LONG
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. SubscripLion $6 a year. Foreign $7.
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CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager
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Sabbath Scriptural Selections
This Sabbath, the nineteenth day of Tevet, 5724, the following Scriptural selections will be
read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion: Exod. 1:1-6:1. Prophetical portion: Isaiah 27:6-28:13; 29:22-23.
Licht Benshen, Friday, Jan. 2, 4:55 p.m.
VOL. XLIV., No. 19
Page Four
January 3, 1964
Must Reject Blackmail to Save Peace
Having failed in so many respects in
his efforts to inspire a new war on Israel,
meeting with opposition to his propaganda
campaign against the visit of Pope Paul
VI in Israel, Egypt's dictator Gamal Abdel
Nasser reportedly has reversed an earlier
stand to refrain from participating in the
campaign against Israel's water develop-
ment program. Now he is once again
seeking a place of leadership among all
the Arab nations in his renewed attack
on Israel and his call for a war to prevent
the utilization by Israel of the Jordan and
Lake Galilee waters to fill the need for
irrigation and industrial purposes.
Only a week ago, the Cairo weekly
Rose al Youssef warned that Egypt will
not join with the other Arab states in the
anti-Israel steps involved in the water
diversion project. The Cairo periodical
charged that Jordan, Syria and Saudi
Arabia—the three states that are consid-
ered anti-Nasser—would like to see Egypt
embroiled in a war against Israel so that
they might find a way of stabbing her in
the back. Yet, Nasser himself constantly
taunts his neighbors into starting a war
on Israel! And the blinded Western na-
tions refuse to recognize that there is a
division among the Moslems that would
have led to a bloody war had it not been
for the unrealistic unity that has emerged
as a result of the hatred for "the common
enemy," — Israel.
It is under such conditions that turn
the Middle East into an unfortunate caul-
dron that Israel must struggle for her
existence. It is under such tragic develop-
ments in an area of malcontent, hatred
among related nations and sheer ignor-
ance that Israel must plead with her
neighbors for amity and understanding.
Israel must not only be on guard against
aggressive forces but must repeatedly
point out—to authorities in Washington,
London, Paris and other world capitals
how the arrogance of the Arab League
is threatening the peace of the world by
menacing the security of Israel.
The heads of five major American
Jewish organizations have called the USIA
to task for its weaknesses. In an effective
protest they have declared, in a statement
to Secretary of State Dean Rusk:
"Inevitably, our toleration of Arab
anti-Jewish propaganda in this country,
including Arab propagandists in the
guise of exchange students, the "black-
listing" of American enterprises owned
by or employing Jews, the open use of
Arab diplomatic missions to this coun-
try for the most flagrant attacks upon
the character of the American Jewish
community have created in the minds
of officials of technical agencies such
as USIA the impression that United
States policy requires that the irritation
of Arab sensibilities be avoided—even
at the cost of deliberate obscuring of
one of our nation's glories, the har-
monious living together of people of
different faiths.
"We believe it is time our govern-
ment put the Arab governments on no-
tice that we will not passively continue
to tolerate their peddling of prejudice
in our land, that their blacklists and
boycotts and virulent anti-Jewish propa-
ganda are breaches of international
hospitality, meriting vigorous rebuke
and official condemnation.
"Such action by the Department of
State, Mr. Secretary, will go far, we
believe, to redress the truckling to
Arab bigotry that emade the unhappy
USIA episode possible."
These things needed to be said, and it
is encouraging to know that the "excuses"
that were offered for the deletion of a
rabbi's scene from the USIA film showing
President Lyndon B. Johnson's daily
activities have not frightened anyone.
The battle for justice continues. While
there is an unending struggle among kins-
men in the Arab world, their campaigns
of fratricide threatening to embroil areas
much vaster than the Middle East, there
are brazen accusations, never proven, that
it is Israel that seeks aggrandizements
and is searching for territorial gains.
Israel's able spokesman, Foreign Min-
ister Golda Meir, addressing the United
Nations General Assembly recently, an-
swered these charges in a firm statement
in which she pointed to the Arabian defi-
ciencies and defended her nation's posi-
tion as follows :
"Of the 111 member-States represented in
this (Special Political) Committee, there are
86 with whom Israel is proud to have diplo-
matic relations. Over 50 of them have repre-
sentatives accredited to Israel. Certainly these
envoys are more qualified to know and report
what Israel is like—its democratic regime, the
nature of its society, the quality of its people,
its ways of living and thinking.
"Any Arab delegate wishing to acquaint
himself with the facts can obtain an entry visa
to Israel from any Israel Consulate. I should
appreciate the same courtesy being extended
to an Israel representative wishing to visit an
Arab country. I am sure we in turn would
learn much about their countries.
"It has been said in this debate that the
existence of Israel is the cause of the instabil-
ity in the Middle East. I would have thought
that Israel was recognized as one of the few
islands of stability in that turbulent area.
Every newspaper reader knows that it is not
our army divisions which were sent to fight in
Yemen, nor is it our bombers which are de-
stroying towns and villages there. It is not
Israel soldiers who are involved in border war-
fare in North Africa. It certainly was not
Israel that forced Syria to secede from the
United Arab Republic. The radio stations blar-
ing insults at each other and calling upon
civilians and armies to overthrow each other's
governments are not located in Israel.
"We would be only too happy if all the
countries in our region could achieve peaceful
co-existence, stop interfering in each other's
affairs, halt the ruinous piling-up of arms, and
co-operate as good neighbours for the welfare
of their own peoples. In such a constructive
effort Israel is prepared to join at any time.
"There can be no doubt that had the Arab
States made peace. with Israel years ago, there
would be no refugee problem today. It remains
our view that this specific issue should be
resolved in the context of an overall settle-
ment. However, my government is willing to
negotiate directly with the Arab governments
concerned on the refugee problem itself in
order to reach an agreed solution.
"If those governments are genuinely anx-
ious to solve the refugee problem as such,
they should respond to this offer.
This is plain speaking. It states the
facts as they need to be known. The Arabs
should be the first to understand them,
and the major world powers should take
them into consideration when dealing
with the problems that face mankind in
the struggle for peace.
But there are too many who are too
ready to yield to pressures that are occa-
sioned by hatreds that lead to conflicts
and that may erupt into a world confla-
gration. It is in the hope of averting such
a state of war that we must. urge our
Government to strive to avert a world
crisis. But if we yield to blackmail our
troubles will multiply. That is why it is
necessary that the bluffs of saber-rattling
war-mongers should be called promptly,
before the entire world is gotten into
most serious trouble.
Noteworthy Israeli Literary Effort
Hebrew Poems of Shin Shalom
Appear in English Translations
"On Ben Peleh" by Shin Shalom, the distinguished Israel poet,
has been issued by Taplinger Publishing Co. (119 W. 57th, NY19,
and was published for the Jewish Agency American Section.
This impressive book of Hebrew poems with accompanying
translations by Victor E. Reichert and Moses Zalesky, contains
an essay evaluating the poet's work by Prof. Baruch Kurzweil.
The essay was translated by Prof. C. Rabin.
Prof. Kurzweil calls Shalom's poetry "the most profoundly
mysterious phenomena in our literature"—meaning, of course,
the Hebrew literature—and states that "his medium of expression
is the lyric."
Prof. Kurzweil's essay is entitled "Shin Shalom's Explora-
tions in the Depths of the I." Comparing Shalom's works to
Bialik's he indicates that the latter, "the greatest artist of the
generation elevates the erring and forlorn I. In Shalom's instance,
he states, "out of the childhood landscape, the I, center and
purpose of the world, gradually crystallizes." In Shalom's poems,
"the I determines what is justice . . . The way of the mysteries
of the I in all its manifestations in Shalom's poetry is the way
of the secularization of our literature. Probing the depths of the
I raises man in God's place."
A variety of Shalom's poetic works, commencing with "Elle
Toldot"—"These Are the Generations"—is included in this
volume. Included are "Aboard Ship," "Jerusalem," "Jackals,"
"Emek" and "At the Searchlight."
They are powerful dissertations, and in "Jerusalem" the
poet calls forth:
Yihyeh, my teacher from Yemen, bears
On his forehead a scar from Ishmael's sword.
Threescore years before, the slaughter began,
Still is Israel not redeemed.
For threescore years he has pounded the rock.
His children were born, they married and died.
Threescore years he waits, Selah, for Him.
Still the Messiah has not passed by ..
Fair is our portion. Opposite on the mountain,
Rises Zion's wall, David's tower looms high.
Like a marvelous tapestry woven,
Moab's hills, Valley of Vision, Prophecy.
In an hour when the world is emerald, ruby clear,
And pure is the heavenly expanse,
Yihyeh rises, clasps his hands: "Glorious
Is the radiance of the world. Let us dance."
And "At the Searchlight," as he stands on the lookout
tower, the poet sings hopefully:
These are Hebrew posts, villages and camps,
Through expanses of homeland they send their light.
Surrounded by darkness and cruel foes,
They stand ready to answer each voice that calls .. •
There they milk the cows and bake the bread
With a sidelong glance lest the ambusher strike.
They plant faithful seed, a precious pledge
For a world that shall rise on the ruined graves.
Illustrations by Yehuda Bacon enhance the works of Shalom.
The editor of this volume, part of a series of books issued
by the Jewish Agency, was Isaac Halevy-Levin.
National Issues Face U.S. in 1964
By MILTON FRIEDMAN
Agency
WASHINGTON—Clearer definition may be given to American
policy in 1964—an election year—on issues of special interest to
Americans of Jewish faith.
The White House has made known that a continuity with
the Kennedy policies may be anticipated.
The need to maintain a balance of power in the Middle East
to prevent Arab aggression is known to President Johnson. He
commented meaningfully on this very subject when he served
as Senate Majority leader.
Working closely with Mr. Johnson on such issues will be
his deputy special counsel, Myer Feldman, who performed the
same duties for the late President.
The White House will seek ratification of the United Nations
treaties on Human Rights and Genocide.
President Johnson voted, as a Senator, both against passage
of the McCarran-Walter measure and also in the unsuccessful
attempt to uphold President Truman's veto. President Johnson
regards immigration reform as consistent with his drive for
domestic civil rights.
Copyright, 1964, Jewish Telegraphic