Heavy asks Ahead for Israel, Consul
Tells Celebrants of 18th Anniversary
If the first 18 years are the
hardest, the state of Israel will
come pretty close to matching
them in the next 18, an Israeli
economics expert predicted Sun-
day evening at Detroit's annual
celebration of Israel Independence
Day.
Chaim A. Salamon, Israel consul
for economic affairs, addressed
over 500 in attendance at the Hai
(18th) observance in Temple Is-
rael's social hall.
"We have yet to get the 3,000,-
000 Jews in Russia," he said. "The
gates will open, and when they
do, we will have a great problem
of settling them.
"Internationally, we hope, and
believe, there will be peace.
Time is in our favor. The ani-
mosity of the Arab refugees will
cool." Salmon said Israelis feel
the Arabs are "sobering." "Bour-
guiba (Habib Bourguiba of Tu-
nisia) was the first, but there
are others.
"Economically," he said, "there is
a tremendous challenge before us.
All small countries face the prob-
lem of automation. One of our
major aims is to become associated
with the European Common Mar-
ket. We need a larger community.
Who knows? Maybe one day, we'll
see a Middle Eastern Common
Market.
"Our most pressing problem,"
Salamon added, "is to find a com-
mon denominator between Jews in
Israel and the o u t s i d e. The
younger generations are moving
apart. Religious feeling and ex-
pression doesn't answer the prob-
lem. There is less appeal in tra-
dition to the younger generations
of Israel and Diaspora, but the
values of Judaism have wider
appeal. Let us be proud of our tra-
ditions, but let us not be blinded
by them."
Salamon stressed that Israel -
is "looking for a new identity,
a synthesis of values and ex-
periences." Such a synthesizing,
of Jewish thinking and expres-
sion, he said, "can be done only
in Israel," but "we will have to
include the contributions from
Jews all over the world, especi-
ally the United States."
Listing the gains during Israel's
18 years of statehood, Salamon
pointed to a fOurfold population in-
crease, a growth of 27 per cent in
industrial output and 35 per cent
in exports—an economic rate of
growth that has never fallen below
11 per cent in the last seven con-
secutive years.
All this, he said, was accomp-
lished "under the most adverse
conditons, with a denial of natural
markets to us as a result of the
Arab. boycott." (Salamon ,added
his thanks to the U.S. Congress
for discouraging obeisance to the
boycott of businesses that trade
with Israel).
Director of the Israel govern-
ment's Investment Authority, Sala-
mon laid stress on the human ele-
ment that has gone into Israel's
re-birth pangs, With all the diffi-
culties of the ingathering of the
exiles, Israel "preserved its social
Applause Heard 'Round the World
Israel's anniversary was cele-
brated throughout the world—in
the big cities of America and the
capitals of Europe.
The United States Senate marked
the anniversary by having a rabbi
open Monday's session with an in-
vocation prayer. The rabbi was Dr.
Abraham B. Hecht,- of _Brooklyn,
president of the Rabbinical Alli-
ance of America.
A number - of members of Con-
gress marked Israel's anniversary
with speeches and statements in
which they lauded Israel and
criticized American - sale of jet
fighter planes to Jordan.
In the House of Representatives,
three Michigan Congressmen voiced
their praise of Israel. Rep. Robert
P. Griffin called Israel "a positive
force for peace in the turbulent
and volatile Middle East . . . a
source of pride to all of us who
cherish the ideals of freedom, and
a source of hope to all of us. To
the people of Israel we say, `mazel-
tov,' congratulations for what you
have accomplished in the past 18
years."
Reps. William S. Broomfield and
Billie S. Farnum also saluted Is-
rael on its successes. "With the
age of its concept as the 'promised
land' has come wisdom," said
Broomfield. "With its youth as a
nation has come vigor."
New York's Mayor John V.
Lindsay proclaimed this week
"Israel, Independence Week," at
ceremonies in City Hall, where he
hailed the 18th anniversary of
Israel's rebirth.
A resolution lauding Israel on
its attainment of the 18th anni-
versary of its founding was
adopted Tuesday in the chamber
of the New York City Council.
In Boston, Yohanan Cohen,
Israeli consul, addressed a joint
session of the Massachusetts State
Senate and House of Representa-
tives Monday after which both
branches of the legislature adopt-
ed a resolution extending "greet-
ings and best wishes to the state
of Israel upon the 18th anniver-
sary of its founding."
In Philadelphia, Mayor James
Tate declared Israel's 18th Inde-
pendence Day as "Israel Day" in
values, security, the framework of
a social state, the dignity of the
worker . . . democracy."
Looking back on Israel's found-.
Mg 18 years ago—"so fresh in my
memory"—Salamon paid tribute to
David Ben-Gurion, former premier
and now leader of the opposition
Rafi Party in Israel.
"David Ben-Gurion had the
courage to stand up and, in
spite of expert advice by true,
devoted friends of Israel, de-
clare - the independence of the
state of Israel. He was proven
right.
"On that day, Israel was in de
facto war already with the Arabs ;
and infiltrating Arab units were
all over the country. Every one of
us was working with one hand,
defending the country with the
other . . . "
"Without David Ben-Gurion,"
said Salamon, "it is doubtful that
the state of Israel would have
been declared.
But, he conceded to the friends
of Zion in the audience, "it all
goes back to the formation of the
Zionist movement. In reality, the
state of Israel never ceased to
exist.
"Am Yisrael Hai (the Nation
Israel Lives)—Israel is a fact. Our
friends, who never doubted it,
know it; so do our foes."
Dr. Samuel Krohn, president of
the Jewish • Community Council,
and Morris Lieberman, chairman
of the Zionist Council of Detroit,
extended greetings on behalf of
their organizations, which cospon-
sored the program.
Cantor Nicholas Fenakel of
Cong. Adas Shalom led in the
national anthems, and Rabbi
James I. Gordon of Young Israel
of Oak-Woods delivered the in-
vocation. Presentation of colors,
a traditional part of the observ-
ance, was by the Jewish War
Veterans.
Members of Hashomer Hatzair
youth organization sang a group of
Israeli songs, under the direction
of Mrs. Assaf Orr, and the Aviv
Theater trio performed traditional
European and modern Israeli
songs and dances. Evelyn Orbach,
program coordinator for
the
Jewish Community Council, ar-
ranged the entertainment.
Huge Military Air Show Marks Haifa Parade
By ELIAHU SALPETER
(JTA and Jewish News
Correspondent in Israel)
HAIFA (JTA) — Israel cele-
brated the 18th anniversary of its
rebirth here Monday with a mili-
tary parade that was considered
the most impressive show of air,
ground and armored might ever
displayed by the Jewish state.
An estimated 400,000 persons,
including about 18,000 visitors
from abroad, were lined along the
parade route, paralleling Haifa
Bay, as President Zalman Shazar
and Prime Minister Levi Eshkol-
who is also minister of defense—
took their places on the reviewing
stand.
First came 20 Fouga jet planes,
forming a Star of David, flying at
a height of only about 300 feet
above the parade route. The
Fougas were followed by super-
sonic Couragans, Vautures and
super-Mysteres. Sixty-three Mir-
ages arrived in the fOrmation of
a diamond, followed by 60 more
in formations of five.
Many other new models of
planes came along, including the
new Frelon helicopters.
As the planes disappeared be-
yond -the horizon dozens of jeeps
rolled along the route, each of the
sturdy little cars displaying the
emblems of various Israel defense
commands and brigades.
Behind the jeeps came the huge
Centurion tanks, swift-moving
Sherman tanks, powerful, Ameri-
can-made Pattons, armored half-
tracks and reconnaissance and ar-
tillery units, including 120-milli-
meter mortars.
Then, for the first time, Israel
showed its most modern hardware
—12 Hawk, air-to-ground missiles.
The men—and women—on foot
followed, many thousands of offi-
cers, cadets of the army, navy
and air force leading the marchers
in tight discipline; including units
of Nahal (farmer soldiers),
women's formations and units rep-
resenting virtually every minority
group in Israel. Paratroopers, in
their leopard uniforms, concluded
the military parade.
Israel's chief of staff, Gen.
Yitzhak Rabin, flanked by all for-
mer chiefs of staff of the country's
defense forces, took the salute
alongside President Shazar and
Premier Eshkol.
Foreign ambassadors, military
leaders from several countries, in-
cluding high officers of the armies
of Peru and Dahomey and rep-
resentatives of the • French army
were on the reviewing stand,
along with many other prominent
guests from abroad.
By bus, automobile and virtually
every other type of motor convey-
ance, the spectators had come into
Haifa all through the early morn-
ing hours, ready for the parade,
which had got under way prompt-
ly, as scheduled, at 10 o'clock.
Philadelphia and participated in
a ceremony at the historic Liberty
Bell.
El Mundo, a newspaper pub-
lished in Havana, devoted an
article in Sunday's issue to the
18th anniversary of the founding
of Israel, lauding the Jewish
state's accomplishments in agri-
culture, education and industry.
The newspaper expressed the
"sincere wishes of the Cuban
people for the happiness and
prosperity of the industrious Is-
raeli people and its friendly
government."
Both Britain's Labor govern-
ment and the opposition Conserva-
tive Party pledged support for
Israel and called for Arab-Israeli
peace at a mass celebration of
Israel's Independence Day in Lon-
don, Sunday night at Albert Hail.
The guest of honor was Mrs. Golda
Meir, Israel's former foreign minis-
ter.
Mrs. M e i r, in her address,
alluded to the role of the United
Nations in regard to peace in the
Middle East. "With all due re-
spect to the United Nations,"
she declared, "peace in the
Middle East is due only, per-
haps, to the fact that we are not
weak. It is not the UN Charter
that keeps the peace there but
the fact that the Arabs know
we are not weak. We now have
comparative peace. There are
incidents here and there, but
no war. We would like to have
permanent and lasting peace
with our neighbors. Our neigh-
bors seem to know how to settle
all problems—except how to live
in peace with us."
In Paris, the anniversary of Is-
rael's independence was marked
by a number of events, some in
solemn memorial, others in highly
festive mood. The formal Israeli
celebration was held Monday night
at the Israeli Embassy. Leading
representatives of the French gov-
ernment, diplomatic personnel, and
many leaders of the Jewish com-
munity, Zionist and non-Zionist,
were among the guests.
In Rome the traditional Israel
anniversary reception was held at THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
the Israeli Embassy.
40—Friday, April 29, 1966
Stiff, hot winds laden with sand
blew all morning, and the tem-
perature had risen to a very uncom-
fortable height _by the time the
parade got under way, but the
massed crowds held their places,
cheering and applauding the
marchers for their smart appear-
ance and accurate formations.
The heat was so intense during
the military parade that, as a
result, one spectator died and
more than 200 had to be given
first - aid treatment. At least 75
persons suffered -from sunstroke.
There was one prominent Is-
raeli whose absence among the
dignitaries on the reviewing
. stand had been noticed by many
watching the parade. He was
David Ben-Gurion, former prime
minister and ex-chief of the de-
fense ministry. Ben-Gurion had
announced earlier he would
stay away from the parade in
protest over the fact it had not
been staged in Jerusalem.
The parade concluded Israel's
official celebration of its 18th -an-
niversary, which had begun offici-
ally at sundown Sunday. In Jeru-
salem, Tel Aviv, this city and in
every other community in Israel—
city, settlement, town, immigrant
development area and farthest
border outpost—Israelis danced in
the streets until dawn, gathered
at mass rallies, sang, .listened to
and participated in oratory.
All reports from around the
country indicated that this year's
anniversary celebration was the
most exuberant Israel had ever en-
joyed.
First-aid stations had been
established as a matter of routine
all along the parade route. The
stations were manned by Magen
David Adorn, the emergency medi-
cal corps in this country, as well
as by Haifa municipal employes
and medical corpsmen of the Is-
raeli army.
In an interview, given in con-
nection with Independence Day,
Gen. Rabin said "Israel has an
adequate answer to all types of
arms which the Arab countries
have in use or in the develop-
ment stage."
Gen. Rabin declared that Egypt
has no missile system as yet that
is operative. "And it is doubtful,"
he added, "whether they will have
such a system within the next two
or three years." The chief of staff
pointed to Egypt's deep involve-
ment in military operations in
Yemen, and said: "Israel's arms
must pay attention to the fact that
the Egyptians are using gas in
Yemen."
Although Egypt, he stated, "is
stuck in Yemen, there is no com-
plete assurance that the Egyptians
will refrain from action in our
area too."
In regard to the Arab projects
for diversion of the headwaters of
the Jordan River, he said: "It
would be a mistake not to pay
attention to the diversion of the
Jordan tributaries now being car-
ried out by the Syrians. This sub-
ject will continue to occupy us
during the next year."
Gen. Rabin also warned against
possible resumption of activities
by members of El Fatah, the Arab
terrorist gangs who have, from
time to time, infiltrated into
Israel, carrying out acts of sabo-
tage. "If El Fatah should act in
the future," he said, "we will take
steps which proved themselves
effective in the past against
countries from which the infilt-
rators penetrate Israel."
Nevertheless, Israel's desire for
peace with the Arab world was
stressed the day before by Presi-
dent Shazar in a declaration to
the nation and to the world issued
on the eve of the celebration.
In his Independence Day dec-
laration, President Shazar said
that "the winds of change now
blowing throughout the world"
cannot fail, sooner or later, to
influence the Middle East also,
including the Arab nations hos-
tile to Israel. "Israel," he said,
"is ready to devote its best
energies to the task of seeking
peace, nor will we tire of issuing
the call for peace and exploring
every avenue in this direction."
In Washington, Israel Ambassa-
dor Avraham Harman emphasized
Israel's achievements in integrat-
ing immigrants of diverse back-
grounds in an anniversary inter-
view on the NBC-TV "Today"
program Monday morning, and
revealed that an estimated 20 per
cent of Israeli marriages now link
Ashkenazim with Sephardim.
Harman said that diversity of
citizens represented a major social
problem but that efforts to effectu-
ate fusion of peoples has brought
results. He said that 10 per cent
of university graduates today are
Sephardim, and 26 per cent of sec-
ondary school students are from
that segment of Israel's population
which is generally regarded as
being culturally and economically
on a lower level.
In an address at an Israel In-
dependence Day celebration here
sponsored by the Jewish Com-
munity Council of Greater Wash-
ington and the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee, Har-
man pledged that Israel would
never be the first country in its
area to introduce any new type
of weapon.
He said that, while peace has
not been achieved in the Middle
East, "one important development
has occurred." He pointed out that
"the extremist Arab viewpoint,
which has been articulated con-
sistently and with particular in-
tensity in recent years, is that the
state of Israel must be destroyed.
"It is clear today that this is
an unrealistic goal," he said, "and
that increasing numbers of Arabs
are realizing that it cannot be
attained and that the future of
the Middle East lies in the direc-
tion of Arab-Israel co-exitsenee
and accommodation."