Any Action, Gentlemen?

THE JEWISH NEWS

Incorporating the Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with issue of July 20, 1951

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers. Michigan Press Association. National
Editorial Association.
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 v>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 SHMARAK

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Circulation Manager

Advertising Manager

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the eleventh day of Shevat, 5718, the 'following Scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
portion, Judges 4:4-5:31.
Pentateuchal portion, Beshalah, Ex. 13:1 7-17:16. Prophetical
Hamisha Asar b'Shevat will be observed next Wednesday.

Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 31, 5:05 p.m.

VOL. XXXII, No. 22

January 31, 1958

Page Four

Puzzling Mid-East Issues: Challenge to UN

Many enigmas emerge from the inter-
national activities relating to the Middle
East's situations as they are being treated
by the United Nations.
What seemed like a troublesome oc-
currence relating to the status of Mount
Scopus, the Israeli enclave within Jor-
dan's territory, was settled with the aid
of Dr. Francisco Urrutia, the special rep-
resentative of UN Secretary General Dag
Hammarskj old.
Mount Scopus, with its Hebrew Uni-
versity and Hadassah Hospital buildings,
certainly is a much more strategic area
than the strip known as "No Man's Land"
on the Jerusalem border between Israel
and Jordan. Convoys with manpower and
supplies travel from Israel to Mount Sco-
pus fortnightly to assure replacements
for the Israelis who stand guard in the
Israel Island that houses such valuable
buildings, a half million irreplacable
books, hospital supplies and other Israeli
possessions.
Yet, when Israel undertook to beau-
tify a small strip of land on the "No
Man's Land" border, through its affor-
estation program, Jordan raised the issue
and it served as stimulant for a brief
debate that gave anti-Israelis another op-
portunity to abuse the Jewish State.
It was a rather foolish argument.
Israel sought to beautify a deserted area.
Mordecai .R. Kidron, the Israeli spokes-
' man at the UN, referred to Jordan's com-
plaint against the planting of trees in
that area as "trivial and petty" and its
action as an "abuse of the Security
Council."
Kidron told the Security Council: "No
civilian activity has taken place at any
time in the Israel sector of the area be-
tween the lines which could, by any
stretch of the imagination, be considered
to be contrary to the Armistice agree-
ment. The matter about which Jordan
complains no longer exists. Thus the ex-
hortation that activities in the zone, such
as those initiated on July 31, 1957, should
be suspended in order to create an atmo-
sphere which would be more conducive to
fruitful discussion, is wholly superfluous."
The UN Security Council's unani-
mously-adopted resolution "calls upon .the
parties to the Israel - Jordan General
Armistice Agreement to observe Article
3 of the agreement and prevent all forces
referred to in Article 3 of the agreement
from passing over the armistice demarca-
tion lines and to remove and •destroy all
their respective military facilities and in-
stallations in the zone; and calls upon
the parties to use the machinery provided

for in the General Armistice Agreement
for the implementation of the provisions
of that agreement . . ."
What this means, actually, is that the
Chief of Staff of the UN Truce Super-
vision Organization is called upon to
regulate civilian activities in that area. It
is, therefore, merely a reaffirmation of
established provisions for the enforce-
ment of the armistice agreement.
In other. words, the raising of the
issue was an abuse of Security Council's
time.
But in spite of the petty trivialities in-
herent in the UN's latest actions, the
mere fact that pressures - against the
planting of trees succeeded in making the France and the Jews
United States and Great Britain parties
to farcical sponsorship of an unnecessary
resolution justifies Israel's fears that the
armistice agreement may be undermined
Andre Maurois' scholarship and literary skill are combined
thereby. '
*
*. *
with excellence in the eminent French-Jewish author's "A His-
How is one to explain this puzzling tory of France" published by Farrar, Straus and Cudahy, 101
and inexplicable situation at the UN — 5th Ave., N. Y. 3.
The splendid translation of this work is by Henry L. Binsse,
that a serious issue like that of Mount
Scopus could have been solved, but that several additional chapters having been translated by Gerard
a trifling and petty matter like a com- Hopkins.
This is an illuminating and fairly complete history. While
plaint against the planting of trees was
does not go into details in some major issues—the Dreyfus
turned into a debate taking up the time it
and the concern of the Security Council? Case, for example—it nevertheless covers the subject splendidly.
It is not only a very clear presehtation of an exciting history,
The answer is simpler than we imag-
ine. It undoubtedly was another bravado but it also displays an understanding of major historical values.
The maps will be found very helpful and the illustrations
demonstration on the part of Jordan, and reproductions
of cartoons add merit to the Maurois' volume.
whose rulers and people may in fact
*
*
be craving for peace with Israel but
There are a number of very interesting references to the
dare not seek it in view of the other Jews in M. Maurois' analysis of France's history. For instance,
Arab nations' intransigence, to give the we learn these interesting facts:
impression that it is still anti-Israel.
"The idea of empire was Roman but Charlemagne's ad-
The saddening element in this puz- ministration never resembled that of Rome. In the days of the
zling inconsistency is the attitude of the Roman emperors, power had been exercised by a hierarchy of
world's major powers who permit trivial- officials and financed by the assessment of taxes. Charlemagne
ities to take up vital portions of a UN had neither a bureaucracy nor large revenues, for his empire
agenda but make it impossible for peace had been impoverished by the Mohammedan blockade. Only
the Jews could still deal with the infidels. Hence, at the court
deliberations to be conducted.
Aix - la - Chapelle, place was set aside for them to dwell.
Dr. Urrutia's success in the Mount of
case of any injury to their persons, a fine had to be paid
Scopus issue proves conclusively that In
to the Emperor. And it was through their agency that Charle-
peace can be negotiated, and discussions magne entered into correspondence with the Caliph Harun-al-
can be conducted to improve the relations rashid, who made him the magnificent gift of an elephant and
between Israel and her neighbors. But a clock."
the UN's fearful attitudes also prove that
In the 12th century, however, under King Philip Augustus,
peace and amity are being postponed due we are told about "periodical persecution of the unfortunate
to a lack of firmness—perhaps also a lack Jews, so profitable that in 1198 the King and the Count of
Champagne 'assured themselves the sum total of all the property
- of purpose.
United Nations facilities are available of their Jews.' " •
Then, is 1306, in the days when "Philip the Fair, 'the most
for the best purposes — in Middle East
negotiations as well as elsewhere. How spendthrift of our kings,'" had only - 'osie financial principle, to
soon will they be utilized? The Israel- get hold of money by any and every means . . . all the Jews •
seized."
Jordan inconsistencies prove the situation were arrested and their goods
*
*
*
less puzzling than it appears on the sur-
There were conflicting attitudes. When, in the 14th century,
face, but they also prove the existence of philosophers were considered to be casting doubts upon revealed
a UN puzzle that is more disturbing than truth, "there was a single exception: the Jews, who were tolerated
any of the Arab-Israel controversies.
both as witnesses to the Scriptures and as useful intermediaries

Maurois' Scholarly History

Another Drive--Another Good Beginning

A traditionally excellent beginning
has been made for the Allied Jewish
Campaign, with the initial gifts of $1,800,-
000 pledged at the larger contributors'
gathering held Wednesday evening.
The first demonstration in support of
the 1958 campaign indicates that interest
in the many causes we support in the one-
time giVirig.is Mounting.- - - • - -
At an earlier gathering of the Won-
en's Divisiorr, - it already became apparent -
that the Allied Jewish Campaign is the
major concern of Detroit Jewry. Many
of the women increased their contribu-
tions and let it be known that they will
make every effort to make the current
„drive a.success.
Similarly, the pre-campaign organiza-
tion, at the big givers' gathering on

Wednesday, reaffirmed loyalty to the im-
portant community efforts represented
in the Allied Jewish Campaign.
This is the beginning. It is a good
start, but it is only a start for our most,
important communal effort. The func-
tions of our schools, our recreational
agencies, the overseas causes and Israel
. 1 a-nd the many .national. movements. --of-
_ the 55 agencies- that benefit from the
Allied Jewish Campaign. will . continue.
Uninterrupted with. the means provided'
by a successful drive.- They will suffer if
there is a let-down.
Having begun well, all of us must
now strive to make the entire campaign
worthy of the traditions inherent in our
community. us all aim towards that
Of an overwhelming success
high goal
for a great campaign.

—

in trade with the infidels, not to speak of their capacity to lend
money at interest. They were confined in ghettos, but remained
free to worship in their synagogues and to cultivate rabbinical
lore. Through them Arabic culture penetrated into France."
On the score of money lending, Maurois writes: "Lending
at interest was forbidden by the Church, becaUse money is in-
capable of producing anything. Yet, since the need for capital
was ever present, it was necessary at first to have recourse to
the Jews, who were not required to observe the laws of the
Catholic Church . . . "
Of course, there were changes later on. Voltaire reminded
justice. "The French Revolu-
people that Jews had a right
made ready the. :way . 1 or the,laicization of the State: free-...
dom of worship, the - emancipation of the Jews .
*.
.
The -: major item of-:interest to -:Tews. in the - Maurois hiStOry
is, of course, the account of the Captain Alfred Dreyfus Case.
It is not a very long account—he devoted to it only three pages
—but it does offer an interesting resume of the Affaire, and
of the personalities who figured in it.
Of course, there are accounts here of the activities of
Leon Blum and Mendes-France.
Maurois' is a good and an interesting:hi-story; It is especially
valuable today, in view of -France's emerging iniportant role in
world affairs and in the Middle East.