Purely Commentary
By Philip Slomovitz
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The is-
sue of the government's secrecy
Interesting Hillel Day School Facts
regarding the arrest, trial, convic-
Hillel Day School President Abe Kasle has released some very tion and sentencing of two Israeli
editors for publishing information
interesting figures.
His report on a breakdown of the affiliation of parents of connected with the state's security
the scnoes pupils with synagogues showed that of the total enroll- came up here Monday in the Knes-
ment of 263 children, 95 of their parent families belong to the set.
Conservative wing, 25 to the Orthodox and 10 to Reform synagogues,
An "urgent" motion on the issue
and that 52 families are unaffiliated.
was brought before the House by
These figures prove two things: that the Day Schools are Uri Avneri, the single representa-
attracting children from all factions in Jewry, and that there is tive of his Olam Hazeh Party.
a good percentage of our community that is interested in educating Under the rules of parliament
the children Jewishly but not sufficiently interested to have a religious which give the speaker the right
to decide as to the handling of
affiliation.
Of course, it is admitted that some parents are sending their such a motion, Speaker Kaddish
children to progressive private schools because of the changing Luz ruled that the motion would
neighborhood problems, but that applies to merely a fraction of not be heard in a plenary Knesset
the Day School children. Therefore those who are studying the session, but referred to the Knes-
status of Day Schools should take into consideration the general set's committee on security and
interest in the school. And those who would assure affiliation by foreign affairs. That committee
Jews with the major functions in the community should study ways always meets in closed, executive
session.
of attracting the unaffiliated.
*
Meanwhile, the government is-
An Oft-Told Fable Revealing Arab Mentality
sued a communique Sunday night,
How does the Arab view the attempts at peace in the Middle confirming officially for the first
East? Is there hope for a solution to the existing problem without time the news about the two men
already revealed in the press.
tricks or betrayals?
An old story has just been repeated, indicating how cautious
However, the communique de-
'me 7:::1,1 -4. be in dealing with the aggravated situation in that area. nied categorically that the action
The story, which has led to the revival of an old fable which against the editors had been taken
carried with it an ominous warning, is based on a question that under the defense emergency reg-
was posed by a Western diplomat when he approached an Arab ulations or that they had been
journalist in the United Nations lobby and asked: "Why do the sentenced for espionage. Both ed-
Arab countries refuse to meet at a round table with Israel to itors were sentenced for one year
pace so that there may be prosperity for both Israel and each.
the Arab nations?" The Arab newsman replied by telling this old
The journalists concerned are
Oriental fable:
Shmuel Mor and Maxim Gilan,
A rep_tile lounging on the shores of the Nile, pleaded with
respectively editor and assistant
a frog to be transported to the other side of the river. "Oh, no,"
editor of the illustrated weekly
exclaimed the frog, "you are a reptile, and you will inject your
Bul (Stamp). They were arrested
poison into my body." Thereupon, the reptile answered: "Ridiculous,
after publication of their maga-
were I to do so, I would drown." This logical argument convinced
zine on Dec. 11, carrying sensa-
the frog, which permitted the reptile to climb on its back and
tional headlines hinting at secret
begin swimming across. However, as they were yet halfway from
disclosures. The magazine- was
shore, the reptile could not resist temptation and injected poison
confiscated after the arrest of
into the frog's neck. The frog began to wail in pain, "Why?
the men.
Why'?" The reptile knitted his brow and replied: "This is the
The government's communique
Middle East."
stated:
It is • a recognizable tale, and it causes concern: isn't there
"Shmuel Mor and Maxim Gilan
hope for peace negotiations without treachery? The intransigence
of Syrian negotiators during the UN Mixed Armistice Commission had not been detained and sen-
deliberations proved how trying the situation is and how uncertain tenced under the defense emer-
gency regulations. nor were they
zny approach to the issue in conferring with the Arabs.
But one must never generalize. There are enough level-headed accused or sentenced for espionage.
Moslems who can be dealt with. One must never abandon hope for The two men were presented be-
peace—even with those who would brand the Middle East as incapable fore a magistrate within 48 hours
after their arrest, and the magis-
of rational agreements.
*
trate ,ordered that they be re-
*
manded.
Is German Jewry a Status Quo Community?
"They were detained in accord-
Speculation regarding the future of German Jewry is best resolved
ance with normal provisions of
by taking into account the agues of those who remain in that country.
In all of Germany there are now fewer than 30,000 Jews. It criminal justice and procedure.
has been said that Jews who have not registered in order to be Their trial took place Feb. 6 and
counted into the total include some who do not wish to be identified Feb. 12.
"The two accused admitted
with their people and others who do not desire to pay taxes to the
their guilt and each was sentenced
Jewish community.
The figures recently given for the Berlin Jewish community to one year's imprisonment. The
were broken down as follows for the month of September of 1966— court decided on a light sentence,
as it accepted their statements
the last period of availability for such figures:
5,986 that . they had acted unthinkingly,
Membership on Sept. 1:
and also for the reason that this
DEPARTURES
ARRIVALS
was the first occasion in the history
10
Emigration
abroad:
15
Immigrants from abroad:
of the state that journalists had
Emigration to other parts of
Immigrants from other parts
6 been sentenced for publishing a
Germany:
13
of Germany:
1 report in their paper. Publication
Conversion:
1
Proselytes:
8 of such secret information, wheth-
Deaths:
1
Births:
er correct or incorrect, is a grave
25
offense."
TOTAL
LOSS
30
TOTAL GAIN
The .prime minister's office and
5,991
Membership on September 30: ,
the foreign ministery declared Sun-
The age and sex breakdown is as follows:
FEMALE day that there was not "the slight-
MALE
AGE
est truth" in the alleged security
57
61
0-3
revelations in Bul.
60
37
4-6
194
The statement, by the official
210
7-14
126
spokesman for the prime min-
100
15-20
153
ister's and foreign minister's
155
21-30
248
offices, reiterated a statement on
281
31-40
the subject made by Israel's
317
503
41-50
618
consul-general in New York, Mi-
701
51-60
chael Arnon. Arnon had declared,
691
676
61-70
after news of the arrest and con-
439
361
70 plus
The claim now is made that this reveals West Germany as a viction had been revealed in the
"status quo community" without gains but also without losses. But Times, that the stories published
that is far from a true evaluation of conditions. In this age, if a by Bul were "a completely
community does not show growth it means it is declining. Furthermore, groundless fabrication."
(The New York Times article
the tendency among German Jewish youth is to emigrate and those
now listed in the 15-to-30 age group may not remain much longer reported that the offending issue
in the land of their parents. The figures quoted point to a gradual had featured on its cover the ques-
tion: "Israelis in the Ben Barka
disintegration.
UN Human Rights Commission to Take Up Declaration Against Religious Bias
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
to The Jewish News)
GENEVA—The United Nations
Commission on Human Rights
opened its 1967 meeting here Tues-
the Draft Declaration on
the Elimination of All Forms of
Religious Intolerance the first
'tern e•P its agenda. The next
item on the agenda will be the
question of the punishment of war
criminals and crimes against hu-
manity.
Supreme Court Justice Chaim
Cohn is representing Israel at
the meetings in which representa-
tives of various major Jewish or-
ganizations are also participating.
They include: Dr. Gustave War-
burg and C. C. Rappaport of Lon-
don representing the Coordinat-
had committed an offense against
censorship."
The newspaper called upon the
government to change the law, de-
claring "we cannot tolerate a situ-
affair?" That matter referred to ation which permits the authori-
the unresolved question about the ties to arrest men as suspects, to
abduction in Paris in October 1965 interrogate and indict them and
of Mehdi Ben Barka, the Moroccan to keep them in prison without
nationalist politician. However, ac- making even the briefest effort
cording to the Times, the story to have the facts published in the
inside the magazine "gave no def- press."
inite answer" to the Ben Barka
Lamerhav, organ of Ahdut
question.)
Avoda, the Mapai Party's align-
Israeli circles pointed out today ment partner as the dominant
that the two men had admitted group in the government co-
during - their trial that they had alition, congratulated the press
based themselves on "gross, secur- on the fact that prohibition of
ity-tied rumors" and had expressed publication regarding this case
repentance for their acts.
has now been lifted.
Maariv, the leading evening
(Arnon stated that "Bul is well
known in Israel as a sensational newspaper, also expressed satis-
publication. It is relevant to note faction over the fact that the
that one of the editors concerned issue has now, at last, "come to
has a previous conviction for es- light," stating that "only full pub-
lication can satisfy the democratic
pionage.
conscience."
("In view of sustained Arab
The Jerusalem Post, only
hostility and belligerence, a lim-
ited censorship exists in Israel English-language daily , in Israel,
on matters affecting the coun- objected to the fact that disclosure
of the case had fallen to The New
try's threatened security.
("The two editors were put on York Times, saying editorially
trial, in which they admitted they "No Israeli likes getting his in-
had published stories which di- formation from The New York
rectly or by inference affect secur- Times."
"It has come as an unpleasant
ity matters. They also admitted
that they had published fabricated shock to the public," stated the
and groundless rumors, including Post, "that rumors it had been
unfounded allusions to the Ben hearing are true. Two journalists
Barka affair. The accused asked were indeed arrested, held in
for clemency and were sentenced custody, found guilty and sen-
to one year each." Arnon said he tenced without a whisper of this
did not know which of the editors sequence of events reaching the
had been previously convicted of press."
The government, in its com-
espionage.)
The affair of the secret trial, munique, declared: "The magis-
conviction and sentencing of the trate's court and the district court
two men continued to exercise at the time prohibited the publi-
the Israeli press. Editorials at- cation of the above facts. Publica-
tacking the government for its tion has now been permitted at
failure to make the case public the request of the state prosecu-
to the press were printed Monday tion."
The families of the two editors
in practically all of Israel's daily
appealed Tuesday to President
newspapers.
Haaretz, a non-party morning Zalman Shazar to pardon the men.
The appeal contended that Mor
newspaper, criticized the attorney
general who, it stated, "saw fit and Gilan were guilty of a "jour-
to accuse the editors of the weekly nalistic blunder" and had no in-
of grave espionage under the State tention of violating or hurting the
Security Law when, at most, they security of the state.
eflret Conviction of 2 Editors
SpursiinessetCommitteeProbe
Thousands Hold Vigil for Soviet Jews
in Roslyn, N.Y., and Tel Aviv, Israel
members of their families in Is-
rael.
ROSLYN, N. Y.—Several thous-
Mrs. Golda Meir, secretary-gen-
and residents of this surburban real of Mapai and Israel's first
New York community participated ambassador to the Soviet Union,
here in a 24-hour "Eternal Light concluded a description of the
Vigil for Soviet Jewry," which plight of Russian Jews with a
ended Wednesday night after an statement of her conviction that
unusual, community wide and in- "in spite of everything, they will
terreligious demonstration aimed come to join us."
at calling attention to what was
A number of hecklers, identi-
called the Soviet government's fied as Communist Party mem-
"religious genocide" d i r e c t e d hers, tried to shout down the
against Soviet Jewry.
speakers, but were silenced by
The vigil, begun at 7 p.m. Tues- the crowd. Later police escorted
day, culminated at that hour some of the hecklers from the
Wednesday with the unanimous hall. Other meetings and rallies
adoption of a petition to the Mos- were held during the rest of So-
cow government, demanding "a viet Jewry Week throughout
full measure of equality" for Rus- Israel.
In Jerusalem, Moshe Sneh, Is-
sian Jewry and the eradication of
"all vestiges of anti-Semitistn" in raeli Communist leader and editor
of the Communist daily newspaper,
the USSR.
for
The major participants in the Kol Ha'am, expressed support
I
24-hour demonstration included, Israel's
national independence.
Addresssing a weekend mass
among others, Rabbi Ario S. Hy- meeting marking the paper's 20th
ams of Temple Beth Sholom, Ros-
lyn, where the vigil was conducted; anniversary, Sneh said: "Commun-
Socialist leader Norman Thomas; ism is inseparable from national
The Rev. Francis. S. Bain of St, independence, and a threat against
Mary's Roman Catholic Church; Israel's independence is a threat
and the Rev. Thomas F. Stewart, against the Israel Communist
of the Roslyn Presbyterian Church. Party. "
Following the party's split two
The vigil had been sponsored by years ago into separate Jewish
20 synagogues, Christian churches, and Arab sections, the paper and
and other religious and secular or- its editor now represent the Jew-
ganizations in this area. ish wing of the party.
In Tel Aviv, an overflow crowd
It was also reported in Jerusa-
of Israeli Jews packed Manns lem that an Israeli who had been
Auditorium to express their deep sentenced to four years' inn-
concern over the situation of the prisonment by a Soviet Court
Jews in the Soviet Union, Sunday. last December, has been released
Five thousand persons came to the and is now in a Western country.
opening event in Soviet Jewry The Israeli, Josef Givon-Gutt-
Week, sponsored by the Israeli mann, described as a "mysterious
executive of the World Jewish adventurer of Swiss origin," was
Congress. charged with spreading anti-So-
A resolution was approved ask- viet propaganda, smuggling and
ing Soviet authorities to grant Rus- trading in pornographic material.
sian Jewry elementary rights of News of Givon-Guttmann's re.
freedom of religion, culture, corn- lease was contained in a letter to
munity life and permission to join a friend here.
W e ws
W ire
(Direct JTA Teletype
to The Jewish N)
ing Board of Jewish Organiza-
tions; Dr. Maurice Perizweig of
the World Jewish Congress; Miri-
am Warburg of the International
Council of Jewish Women; and
Mrs. Yvette Brunschvig of the
Women's International Zionist Or-
ganization.
Prof. Piotr Negbailo of the
2—Friday, February 24, 1967
Ukraine was elected president.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS