THE JEWISH NEWS
Israel's Aid to. Small Nations
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
8, 1879.
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
SIDNEY SHMARAK
CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher
Advertising Manager
Circulation Manager
Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the eleventh day of Elul, 5720, the following Scriptural selections will be read in
our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Ki Teze, Deut. 21:10-25:19. Prophetical portion, Is. 54:1-10. •
Licht Benshen, Friday, Sept. 2, 6:47 p.m.
VOL. XXXVIII. No. 1
Page Four
September 2, 1960
Less Rhetoric, More Action for Peace
Vice-President Richard M. Nixon, re-
plying to a question addressed to him
during his visit in Detroit, as to his stand
on the Suez issue, said "it is not a polit-
ical problem,"—implying, of course, that
the solution of the Middle East situation
is a bi-partisan responsibility.
Senator John F. • Kennedy, addressing
the convention of the Zionist Organiza-
tion of America, said that friendship for
Israel "is not a partisan matter."
Thus, both candidates for the Presi-
dency seem agreed that there are bi-
partisan duties in the matter.
That, of course, is the only approach
that Jews, to whom the viewpoints of the
candidates are primarily addressed, can
take. Issues involving international regu-
lations of freedom of the seas, the rights
of small nations to protection against
aggression, the threats to world peace
that accompany the arrogance of the
Egyptian dictator, Gamal Abdel Nasser,
and the indiscriminate way in which
Soviet arms are being provided to Israel's
enemies who constantly threaten her with
extinction—these are challenges to fair-
minded men of all parties, of all faiths;
they are the responsibilities of the nations
of the world, through the United Na-
tions, and primarily of the United States;
and unless the just rights of Israel are
fulfilled the entire world will remain in
a state of danger from the war threats
hurled at Israel.
* * *
Reviewing the issues that emerge and
the attitudes of candidates and their
parties, there is one certainty: no one
party, no single candidate for office, has
a monopoly on friendship for Israel. No
one, man or party, has priority in the
matter of ending the existing conflict in
the Middle East and of assuring peace
for Israel and her neighbors. All gestures,
all utterances, made and heard until
now, have been bi-partisan. Yet, solutions
have been deferred no matter who has
been in power.
Platforms of both parties have reit-
erated, during the past 12 years, the
attitudes of their leaders in support of
peace, in favor of Arab-Israeli friend-
ships, against boycotts and war threats.
Yet, no one has done anything about it.
It was the State Department that has
pursued a policy of appeasing the Arabs,
of reiterating time and again an attitude
of fear lest the Arab rulers should be
hurt by friendships for Israel, lest too-
cordial a relationship with Israel may
bring the Soviet Union into the area's
orbit.
* * *
Why has there been hesitation in call-
ing Arabs and Jews together, for peace
discussions, in the past? Why have there
been so few efforts to prevent the flagrant
abuse of freedom of passage through the
Suez Canal? Why hasn't Israel received
military aid comparable to the assistance
that is being given to the Arab states
who are arming for a single purpose—to
destroy Israel?
The answer is a simple one: at party
conventions, platforms are adopted in
efforts to entice voters, and candidates
vie for votes on the strength of the prof-
ferred pledges. Then, when the time
comes for fulfillment, hands are tied,
interceding forces step in to prevent com-
plete adherence to promises, and polit-
ical fiascos emerge. Failure to adhere to
obligations is not always the fault of the
candidates. There are, often, unmitigating
circumstances that stand in the way of
realizing the well-meant assertions of
candidates seeking high political offices.
Therefore, where and when there
emerges a state of confusion resulting
from the candidates' asseverations, it
would be wise for those to whom mere
pledges are addressed to view the ap-
proaches realistically, with hope for their
adherence but also by being prepared to
make allowances for negations.
At the same time, in matters involving
Israel and the Middle East, the search
for justice must be strictly on a human
basis, unmarred by political competition
or interference. Like other issues affect-
ing America's foreign policies, the Arab-
Israel conflict must be handled on a bi-
partisan basis, and it must•not be treated
like a political football.
* *
•
Senator Kennedy has sufficient ground
on which to attack the Eisenhower Ad-
ministration for "blunders" in treating
the Middle East issues and for "empty
and negative" rhetoric. But since both
Vice Presidlent Nixon and Senator Ken-
nedy are agreed that the issue should not
be treated as "partisan" and "political,"
it is to be hoped that bi-partisan action
will result from the discussions that are
certain to be injected in the campaign.
and that leaders of both parties will act
jointly in insisting upon direct Arab-
Israel peace talks to put an end to war-
mongering and to threats to Israel's
existence.
It is the responsibility of Republicans
and Democrats alike to avoid "empty
and negative" rhetoric, and to strive for
peace. In matters of foreign policy there
will have to be total cooperation, in
order that our way of life should pre-
dominate in the world. A peaceful Near
and Middle East is part of such a pro-
gram. When the new President assumes I
the highest office that can • be given a
living person, it is to be hoped that he
will act firmly in striving for the fulfill-
ment of the peace aims and in behalf of
justice for Israel.
The discussions in the campaign are
wholesome. They bring to light the issues
that are involved. They point a finger of
scorn at those who tamper with free
shipping which is an international obli-
gation. Under a new administration, re-
gardless of who takes the helm of our
Government, we prayerfully hope for
action that will bring the issue to an
amicable solution, in the interest of
peace for Israel and her neighbors,
thereby eliminating the Communist
threat to the Middle East and bringing a
peaceful element onto the scene.
* *
As the political campaign moves into
high gear, there will be a lot of talk about
religion, civil rights, sectional projudices,
"pressure groups," and a score of other
matters that may influence the voters.
There will be talk about a "Jewish
vote" and a "Catholic vote." There will
be validity about both arguments. It
would be sheer folly not to expect many
Catholics to vote for a coreligionist, as
counteraction of non-Catholics voting
against Catholics out of a religious pre-
judice. There is similar justification for
a Jewish vote, because of the justice
of a Jewish interest in the welfare of their
kinsmen who would be virtually incarcer-
ated in Israel and elsewhere is they did
not come to their aid, and because this
country has a stake in the Middle East.
It is when group interests border on
bigotry and on religious hatred that they
assume an un-American role. If we can
avoid religious prejudices, we will be con-
tributing towards the elevation of Ameri-
can standards during the coming election.
Rubner's Statistical Studies
Review 'The Economy of Israel'
Dr. Alex Rubner, in his challenging book "The Economy of
Israel," in which he makes a thorough analysis of Israel's eco-
nomic position, expresses the views that— •
Peace with the Arabs is as remote as the coming of the
Messiah;
Russia is interested in Israel's continued existence "as a
counterbalancing element in the Middle East";
Claims of damage to Israel from the Arab boycott are
exaggerated;
Philanthropic support of Israel by world Jewry is "likely
to continue to prop the Israeli economy."
Rubner's "The Economy of Israel," published by Frederick
A. Praeger (64 University Place, N.Y. 3), contains much food
for thought in evaluating Israel's relationship with the Diaspora.
The author, who believes that "the fate of the whole country
may depend during its second decade of life" upon possible
changes in the course of the Israel government's economic
strategy, discusses the attitude of non-Israeli Jewries and makes
this declaration:
"Diaspora Zionists do not wish to control the expenditure
of their donations in Israel, and if they have an inner urge to
make their charitable contributions and buying of Israeli gov-
ernment bolds conditional upon something, it is that they
want to be left alone and to be divested of responsibility for
the conduct of Israeli affairs."
While this is a controversial statement, since some Zionist
leaders insist upon a say in Israel's activities, in relation to
Jewry as a whole, this may be a very pragmatic conclusion in
the discussion of the important issue of Diaspora-Israel rela-
tionships.
Referring to a statement by the American economist, G. Pat-
terson, who -said that the annual cost of the Arab boycott was
$25-30 million, Rubner writes:
Israel is hit directly through higher shipping rates and
insurance tariffs and the inability to fully utilize the Haifa
refinery. If the Arab boycott ended tomorrow, few Israeli in-
dustrial products could be sold commercially in the neighbor-
ing countries, and the present Tozereth Haaretz protection of
domestic agriculture makes it unlikely that extensive imports
of agricultural products from Arab states. would be encouraged.
The real benefits likely to ensue from ari end to the boycott
are the possibilities of the regional development of soil con-
servation, irrigation, anti-malaria and anti•locust schemes;
tourist excursions to the whole of the Middle ,East would also
again become feasible. So far as can be judged, Jordan is the
only Arab country which is seriously harmed by the absence
of peaceful relations with Israel, for it is deprived of the
Haifa port facilities."
It is generally believed, however, that Lebanon, too, would
be greatly helped by peaceful relations with Israel, and that
the entire area would be helped by tourism.
Israel's dealings with Germany, trade exchanges with the
U.S., the standards of the Israeli pound, the foreign currency
structure and a score of other problems involved in the Israeli
economy policies are reviewed by Rubner. Important statistical
tables supplement his study.
Khrushchev's Anti-Semitic Record
Exposed in Saturday Evening Post
Dr. Bela Fabian, in an editorial in the current issue of Satur-
day Evening Post, under the heading "Khrushchev Has a Long
Record of Persecution of Soviet Jews," charges that while Khrush-
chev "wants the world to believe that the real persecutor of the
Jews is democratic West Germany," "anti-Semitism is part of the
official party program in the Soviet Union."
Pointing out that passes issued to Jews must carry the word
"Yevrei" (Jew), the editorial states that "Khrushchev has a long-
standing record of anti-Semitism." It recalls an incident in 1944
when "a handsomely decorated Jewish officer" was attacked by "a
half-drunk Ukrainian officer", who was shot by the Jewish officer
in self-defense. A state funeral was given the Ukrainian, a wave
of pogroms broke out in Kiev, the now defunct Anti-Fascist Jewish
Committee in Moscow pleaded with Stalin to stop the pogroms,
Malenkov saw that they ended, but Khrushchev said: "We don't
need Jews in the Ukraine."
•