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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS — Friday,
1 ■ •••4
Purelyors menta 7
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Israel's Role in the New Crisis
Abba Eban's speedy return to the United States and his
forced interruption of a planned long vacation in Israel was
only. one of the symptoms of a highly charged situation that
compels the small State of Israel to be on guard in the present
crisis.
Israel's Fiime Minister David Ben-Gurion, prior to ordering
Eban's return to this country, already had met with American
and Russian Ambassadors, Edward Lawson, and Michael Bodrov.
It sounded a bit ludicrous to hear from Washington the
report that the situation in Israel is quiet and normal. After all,
Israel is the only normal country in that area—with the possible
other exceptions only of Turkey and Iran.
But even Israel's tranquility could easily be disturbed by
movements of troops, the military airlifts in the "noisy neighbor-
hood," the threats and counter-threats from many quarters.
Israel at first had protested against aerial traffic by British
military planes carrying manpower and supplies to Jordan, but
permission for such passage later was granted. This was a clear
indication of Israel's recognition of the fact that Jordan's position
also will affect her status, and Jordan's security will contribute
towards a continuation of Israel's peaceful status.
Israel emerged as an oasis in the Middle East. While air
traffic was stopped or curtailed in most countries in that area,
it continued uninterrupted to and from Israel.
When it became necessary to evacuate Americans from war-
endangered Jordan, Israel became the haven for them and 348
American citizens found refuge in the Jewish State by way of
the Mandelbaum Gate, in Jerusalem, in a single day.
Fantastically enough, some of the men who previously had
led in the attacks on Israel at the United Nations are now among
those who are condemning Nasser and Nasserism and who are
pleading against the infiltration of foreign troops in their coun-
tries.
•The same complaints that were heard before this crisis from
Israel now are being uttered by Lebanese and Jordanians.
The difference lies only in the fact that while, in the
hours of Israel's travails, the democracies, including the
American spokesmen, were silent, they are now the leaders
in the defense of those who are endangered by the Nasser-
Khrushchev alliance.
The Communists' position is clear enough not to need elabo-
ration. But even some conservative Socialists appear to have
begun to lean in defense of Nasser. In the course of a Socialist-
Liberal clash in the Italian Parliament, during the debate on the
current issues, the head of the Italian Socialist party, Pietro
Nenni, maintained that the Arab liberation movement is an
"inevitable historical reality." The world struggle, therefore, may
have just begun, and if, as Nenni' said, the West must give
Nasser a chance to develop his "neutralist policy," then we must
await the development of different approaches from those we
have been accustomed to in the past few years.
Italy appears to be lined up with the West, yet her position
like that of many other nations is subject to speedy changes. The
entire world situation • is subject to rapid transformation, and
our hopes lie only in the rational approaches to the issues by
the statesmen • in power. In their hands lies the question of peace
or war for the entire universe •
Possibilities of Peace for Israel
It was not unnatural for Israel to be drawn into discussions
of the existing situations in the course of the debates in the
British House of Commons last week.
The Conservative, Sir Robert Boothby, urging his govern-
ment and the United States to offer security guarantees to Israel,
said it was a "mistake" for the West to hold Israel back in the
Sinai operation and said in three days Israel would have "fin-
ished" the Suez campaign.
Especially important was the comment made by the Labor
MP and the friend of Israel, Richard Crossman, that it would
not be against Israel's interests to see a united Arab world.
He said Israel can have peace only by coming to terms with all
Arab states. Declaring that "Nasser may hate Israel, but the
Egyptian dictator is a realist who has come to understand that
Israel is here to stay," Crossman warned that Israel's future
depends on living with the Arabs and that linking Israel to the
west would mean digging its grave.
Some Jewish leaders, too, believe that only when the Arabs
are united will it he possible for Israel to talk peace with a single
Arabian unit. Yet, it is extreme-sounding to hear a warning
that an alliance with the West will mean Israel's destruction.
If that were so, then - many other states would today be in danger
of collapse. We can not agree here with Crossman.
In any event, we are now at the cross-roads of international
actions. Perhaps the current crisis was necessary to bring to a
head the disturbing East-West controversies. Perhaps what
appears to be a war-threat will, in actuality, lead to peace-mak-
ing. Then Israel, too, will share in the world's amity.
Many Flies in the Ointment
Regrettably, there are too many flies in the ointment. Many
of • them are hatched in the nest of "journalistic authorities"
whence stem the "prophets of doom."
A typical example of exaggerated "authority" was on display
in last Sunday's Detroit Free Press. An entire page was devoted
to "a primer on the Middle East" in which a lady who was a
correspondent for Time and Life Magazines offered knowledge
(?) about Israel that was limited to a statement that the Jewish
State was "at the heart of the Mid-Eastern hatred of America."
In view of America's current sad position in the entire
world, this viewpoint would be amusing if it were not so
amazing and tragic. All the powers who have been receiving
aid from this country seem to be spouting only hatred against
us: In the Middle East, the battle is among Arab kinsmen, all
of whom have benefited from American aid, and the hatred
of. Israel is the smokescreen. But the smokescreens have been
spread into calamitous war-threatening clouds by disseminators
of misinformation. We are compelled to classify the Free Press'
"authority" among them.
Whether or not Israel had come into existence, the in-
ternecine strife among Arabs is basic in the traditional feuding
among Moslems. The aid we have given them has intensified
the greedy battle for greater power. To blame an inherently
characteristic conflict upon Israel is to be blind to realities.
Israel Retaliates for Ouster of Envoy;
Orders Romanian Official to Leave Countr
Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News
JERUSALEM — The Israel
Foreign Ministry Announced
Tuesday the expulsion of Stel-
ian Perianu, second secretary
of the Romanian legation, ap-
parently in retaliation for ex-
pulsion by Romania of Joseph
Vered, secretary at the Israel
Legation in Bucharest.
The Israel Foreign Ministry
communique said that the
Romanian minister was called
in and informed that the Israel
government had "full proof"
that Perianu had "most seri-
ously violated diplomatic usage
by maintaining contact with
Israel citizens in matters affect-
ing the security of state."
Perianu was asked to leave
Israel within three days.
Vered was declared persona
non grata by the Communist
satellite government on charges
of having persuaded Romanian
Jews to migrate to Israel and
of having advised them how to
leave.
The Israeli Charge d'Affaires
denied the Romanian charges,
and submitted strong protest
about the expulsion order.
The Vered expulsion was the
second in two weeks by a
Soviet satellite, Poland previ-
ously having ousted Jacob Mar-
mor, second secretary of Israel
in Warsaw.
It was reported that in view
of generally good Israel-Polish
relations the Israel government
was not planning to expel any
Polish diplomat in retaliation.
In the newest expulsion
move, the Israeli Foreign Min-
istry, in a denial of the Roman-
ian charges, pointed out that
Vered need not have persuaded
anyone to emigrate, in view of
the fact that there were thou-
sands of Jews who came to the
Legation seeking a way to be
reunited with their families in
Israel.
Vered's activities were not
First Refugee
to Get Visa
CECILE TOWBA (right)
has the distinction of being
the first Egyptian refugee to
receive a -IJ.S. visa, under the
public law that was enacted
to admit 5,000 of the refu-
gees from Egypt. Sharing her
joy are officials of United
Hias Service in Rome, Italy,
where she fled after being
given a week to leave Egypt.
TheEgyptian-bornMiss
Towba was refused Egyptian
citizenship because she was
a Jewess and was dismissed
from her job when war broke
out between Egypt and Israel
in 1948, but obtained a job
with the Suez Canal Co., until
dismissed through Egyptian
pressure. She will live in
Brooklyn, N.Y., with her
brother and sister-in-law.
Israel, Liberia Embassies
JERUSALEM (AJP) — Israel
and Liberia have agreed to ex-
change resident ambassadors.
Hanan Yavor, first secretary to
the Israel embassy in Ghana,
has been appointed to represent
Israel in Monrovia.
contrary to practice, the For-
eign Ministry continued, nor
was he able to help the thou-
sands of Romanian Jews who
applied for entrance to Israel.
He was limited, it was noted,
to explanations that Israel is
prepared to welcome the would-
be immigrants, but permission
vi.011
C
I
for their leaving was in the
sole province of the Romanian
Government.
Jacob Barmor, First Secre-
tary at the Warsaw Legation,
who was expelled last week by
the Polish government, arrived
here last week-end. He refused
to comment on his case.
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Boris Smolar's
'Between You
... and Me
'
(Copyright, 1958,
Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)
UN Backstage
United Nations Secretary General Dag Hammarskjold is
losing a good deal of his popularity over his attempts to white-
wash Nasser on the Lebanese situation . . . Many people at the
United Nations who considered him a very able diplomat, have
changed their minds . . . They criticize him for his report that
he did not find any evidence in Lebanon that Nasser had
fomented the trouble there . . . Some of them believe that this
report gave impetus to the pro-Nasser elements in Iraq to over-
throw the Baghdad government . . . The story behind the scenes
in the United Nations is that Hammarskjold deliberately closed
his eyes to Nasser's penetration into Lebanon during his recent
visit in Israel . . . Israel Premier David Ben-Gurion—so the
story goes—offered to take him to the Israel-Lebanese border
to show him how Nasser's agents are crossing into Lebanon
. . . Such smuggling, he was assured, was going on constantly
from Syria into Lebanon through the narrow "finger" of Israel
territory near Metulla . . . The Israelis arrested some of the
Nasser agents several weeks ago when they were caught in the
narrow strip of Israeli territory en route to Lebanon . . .
Israel's handing over these Nasser-trained Lebanese to the
Beirut Government provoked dissatisfaction in Washington
where it was thought that Israel should remain "indifferent"
to the tug of war between Nasser and the Lebanese anti-Nasser
regime . . . Since then, Israeli authorities closed their eyes
to the nightly infiltrations into Lebanon through the Israel
strip between Syria and Lebanon . . . However, Hammarskjold
was invited by the Israelis to watch one night how the Nasser
forces are smuggled into Lebanese territory across this strip
. . . This offer was made to the Secretary General to convince
him that Nasser does send trouble makers to Lebanon . . .
Hammarskjold refused to take advantage of the offer and,
instead, returned to New York with a report whitewashing
Nasser.
Inside Washington
The preoccupation of the State Department with the tense
situation in Lebanon and Iraq does not distract it from seeking
ways and means of solving the Arab refugee problem . . . A
special interfaith conference has been called by the State Depart-
ment to discuss at length the possibility of solving the refugee
problem in the Arab countries as well as in Europe . . .
Proclamation of a "Refugee Year" is projected during which
every possible attempt would be made by governments, as well
as by organizations of different religious groups, to liquidate
the - refugee camps . . . The year 1960 may be designated as
"Refugee Year," following consultations by the U.S. Govern-
ment with other governments and with various organizations
active in helping refugees . . . At present, the United States
provides the major part of the United Nations relief fund for
Arab refugees . . . Whether it is wise to continue spending
American funds only to feed refugees and thus make of them
permanent beggars has been asked in Washington by a number.
of members of Congress .. . Some Congressmen have requested
that instead of spending huge American funds on soup kitchens,
this money should be spent for training the refugees for pro-
fessions which would make them desirable immigrants in
other Arab countries where there is a shortage of qualified labor
. . . There is also suggestion that the United States should
give two-year notice that it will discontinue its financial aid
to the Arab refugee camps, thus giving the refugees sufficient
time to adjust themselves to life outside of camps and become
self-supporting . . . Proclamation of a "Refugee Year" will
also aim at settling the problem of more than 200,000 refugees
still scattered throughout Europe . . . These include very few
Jewish refugees, except those from Egypt and Hungary who
have not as yet been admitted to immigration countries for
permanent settlement.
New Policy
There is a good deal of dissatisfaction among Jewish pub-
lishers in this country with the new policy of the State Depart-
ment regarding the sale of American books in Israel . .
Money collected in Israel for the sale of American books and
publications is deposited by the booksellers with the American
Embassy in Israel currency and the equivalent is paid to the
publishers in the U.S. by the State Department in. American
currency . . . This year, the State Department decided to cut
drastically its allocation for such payments, since the Israel
pounds deposited with the American Embassy remain in Israel
and are distributed as gifts of the American Government to
various cultural organizations there ... American books published
in Yiddish and in Hebrew are the first victims of this cut
. . . The State Department has informed the Yiddish and Hebrew
publishers in this country that they will no longer qualify to
receive from Washington money for books they export to Israel
. . . Officials of the State Department explain this move by the
fact that the Israel Government has indicated that it prefers
scientific and educational books to any other type . . . Hence
the State Department—which has set a limit of $300,000 a year
on the arrangement—decided to omit from the arrangement
publishers of Yiddish and Hebrew books in this country.