The Two Diplomas

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 $6.
Entered as second class matter Aug. 6, 1942 at Post Office, Detroit, Mich. under act of Congress of March
3, 18-it

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor and Publisher

SIDNEY SHMARAK

Advertising Manager

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

Circulation Manager

FRANK SIMONS

City Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the fourteenth day of Sivan, 5719, the following Scriptural selections will
be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Naso, Num. 4:21-7:89. Prophetical portion, Judges 13:2-25.

Licht Benshen, Friday, June 19, 7:52 p.m.

VOL. XXXV, No. 16

Page Four

June 19, 1959

Freedom of Seas Again Put to the Test

Interference with free passage of Is-
raeli cargo shipments through the Suez
Canal once again has brought to light
Egyptian intransigence and the United
Arab Republic's continued interference
with the basic international principle of
freedom of the seas.
The United Nations has been called
upon to take action against the unlawful
Egyptian tactics, and hope has been ex-
pressed that the United States will take
the lead to enforce the established prin-
ciple of free passage.
It is recalled in this connection that
President Eisenhower himself, in his ra-
dio address to the American people, on
Feb. 20, 1957, at the time when Israel
was called upon to withdraw her troops
from the Gaza Strip and the Straits of
Tiran, gave the following assurance that
there must be free passage through the
Suez Canal:
Egypt by accepting the six
principles adopted by the Security
Council last October in relation to the
Suez Canal, bound itself to free and
open transit through the Canal without
discrimination and to the principle that
the operation of the Canal should be
insulated from the politics of any coun-
try. We should not assume that, if Is-
rael withdraws, Egypt will prevent Is-
raeli shipping from using the Suez
Canal or the Gulf of Akaba. If, unhap-
pily, Egypt does hereafter violate the
Armistice Agreement or other interna-
tional obligations, then this should be
dealt with firmly by the society of na-
tions."
When it served Egypt's purpose to se-
cure control of the Suez Cana 1, her
spokesmen also spoke of free passage
through the canal. Thus, on Oct. 8, 1956,
the Egyptian delegate to the UN, in a
speech before the UN Security Council,
made this declaration:
The authorization by the Egyptian

.

Government to construct the Canal in its ter-
ritory was accompanied from the outset by a
declaration on the part of the Egyptian Gov-
ernment to the effect that the Canal 'shall
always remain open as a neutral passage to
every merchant ship crossing from one sea to
another, without any distinction, exclusion or-
preference of persons or nationalities, on pay-
ment of the dues and observance of the reg-
ulations established.' "

But the rules are again being flagrant-
ly violated. Egypt's latest actions are in
clear violation of the following provisions
in the Constantinople Convention of 1888
Respecting the Free Passage of the Suez
Canal:

"The Suez Canal shall always be free and
open, in time of war as in time of peace to
every vessel of commerce or of war, without
distinction of flag.
"The Maritime Canal remaining open in
time of war as a free passage, even to the
ships of war of belligerents, according to the
terms of Article I of the present treaty, the
high contracting parties agree that no right
of war, no act of hostility, nor any act having
for its objective to obstruct the free naviga-
tion of the canal shall be committed in the
canal and its ports of access, as well as within
a radius of three marine miles from those
ports . . . "
"The measures which shall be taken in the
cases provided for by Articles IX (`for insur-
ing the execution of the said treaty') and X
(`The defense of Egypt and the maintenance
of public order') of the present treaty shall
not interfere with the free use of the Canal."

The complaints against Egypt are not
new. On Sept. 1, 1951, the UN Security
Council ordered Egypt "to terminate the
restrictions on the passage of interna-
tional commercial shipping and goods

through the Suez Canal wherever bound."
The Council further found "that these
(Egyptian) restrictions together with sanc-
tions applied by Egypt to certain ships
which had visited Israel ports repre-
sented unjustified interference with the
rights of nations to navigate the seas and
to trade freely with one another, includ-
ing the Arab States and Israel."
But Egypt appears determined to break
an established principle and to d e f y
United Nations orders. In a memorandum Jewish State's Multiples Issues
issued on March 18, 1957, the Egyptian
government stated that it is determined
"to afford and maintain free and uninter-
rupted navigation for all nations within
Dr. Abraham Mayer Heller, rabbi of the Flatbush Jewish
the limits of and in accordance with the
is one of the distinguished American Jewish scholars
provisions of the Constantinople Conven- Center,
and one of the leaders in the Conservative rabbinate. For more
tion of 1888." But in the course of the than 30 years, he has been active in the Zionist movement, and
evil pr op a g a n d a disseminated by the his studies of conditions in Israel and the events revolving
Cairo R a d i o, the following assertions around Israel's rebirth are profound and based on keen
were heard:
observation.

Dr. Heller's 'Israel's Odyssey'

May 24 — "No power in the world would
be able to open the Suez Canal to Israel as
long as a state of war exists between Israel
and Egypt."
May 28 — "Regardless of how many at-
tempts Israel may make, it will not be able
to unloosen the Arab grip tightening around
it, nor will it be able to cross Arab waters or
the Arab Canal."
June 1 — "The Suez Canal is an Arab ca-
nal. This the Zionist gangs must know . . ."

"Israel's Odyssey," his newest book, published by Farrar,
Straus & Cudahy, is an outstanding work. It touches upon all
of Israel's problems, the major events that led to the State's
creation and the occurrences as well as accomplishments of the
last 11 years.
"Was it a miracle?" he asks at the outset, and he makes
the interesting observation that Israel's emergence as a nation
"indeed is the wonder of the ages"; that —
"A people, civilian in philosophy and character, but with
stout hearts, outnumbered twenty to one, fought their enemies
Thus, for propaganda purposes, a ma- victoriously. Even the 'non-believers' in Israel speak of the
jor international principle—that of guar- `miracles' in their War for Independence and in the Sinai
anteeing freedom of passage through the Campaign."
Rabbi Heller describes Israel's economic position and the
world's seaways — becomes a matter of
progress
by the new State since its emergence. He
fighting "Zionist gangs." Within such describes attained
"the reservoir of manpower" that has contributed to
"gangs" the Cairo Propagandists thus list the achievements
and he declares that added to it is another
President Eisenhower, the United Nations important factor, "high
intelligence plus idealism."
Security Council, the democratic nations
in Israel," he writes, "is exceptionally intelligent
of the world who have expressed a sense and "Labor
intensely interested in cultural activities . . Labor is
of outrage over the actions of the United the very
heart of the program of the rebuilding of Israel."
Arab Republic.
His compliments are accompanied by a warning—regarding
Nasser's propagandists seem to have "the gradual diminution of American generosity toward the
chosen a period during which a new at- development of the land." He states that Israel's realists are
tack is being launched from Cairo upon aware that the generosity "cannot go on indefinitely," that
Jordan for a reversion to piracy in the "the most substantial sums are naturally raised in time of
Suez Canal. There seems to be another danger." But he has an optimistic attitude:
"The truth is that the ordinary laws of economics do not
demoniacal purpose in Egypt's actions.
But that is beside the point. The chal- operate with a people dedicated to an ideal. Such a people
lenge in the seizing of Israel cargo goods accomplishes the impossible. With the indomitable will to
transported on the Danish freighter Inga build their nation against all odds, the Israelis will find the
Toft calls for immediate clarification to way that leads to a secure foundation for the fulfillment of
assure the retention of the Suez Canal as their national aspirations."
In a chapter "Not by Bread Alone," Dr. Heller discusses
a free international waterway.
spiritual aspects of Israel's existence. He discusses the
It is clear that the United Nations is the
attitudes in kibbutzim, the irreligious viewpoints of some ele-
committed to securing action a gains t ments, and he asserts that—
Egypt's piratical acts; that the United
"Perhaps some day the skeptics will find the road to a
States is seriously involved in any move revival of Jewish religious practices and observances, but
that would destroy the basic idea of free- for the present at least, it does not appear that such awaken-
dom of the seas; that the free nations of ing will result from the efforts of the religionists who are
the world as a bloc must act to put an not exercising their power. And when the day does come
that the leftist groups are drawn closer to Jewish ritual and
end to Egyptian political chicanery.
ceremonial life, it is doubtful whether they will go the whole
UN Secretary General Dag Ham- way
as demanded by inflexible orthodoxy, which dominates
marskjold would rather have the World Israel's
religious sphere with the tacit approval of the state."
Court at The Hague deal with the issue.
Israel's educational efforts, its welfare activities, the prog-
Nothing could be more destructive of ress attained in improving the health of the people, are among
free international ideas than such a move the subjects discussed in the book.
to shelve responsibility. The Hague Court
Dr. Heller reviews Israel's relation to the Diaspora and
might wait years before arriving at a solu- he advises that "in essence, the new Jewish state must learn
tion. What the Egyptian actions call for to live spiritually, and encourage world Jewry so to live, to
is immediate attention from the world the blessings of each other and the world."
His analysis of the Arab problem also is interesting, and
organization. Only speedy efforts by the
He declares that "in every phase of life the Arabs
United Nations can serve the purpose of enlightening.
equal under the law. It is Israel's policy neither to isolate
guaranteeing freedom of the seas, of ful- are
nor to assimilate them. They are given every opportunity to
filling the pledges to Israel that her ship- live
their lives freely and develop themselves economically,
ping will not be interfered with, and of politically, religiously and culturally to their advantage and the
ending for all time political tricks by the well-being of the state."
United Arab Republic whose propaganda
He concludes by emphasizing that "peace is now the big
mills are grinding poisonous ideas aimed question mark"; that "Israel's sincere desire for peace is univer-
against Israel but in reality intended as sally recognized, but the groundless fears of the Arabs block
part of the campaign to secure control the road to peace."
"Israel's Odyssey" is a fine • book. It is a good addition
of neighboring Arab territories by use of
the Israelis as scapegoats in a battle for to the literature about Israel and is especially timely on the 11th
anniversary of the state:
domination over the Arab world.