Syria Drags Egypt to Brink Dr. Hertz, Beth El Board Come
to Understanding Over Contract
of Open Hostilities With Israel

By ELIAIIU SALPETER

JTA Correspondent In Israel
(Copyright, 1967. JTA, Inc.)

JERUSALEM—Such is the speed
of events at this age of jet fighters
and instant electronic communica-
tions that. by the time this column
reaches the reader, we may he ,
in the midst of a major war in
the Middle East—or esle, the whole
crisis may have blown over. Which-
ever way it goes, it might he use-
ful to analyze how things started
and what is the meaning of the
way the crisis developed.

It seems that Syria managed to
drag Egypt to the brink of hostil-
ities with Israel, something most '
observers believed Nasser would
suceed in avoiding.

Ever since the left wing of the
B.iath Party seized power in Syria!
and included—for the first time in :
Arab history — two Communist
Ministers in the Damascus govern-
ment, two somewhat contradictory
things occurred. On the one hand.
Moscow had a prime interest to
prevent the fall of the Syrian
regime. True. moneywise Moscow
spent incomparably more on mili-
tary and economic aid given to
Egypt than on what it gave to
the Syrians. But Syria is much
closer to the borders of the Soviet
Union and the Damascus rulers
were more pro-Communist and
mere satellite-like than Nasser.
irost important. the Damps - •
cus regime is much ,-.pre shaky
than Nasser's rule. Therefore Mos-
cow came out in support of Syrian
aggression in more violent terms
than ever before, apparently fear-
ing a blow to her own interests
:ind prestige. should the Baath
reitime suffer a major defeat and

fall.

As part of his "show of force"
and .or reasons that are not quite
clear, Nasser also demanded that
the United Nations Emergency
Force evacuate positions along the
Israel border on the Gaza Ctrip,
held since the end of the Sinai
campaign in 1956. L.N. Secretary-
General U Thant, whose handling
of the Middle East crisis has been
far from imaginative or success-
ful (to put it mindly), reportedly
presented Nasser with the alter-
native to leave the UNEF soldiers
at their positions or ask for the
complete withdrawal of the entire
force. And he declared publicly
that, should Nasser make such a
demand, the UNEF would have to
comply with it. (Most Western
Powers by the way, question wheth-
er U Thant had the right to ac-
cept such demands, since UNEF
was dispatched under a UN Gen-
eral Assembly resolution.)
Nasser responded but demand-
ing the complete withdrawal of
UNEF and U Thant hastily ac-
cepted. This seems to have been
the one single move that escalated
the crisis more than anything be-
fore. In the past 10 years it was
tactily accepted by all that the
presence o' UNEF was a conven-
ient "explanation" for Nasser why
no hostile acts against Israel were
carried out from the Gaza Strip
or the Sinai Peninsula. And what
is even more important. UNEF
troops at the Straits of Tiran were
given as reason why Nasser cannot
prevent Israel shipping in the Gulf
of Eilat. Now that the UNEF is re-
moved. Nasser may feel compelled
to do just this. And Israel made
it clear that interference with ship-
ping to and from Eilat would be
considered a full act of war and
lead to the appropriate conse-
quences.

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
14—Friday, June 2, 1967

The board of trustees of Tem- ship to auxiliary groups of the
ple Beth El voted at a meeting temple.
3. The rabbi and his administra-
Wednesday night to recommend to
the newly elected board that it tion of the temple.
extend the contract of Rabbi Rich-
4. The leadership and guidance
by the rabbi in the area of formal
ard C. Hertz for one year.
religious education of children of
The rabbi signed a letter of
understanding to that effect, an adult congregants.
action which followed protracted
discussion of functions under the
rabbi's purview and those of the
lay leadership.
In a statement by the board
following Wednesday night's
meeting, it was pointed out that
the recommendation for a con-
tract extension was "in the nor-
mal and usual manner, as has
been its accepted practice under
the bylaws of Temple Beth EL"

MAC•O•LAC

The new board will meet early
in July. Only• two new members
have been added, so that approval
of the recommendation is assured.
Dr. Hertz, the officers and trus-
tees agreed in the letter of under-
standing that a "full and honest
effort will be made to permit a
new and affirmative attitude to
be developed between Dr. Hertz
and the board of trustees."

Sam Petok, who has sat in on
board discussions of the issue
since April, said Thursday that the
dispute, extending over three
years, revolved around the rabbi's
concept and that of his lay leader-
ship, of:

1. The responsibility of the
rabbi as spiritual, pastoral, acad-
emic and civic leader and how
that responsibility is to be car-
ried out.
2. The rabbi and his relation-

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On the other hand, the Damas-
cus rulers. while enjoying the sup-
port of Moscow, openly adonted
the theories o' "popular warfare"
promoted by Peking. Under the
•logan of "popular warfare," Dam-
ascus is training "guerilla fight-
( rs ' and sending assassins, ter
rorists and saboteurs into Israel .
A young man came to the Riz-
Proltably as much because of this iner (died 1850) and asked to be
a-, in reaction for the shelling of ordained as a rabbi. The Riziner
triter settlements. Israel on Anril inquired regarding his daily con-
7 sent un her planes to silence duct, and the candidate replied: "I
Si ri tri positions and, in the course always dress in white; I drink only
of the action, downed six Soviet water; I place tacks in my shoes
• With DAILY INTEREST you earn
simPlted Syrian MIGs.
for self-mortification; I roll naked
every day on every dollar from
in
the
snow;
and
I
order
the
syna-
This was a grave blow at Syria's
date of deposit to date of with-
REGULAR
n•estige — but not only Syria's. gogue caretaker to give me forty
drawal.
SAVINGS
Desnite the quite recent Syrian- stripes daily on my bare back."
F ntian defense agreement
• Interest is paid and compounded
Just then a white horse entered
wilich many considered a bad mis- the courtyard, drank water, and
January 1, April 1, July 1 end
tiil:o on the part o' Nasser. who began rolling in the snow.
October 1.
h , s thus committed himself to bear
"Observe," said the Riziner.
• Usual withdrawal privileges.
the consequences of Damascus' nro-
"This creature is white, it drinks
1 ,..,,;•1.
o••itions) Egypt did not rush to only water, it has nails in its shoes,
the aid of Syria. This was widely
it rolls in the snow, and it receives
seen—and gleefully touted by Nas-
more than forty stripes a day. Still
ser's numerous Arab enemies—as
it is nothing but a horse."
a Proof that the self-appointed
* *
]cater of the Arab world is only
Said the Riziner: "Coarse trades
a "paper tiger," particularly as
are
held
in
contempt.
A tinsmith
Ion as half of his army is tied
down in the war against the royal- is little esteemed, and a bricklayer
less, because they handle crude
ists in Yemen.
Some Israelis hoped that, under materials. Now, how do matters
such circumstances, Nasser would stand with me? What is coarser
t
an oaf who balks at spiritual
do his best to induce the Syrian: than
to call a halt to their terrorist improvement? Yet is not that the
activities inside Israel. Whether material with which I have to labor
ho tried or not• the fact remains all the time?" • • •
that the Syrian-sponsored acts he-
• Issued with 90 day, 6 month sr
The Kobriner found the Riziner
Came • instead more dangerous and
1 year maturity, automatically
nro , ocative. Prime Minister Eshkol sitting in his chamber on a Friday
renewed
warned that, should the saboteurs ' before sunset, and smoking so furi-
carry out any major act. Israel ously at his pipe that the room was
-• Issued in multiples of $1,000
w ould retaliate in force. At that filled with fumes. The smoker no-
stage. Nasser began pouring his ticed his friend's displeasure, and
• Interest paid monthly or
troops into the Sinai Peninsula. narrated to him the following story:
quarterly as desired
and tip toward Israel's borders. "A man lost his way in a forest
honing to achieve a major diploma and chanced upon the but of a
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tie and political victory. brigand. Near the door stood a
$15,000 by the Federal Deposit
It is speculated that he hoped table on which a loaded gun was
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that enough pressure would be lying. The man seized the gun and
brought imon Israel (directly and thought to himself: "If I kill the
through the Western powers) to robber, I save myself; if I miss
MMUS FEDERAL DEPOSIT INSURANCE CORPORAT/011
prevent a major retaliatory action him, I may be able to escape in
in case of the "usual type" of the smoke.'
"By the same token, in order to
Syrian terrorist acts. Thus Nasser
could have claimed that his troops' purify my brain for the Sabbath,
movements "single handedly" were I think holy thoughts and smoke
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sufficient to deter Israel from im- my pipe. If my thoughts fail me,
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Plementing her warnings, even the tobacco fumes may at least
while half of his army is down in dull my brain, so that I do not
spfa VI1 440 every wukelay,.kacluding SATURDAY, brasselma eptila
think unholy thoughts."
Yemen.

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