Purely Commentary
Truman and Bourguiba in Israel Hand Clasp
One of the most remarkable gestures of good will was the message
sent Monday by Tunisia's President Habib Bourguiba to former Presi-
dent Harry S. Truman, wishing him well on the establishment of
the Truman Peace Center in Jerusalem.
If we have reached a stage of a Moslem leader's participation, in
this fashion, even if in absentia, in a memorable event in Jerusalem,
why shouldn't we hope for extended peace developments between Jews
and Arabs?
Mayor Teddy Kollek of Jerusalem struck the keynote of the
ground-breaking for the Truman Peace Center when he expressed the
hope that it would some day serve the peoples on both sides of the
Jerusalem border. May that come to be very soon!
The Vice Presidential Myth
Many internal and external affairs contribute to the spread of
rumors regarding the Presidency, the Vice Presidency, Hubert H.
Humphrey, Arthur Goldberg, Jacob Javits, the Kennedys, Nixon-et al.
One day a Kennedy star rises, the next there are nasty and unde-
served stories about one of the ablest men in government, Vice Presi-
dent Humphrey; then there are tales that Goldberg and Javits will be
drawn into the battles that are raging on the political arenas.
There is no denying that the political pot already is boiling—long
before the next Presidential election. But that doesn't justify many of
the actions of Dame Rumor who so often splits peoples and com-
munities and creates bitter feuds. One day there'll be talk about a
Jewish candidate. (The Catholics already have hurdled the chief ob-
stacles). Then there may be demands for a Negro vice-presidential
candidate. And unless demands will be made for the primary need:
ability and merit, the nation won't be helped a bit.
William Buckley wrote a piece about Javits. It was entitled
"Could We Conceive of Javits as Veep?" It's worth reading because
it injected so many conflicting issues. It stated:
We are constrained, by the appearance of Senator Jacob
Javits on the cover of Time Magazine, to acknowledge the appar-
ent seriousness of his bid for the vice-presidential nomination of
the Republican ticket in 1968. Till now, one could dismiss his
campaign for the vice-Presidency as a venture in egomania.
Not that Senator Javits isn't able. It's just that the Republican
party is as likely to nominate Javits for national office as the
Democratic Party is to name Harry Byrd.
Senator Javits' entire career is testimony to the profitability
of audacity, not to gay gall. The Senator emerged from political
obscurity after the Second World War to become the top New York
vote-getter of the season, achieving his success across the broken
bodies of such Democratic luminaries as Paul O'Dwyer, Franklin
Roosevelt Jr., and Robert F. Wagner Jr.
As regards allies, the Senator was not choosy early in his
career—there is testimony to the effect that he even sought the
backing of the American Labor Party, which was dominated by the
Communists. For reasons not a bit clear to anyone, he took the
Republican Party label and a left-democratic program, and pros-
pered. But, one should bear in mind, prospered in New York State,
which is different—for which we have all to be grateful—from
most other states of the Union, New York City being the ganglion
of neurotic liberalism for the whole country.
Now he advises that in order to be taken seriously at a
national level, he must project himself as a Republican of national
timber. "You have to be a candidate to be heard," he is quoted
as saying. When the question is asked, "To be heard saying what,"
the Senator dribbles off into evasive rhetoric.
It is an exasperating but apparently uncircumnavigable phe-
nomenon, that any discussion of Senator Javits as a vice-presidential
hopeful inevitably begins by the necessity of fastidious disavowals
of anti-Semitism. In the past few weeks, two public figures of
spectacular toleration nevertheless felt the necessity to ,undergo
the rites of ablution. Thus Senator Goldwater began, "I have no
objection to Senator Javits' religion—I'm half Jewish myself . . . "
and Clare Boothe Luce, though laboring under the relative dis-
advantage of not being half-Jewish, introduced her own comments
on Senator Javits with the same disclaimer.
Now the general sensitivity on the subject is not a bit lost on
Senator Javits,. who while proclaiming the equality of all men and
the irrelevance of religion, does not hesitate to say, in effect, that
he believes it is about time someone of Jewish background should
appear on the national ticket. "There is no office now closed to a
Jew, including the presidency," says Javits—quite rightly. And adds
—quite wrongly—"It -would be nice to be the fellow it happened to."
In any case, it might be safe to say that Senator Javits'
chances for the vice presidential nomination are approximately
zero, but that they would be infinitely less than zero, if the mathe-
maticians will permit me the license—if it were not that he is
Jewish, and that sort of inverse discrimination will play a large
part in the campaign.
Whether or not Javits' natural desire to rise to highest ranks in
government—an ambition not to be denied any American—is "a
venture in egomania,' the chief element in the discussion seems to be
the Jewish factor. Has Javits been considered at any time for any
other reason?
We are inclined to believe that the reason his name has been
mentioned so frequently is due primarily to his ability, to his leanings
towards liberalism and the desire, therefore, of the liberal element
in Republicanism to draw him into the national picture as a strong
candidate.
Yet, the Jewish angle plays a. role, and it is certain to be distorted
as time goes on. Barry Goldwater's quoted comment is especially
interesting. It indicates at once—in the frank manner of the Arizonian's
declaration—that Javits the Jews is not as challenging to him and to
his associates as Javits the more liberal of all the Republicans. And it
is on this score that he will be opposed.
Again let us reiterate: in considering candidates for office, merit
alone should count. Else our system of government will become a
splitting of offices, a "division of spoils," among religious and racial
groups. That would be quite bad for all of us.
Truman Peace Center and
the Bourgiuba Message . . .
Confusions in Many Areas
By Philip
ei
al omovitz
Jews were linked with LSD-importers and the tragedy of the Six
Million was derided.
In the Faisal instance, a typical example of hate-mongering is the
threat and abuse that are part of replies that came to a statement made
by Louis Panush, chairman of the public relations committee of the
Zionist Organization of Detroit. Once again, in these threats, the stupid
Protocols of the Elders of Zion are referred to as if they were the
guides for God-loving people who seek to chastise Jews on the ground
that Jews have organized to rule over them and the murder of the Six
Million is branded "Jewish propaganda."
The haters get their information, they receive the atrociously
falsified Protocols from some centrally operating quarters, they get
their cue to deride the victims of Nazism from an organized group that
is out to malign us. There is no doubt that the anti-Semitic forces are
organized. That's the menacing force to look out for in the new
avalanche of anti-Semitic propaganda.
'Madonna. and Child' as a U.S. Postage Stamp
During the celebration of the American Jewish Tercentenary in
1954, this commentator attempted to encourage the issuance of a U. S.
postage stamp commemorating that historic event. The idea was rejected
by the U. S. Post Office.
But, contrary to Supreme Court rulings in support of the Church-
State Separation principle, the Post Office Department had issued a
Christmas stamp last year reproducing a painting of the Angel Gabriel
with a horn, and this coming Christmas will print a special stamp of
a "Madonna and Child With an Angel" — a painting by Hans Memlinc,
the Flemish painter.
Contrary to all claims, this is a Christian country. Yet, in deference
to the Jewish and other groups, and in recognition of the Separation
ideal, the introduction of religious themes as a government policy marks
a departure from established practices.
Nevertheless, ,U.S. postal practices remain puzzling. A Christo-
logical stamp is being issued to mark the millenium of Polish Chris-
tianity, but the Jews' Tercentenary was ignored! This is not neces-
sarily prejudice: it is a plain lack of good judgment.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
2—Friday, July 15, 1966
Yaacov Meridor Succeeds
Beigin ; Seeks Herut Unity
TEL AVIV (JTA)
Yaacov
Meridor was elected chairman of
the national executive of the right-
wing Herut Party Sunday night in
a last-minute effort by the central
committee to preserve party unity.
A new opposition group, led by
Tel Aviv attorney Shmuel Tamir,
emerged at the party's annual con-
vention last week to challenge the
leadership of Menahem Beigin,
who resigned during the conven-
tion as party chairman.
Meridor said he would try to
form a new party executive
within four weeks but said he
was not optimistic about his
chances of success. Yohanan
Bader, a Herut member of Par-
liament, was elected chairnian of
the central committee.
The two factions waged an in-
tensive campaign in the past few
days over election of the new exe-
cutive chairman, with lobbying con-
tinuing until a few minutes before
the central committee was con-
vened. Tamir was asked by sev-
eral party members to agree not
to join the new executive "to help
smooth out internal differences,"
but he refused.
Negroes, Jews Are Warned of Widening Gap
Between Them, Restoration of Amity Urged
NEW YORK (JTA)—The widen-
ing gap between Negroes and Jews
was deplored here Sunday by Dr.
John Slawson, executive vice presi-
dent of the American Jewish Com-
mittee. He urged that the gap be
closed lest it lead to a weakening
of America's liberal coalition.
Dr. Slawson was one of four
participants in a discussion on
"Anti-Semitism and the Negro"
conducted on the "Open Mind"
television program over WNBC-
TV. "I urge that the friendship
between Jew and Negro be re-
stored," he said. "If it is not re-
stored, this is going to weaken the
entire liberal movement, and it is
going to be bad for the Negroes
and bad for the Jews and bad for
America."
Joining with Dr. Slawson on
the program, which was mod-
erated by Dr. Eric Goldman, pro-
fessor of history at Princeton,
were Dr. Kenneth B. Clark, pro-
fessor of psychology at City Col-
lege of New York; Dr. Alex
Rosen, dean of the graduate
school of social work of New
York University; and Bayard
Rustin, Negro leader who is ex-
ecutive director of the A. Philip
Randolph Institute.
This liberal coalition — repre-
senting, among others, church
groups, labor, students, and mi-
nority groups — had, according to
Rustin, been responsible for the
success of the 1963 "March on
Washington," which he organized,
and for passage of the Civil Rights
Bill of 1964 and the Voting Rights
Bill of 1965.
Discussing the question of in-
creased Negro hostility toward
Jews—a point on which there was
general agreement that it existed
— Dr. Clark, a Negro educator,
said: "I think what we are wit-
nessing may be a different form,
a different expression of anti-
Semitism.
"In the 1940s I think the prob-
lems of Negroes and Jews seemed
to be largely in the area of em-
ployment. Today the problems in-
volve more complex and subtle
aspects of relationships, rather
than the specific concrete areas
of difficulties of 20 years ago.
Dr. Rosen said there are the
young Negroes since World War
II who have moved into the race
for professions, who are now
schoolteachers or social workers,
government officials, inte r-
group relations experts, and so
on.
"They are moving into the pro-
Harlem's Anti-Semitic Cliches Related;
Civil Rights Role of Jew Glossed Over
NEW YORK (JTA) — Anti-Sem-
itism has become a basic element
of the outlook of many American
Negroes in their struggle for
emancipation, accordiing to a New
York Post columnist.
The theme of the report by Pete
Hamill is a quotation from Negro
author James Baldwin: "Georgia
has the Negro. Harlem has the
Jew."
The columnist describes the
"cliches" which are standard in
Harlem: "the Jew is possessor of
the thumb screws and rack; he
owns the furniture store and the
liquor store; he offers easy credit
and then, possessor of the soul, he
tightens the screws. The slumlord
is a Jew, the social worker is a
*
Jew; the newspaperman is a Jew;
Crackpots and Haters
the guy at the top of the poverty
Every possible occasion is being utilized by crackpots to spread program is a Jew, and now, even
hatred. Anti-Semites are on the loose again. The Birch Society meeting the top cop is a Jew." The "top
in Boston pointed to the re-emergence of the hate movement. Faisal's cop" is Sanford Garelik, the sec-
meeting and the unfortunate "incident" that caused the uproar after his ond Jewish Chief Inspector in New
branding of American Jews as his enemies also provided a platform York police history.
In recent years, reports the col-
for the bigots.
Thus, at the Boston Birch sessions the old libels were repeated, umnist, the anti-Semitic language
has become broader and more vir-
ulent. The Negro preaching "black
power" in Harlem points to "Blum-
stein's department store." The
"young kid with the Malcolm X
T-shirt brags to the latest shift
of TV cameramen or sociologists
about the `Jew store' he helped
burn out."
The fad that Jews have been
among the leaders in the Negro
struggle for equality is easily dis-
missed by a rationalization
"The Jew owns the slums and
earns his money off the misery
of the Negro; the white liberal
assuages his conscience by sending
money - to the NAACP." From this
point of view the fact that Michael
Schwerner and Andrew Goodman
were murdered by Southern white
racists did not matter. They were
dismissed at a "black power" rally
as "two Jews easing their con-
sciences by working in Mississip-
pi." When a. member of the aud-
ience demurred and referred to the
Nazi genocide, a speaker replied
"I'm sick of you cats talking about
the six million Jews."
fessions which for historical rea-
sons Jews seemed to have pre-
empted," Dr. Rosen pointed out.
"There is a bit of rivalry, of com-
petition for the good things in life
or for prominence in these various
professions."
Dr. Slawson, explaining that
prejudice and discrimination are
"irrational," said: "We all .know
that the Jew has been a very con-
venient target for the white Chris-
tian, and the Jew is a very con-
venient target for the Negro Chris-
tian in the ghetto. It is a particu-
larized kind of target. Even if we
eliminate all the landlords and all
the merchants, you still would
have Negro anti-Semitism. We al-
ways walk a treadmill when we
try to attribute anti-Semitism to
the prejudice of the victim. It is
the fault of the bigot."
To Dr. Slawson's question, "Why
is there such great resentment on
the part of the Negro civil rights
leadership that Jews are in the
civil rights movement?" Rustin an-
swered:
"Nobody appreciates more than
I do the great work Jews have
done in this field. I know you
built schools and libraries and
helped us when no one else would,
but there comes a time when
every person has to face what A.
Phillip Randolph said. Unless the
minority that is being persecuted
stands up, takes the leadership,
and says, 'We want now to take
the leadership for ourselves no
matter how badly we do it'—until
that happens, nobody will take
him seriously."
Dr. Slawson commented "I hap-
pen to know a number of Jews all
over the United States who are
angry at the fact that their help-
fulness not only is not appreciated
but resented. There is no feeling
of welcome, and the leadership of
both groups have got to get to-
gether and work things out."
Minorities Distorted
in 3 Parochial Textbooks
PITTSBURGH (JTA) — A com-
mittee of Catholics here reported
that the views of Negroes and Jews
are distorted in three geography
textbooks used in parochial
schools. The distortions, said the
committee, were sufficiently seri-
ous to warrant a review of all text-
books used in the Pittsburgh
diocese.
Sponsored by the Catholic Inter-
racial Council, the committee was
made up of eight persons, includ-
ing five members of the Duquesne
University.