"For companies like these, the refining and marketing of
Best American know-how, American material. and equip-
oil in Israel must anyhow be a marginal affair: 'Though their
:decision may be taken on economic grounds, it is likely to have
ment joined skilled Israeli labor to construct this giant struc-
ture designed by two Israeli architects, Karmi and Richter.
Political consequences. The Arabs may be encouraged in their
—now slightly flagging—belief that pressures on the West can
About 5,000,000 Israeli pounds have been invested in this
help their boycott of Israel and eventually wipe the intruder off
marble-plated building which is situated in the midst of Tel
the map. The British 'government may find that a decision with
Aviv's cultural area, joining the Habimah Theater hall, near
which `it probably had 'nothing to do—although it cannot escape
the ZOA cultural center, the Sokolow Journalists house, the
some responsibility, since it holds a controlling interest in B.P.
Physicians house, etc.
, —is attributed in the Middle East to what people are pleased to
_ A long way was made by the Israeli Philharthonic Orchestra
Dr. JOHN RAWSON (left)
call its deep-laid policy. The incident shows once again• how pre-
receives a gift volume of "The since the first concert one evening in 1936,• when the late Maes-
carious is the management of oil resources in the Middle East
History. of Jewish Life in tro Toscanini raised his baton and the musicians, gathered from
, when every move has a bearing on the area's conflicts. It seems
Chile" from GIL SWAY, 13 different countries by the founder of the orchestra, B. Huber-
to call for a fuller eXplanation than has so far been given."
president of the Comite Re- man, began playing Schuberts "Unfinished" in a converted exhi-
While the Guardian recognizes the "political consequences,"
presentative Israelita of Chile. bition pavillion. About 4,060 concerts have been played. since
it fails to go along with the other publications which have real-
The gift was accepted by Dr. 1936 by the orchestra in its '21 years of existence: It had an
• ized the existence of an injustice in which British officials. are
Slawson, executive ‘ vice-pres- American tour and a European one in 1951 and 1955 reSpectively.
undoubtedly playing an unsavory role. Thus, in a communica-
ident
of. the American Jewish The composition if the Orchestra itselt -whicli in its first days
tion to the London Times, three Members of the British ,Parlia-
Committee,
to mark the Com-• consisted of -72 musicians, all of whom were from 'abroad, has
metit, Clement Davis, Walter Elliot and Herbert Morrison, called
changed considerably, with the number' of musicians increasing
the actions of Shell Petroleum Company and British Petroleum naittee's 50th anniversary.
• and the distribution of countries
Company "profoundly disquieting." They warned of the conces-
. significant
panieS,
if
acquiesced
in
by
the
British
government, runs coun- or origin' showing a
sions to the Arab "boycott committee" and declared: "
rise of Israel musicians--either
ter
to
this
policy
and
is
bound
to
put
Off
still
further'
the
day
-
"The decision of the British oil cihripanies, Shell and Brit-
,
born here or those who have
of pacification of the Middle East; since it is bound once more
ish Petroleum to wind up their marketing operations in Israel is
received their musical training
to raise false hopes that Israel can be brought to her knees by
surely most disquieting to all those who hope for a gradual
here.
methods of economic boycott.
decrease of tension in the Middle East, and who desire the Brit-
The Israeli Philharmonic Or-
"We
would
appeal,
therefore;
to
the
British
government
ish government to work for this purpose. . - •
chestra initiated the construe-
to consider carefully . this matter with all its implicationS. We
"Whatever may haSe been the economic considerations
feel certain that, if this matter is reviewed, the gevernment of tiOn of the auditorium when it
that played a part in bringing about the decision of the oil
Israel will make every possible effort "to assist the oil corn- received $250,000 from Frederic
companies, the public in this country, in Israel, and in the
A. Mann, Whose_nanie was giv-
ponies in overcoming the . financial difficulties that they may
Arab world are bound to interpret the decision as a victory of,
en to the auditorium.. The Am-
have encountered in Israel."
and encouragement for, policies of ostracizing Israel and weak-
The ,facts are at hand and the guilt is apparent. Without erican Fund for Israel' Institu-
ening her by means of economic' boycott. ,
British government encouragement, it is highly doubtful whether tions added -another $350,000.
"The British government cannot possibly divest itself of
responsibility for the politiCal implications of this decision as the oil companies ever would have considered withdrawing from Members of the Orchestra, have
Israel. The Israelis have cause for concern and ground for pro- invested in the building all
will as for its consequences. -
"British' government spokesmen have, over the past few test—to the British government. We have no doubt that. Israel their pension funds,lamounting --
years, repeatedly deelared their ;intention•to work for an Arab- will find a way out of this crisis. But if future boycott threats to :250,000 Israeli •pounds,'Wore
Israel peace settlement by a sustained and patient attempt to are'to be averted, actions like those of , British and Shell Petro- funds .are expected to • come
convince the Arab leaders that Israel has come to stay and leum Companies must not be rePeated. Our own goVerfunent from "counterpart funds" of the
can do much to prevent troubles in the future. One word from U.S. economic aid. The Tel Aviv
must be accepted an integral part of the Middle East. In
Washington, *hence came orders to retreat • from the Sinai - tri- municipality also invested 2,-
your editorial columns, too, it has but recentlY•been Maintained
that there is no prospect of any settlement between Israel and umphs, and the British officials will think twice before they 500,01)0 . Israeli pounds in the
again become parties to's boycott of a small state that is fight-
her neighbors unless this attitude gains ground.
new auditori-uarn.
ing determinedly for. existence against great and serious' odds.:
would appear that the present decision of the oil coma-
25th Anniversary of Balfour
Events to be Marked by LOD
With Special Concert, Nov. 16
Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
to Move Into Its New Auditorium
-
'
.