Purely Commentary
Van Paassen and Roy Reuther,
Eminent Christian Friends of
Israel... B-G, One-Man Party
By Philip
Slomovifx
However, it was more than that; it presented a deeply human
drama of disciples parting with their teacher who had nursed them,
and educated them. The Rafi convention decided, with a small
Pierre Van Paassen was one of the great Christian Zionists, a
majority of 523 votes for, 364 against, and 16 abstentions, to rejoin
defender of Israel, a battler for religious freedom. Flemish in spirit,
the Mapai "Party." Both Moshe Dayan and Shimen Peres voted
the Dutch libertarian who in recent years became a Unitarian minis-
for reunion. Ben Gurion opposed, and voiced disenchantment with
ter loved liberty so much that he was ready to sacrifice his own posi-
the action of his pupils who have deserted him in his fight "for
tion in the struggle for justice.
truth and justice." He will retain his seat in the Hnesset as the
He will long be remembered for his inspired addresses here at
representative of a faction numbering one member — himself. Thus
Zionist and Bnai Brith assemblies for his writings that were filled with
the Old Man of Sde Boker began to write a new chapter of his
charming tales about his many experiences on many fronts—in pre-
dramatic stormy life history.
Hitler Germany. in embattled Palestine in the days of the Mufti, dur-
B-G's opponents no doubt will relish this type of humor, but it
ing the first world war in which he sustained
can't receive acceptance in Sde Boker. But in political terminology ,
an injury the pains of which he defied
the item is wholesome. A bit of humor won't hurt, even when directed
to carry on his courageous efforts in be-
at an architect of a reborn state. In view of the puns LBJ has to
half of the downtrodden. He had made
swallow, B-G's dignity can't be hurt too much by analytical witticisms.
Zionism, later the State of Israel, among
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his major causes, and in the dedicated
Isidore Sobeloff's New Role on National Scene
efforts for untramelled religious liberties
Isidore Sobeloff's retirement from his executive post with the Los
for all he became an advocate of the faith
Angeles Jewish Welfare Federation provides welcome opportunities
in man and the hope for a better world
movements and major Jewish communities to utilize his
for national M
in which all races, all beliefs would be
skills in major g projects.
tolerated in all ranks. In these battles
Numerous surveys ar eing conducted to ascer-
he was always the advocate for fair play,
tain American Jewry's oblige ions in the educational,
for the common decencies that can make
- ocial service, health
and welfare, care for the aged
men merge into a wholesome society.
and assistance to overseas causes. Few men are as
In the first years of the Hitler terror
eminently qualified to conduct studies, to pursue
he was the reporter who brought back to
research as the former executive vice-president of
America the story about the Fuehrer who,
the Jewish Welfare Federation of Detroit, thanks to
in one of his demagogic speeches raved
whose directional skills the Detroit Jewish commu-
about the Jews as the cause of all evils.
nity had risen to the highest rung of the social
Whereupon an elderly Jew arose—as the
Fuehrer was shouting "The Jews, the Jews"—and added: "The Bi- service ladder.
Mr. Sobeloff had pursued his skillful tasks in Los
cycle rider." The Fuehrer was stumped and challenged the Jewish
Angeles where, during his brief few years of service
challenger with the query "why the bicycle riders," and the Jew
campaign income spurted to $6,900,000, and in mid- Isidore Sobeloff
answered: "Why the Jews?"
1967 he directed the emergency drive for Israel which netted an
It should be noted about Van Paassen that the Holy Land of
additional $10,550,000—accounting for a total raised—most of the
Jewish traditions was, to him, a "spiritual home," and he treated
funds going to Israel—to $17,000,000. This was a task unequaled by
the subject as such, emerging as one of the great Christian pioneers
previous administrations in L. A. and great credit is due him for
in Zionism. Long before the formation of the American Christian having raised that community's standards of giving.
Palestine Committee, he was instrumental in the founding of the
Still one of the top men in his field, Mr. Sobeloff is certain to
Christian Pro-Palestine Federation, and he was among the most
popular lecturers on Zionism and Jewry's needs from non-Jewish render many services to American Jewry in the years ahead.
Van Paassen—Weaver of Tales, Great Reporter,
Libertarian and Strong Defender of Zionism
quarters.
His early education was in Calvinism, and in later years he turned
to Unitarianism, emerging as one of the giants in the ranks of those
who knew how to differentiate between the ancient prejudices and
modern approaches to libertarianism.
He was a great reporter who mastered languages, and his experi-
ences in war-torn France of World War I and as an observer of the
events in Germany where he interviewed leaders in all factions, includ-
ing Hitler, he was a prophet of what was to transpire in the future.
Too few, alas, listened to his admonitions!
Not only his "Days of Our Years" and "The Forgotten Ally"
but numerous other works proved intriguing and fascinating and
were among the earliest exposes of human tyranny and the latter
of British berayals of pledges to the Jewish people in Palestine.
Tale after tale was woven by Van Paassen, based on his rich
experiences on many fronts.
His accounts of life in France and the reactions to Alfred Dreyfus
in the years when Maurras and his cohorts conducted anti-Semitic
campaigns: his reports on Dreyfus' refusal to join in appeals in
defense of Sacco and Vanzetti because he himself had been raised
in an atmosphere of reaction; his reflections on the British anti-Zion-
ist attitudes—these were among the scores of events he chronicled
in the course of his labors for justice. His name will be written in-
delibly in the story of the Jewish battle for independence and survival.
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$11,000,000 Israel
Allocation Set
for Its Defense
JERUSALEM (JTA) — The
cabinet announced a civil defense
allocation amounting to $11,000,-
000 for the fiscal year beginning
April 1, 1968. The sum represents
a four-fold increase over last
year's allocation of $2,800,000.
The money will be used to build
new bomb shelters and other civil
defense installations. A similar
sum is anticipated for fiscal year
1969.
Foreign Minister Abba Eban
told the cabinet that Prime Min-
ister Eshkol's visit to the United
States has been a success and has
strengthened the friendly ties be-
tween that great power and Is-
rael, both of which are determined
to work for peace in the Middle
East. The foreign minister said
that Eshkol will report in detail
on his American trip when he re-
turns to Israel.
Referring to the exchange of
letters between President de
Gaulle of France and Israel's
former Prime Minister David Ben-
Gurion, Eban said that de Gaulle's
attitude as expressed to Ben-
Gurion in a letter dated Dec. 31
showed no change from his press
conference remarks of Nov. 27
when he branded Israel an aggres-
sor nation bent on expansion.
Defense Minister Moshe Dayan
reviewed the security situation
and the latest acts of terrorism
and sabotage, including the blow-
ing up of an oil storage tank near
Eilat Sunday night.
Two New York Congressmen Co-Sponsor
Resolution for Adoption of Genocide Pact
WASHINGTON (JTA) — Repre-
sentatives Herbert Tenzer, New
York Democrat, and Seymour Hal-
pern, New York Republican, co-
sponsored a House resolution urg-
ing U.S. ratification of the inter-
national genocide convention and
three other treaties as part of
American participation in Interna-
tional Human Rights Year being
observed by the United Nations in
1968.
The two Congressmen joined on
the opening day of the new session
of Congress to point out that, while
it is the responsibility of the Sen-
ate to ratify treaties, the Genocide
Convention has been pending for
Roy Reuther — Tribute to Social - Minded Humanitarian
Roy Ruther, like his brothers, was more than a labor leader. He 19 years without Senate action.
They
said America has failed to
possessed the high quality of a humanitarian. There is a social-minded-
act although the genocide conven-
ness in the Reuther family that caused them to be deeply interestd not
covering
prevention and pun-
tion,
only in the needs of laboring clases but also in the national programs
ishment of the crime of destroying
involvin g aid to underdeveloped countries,
assistance in movements against tyranny
and oppression, efforts in support of racial
equality. It is because of these sentiments
that the Reuthers—all of them—took, as
the survivors continue to take, a deep inter-
est in the security of Israel and in the up-
building of the Jewish State as a bulwark
(Direct JTA Teletype Wire
for democracy in the Middle East. Roy
to The Jewish News)
Reuther was that type of man: devoted to
TEL AVIV — Defense Minister
the highest ideals of humanitarianism, dedi-
Moshe Dayan paid a surprise visit
cated to the efforts to remove racial and
to the prisoners at the war camp
religious restrictions, moved by an urge to
at Athlit Monday and told 100
establish liberty and equality for all. This
Egyptian officers, including four
was the urge that led him to believe that
generals, who were about to be
Israel can create a great reservoir of cul-
repatriated, that Israel wants to
tural, economic and binational advance-
exist peacefully as a Jewish State
ment that can aid Arabs as well as the
among Arab states but will always
Jewish citizens of Israel—provided the two
fight back if she is attacked. He
contending forces can meet on equal ground
said he wanted the Egyptian
Late Roy Reuther
and begin to speak with one another.
soldiers, who were captured in
It was in order to eliminate the intransigence of the Arabs who last June's Six-Day War, to return
refused to confer with Israelis that Roy Reuther, like his brothers, home with the message that Is-
became such a devoted fried of Histadrut, the Israel Federation of
raelis want peace and mutual co-
Labor. In appreciation of the friendship and wisdom he displayed and existence.
practiced, we join in paying tribute to the memory of Roy Reuther.
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Gen. Dayan's visit to the POW
religious and racial groups, was have the means to effectively pro-
unanimously approved by the Unit- test the oppression of a people—
ed Nations General Assembly on whether it be the Jews in the So-
Dec. 9, 1948, without a dissenting viet Union, Catholics in the Congo
vote. To date, 71 nations, includ- or Buddhists in Vietnam.
ing the Soviet Union, have ap-
Rep. Halpern stated: "It is with
proved this convention.
a sense of moral outrage that I
Rep. Tenzer told the House, in contemplate this country's failure
a speech on the floor, that the to acknowledge these basic rights
"failure of the U.S. to ratify these and obligations in the world com-
conventions is a blot on our record munity." He insisted that "the
as a leader in the protection of U.S. should act now to remove the
basic human rights and the devel- stigma of our non-ratification of
opment of international law." He these conventions, which embody
asked how America could effec- the basic democratic political ideas
tively participate in the 1968 ob- on which our nation was founded."
servances of human rights year
The other conventions advocated
without ratifying a convention included measures banning forced
which even the USSR approved. labor, political rights for women
He said "It is a shame that the and protection of the right to free-
U.S. has not approved the genocide dom of association and protection
convention, and that we do not of the right to organize.
Dayan Lectures Egyptian POWs on Israel's
Statehood Role, Reaffirming Ancestral Claims
B G
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—
One Party, One Vote
as Viewed by Opponents
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camp was unannounced and was
made apparently on the spur of
the moment when severe gales and
snow storms delayed a prisoner
exchange agreed to by Egypt and
Israel under the aegis of the In-
ternational Red Cross. Israel holds
about 4500 Egyptian POWs. Egypt
has 10 to 15 captured Israelis,
mostly pilots. The agreement for
their exchange was arranged by
the IRC at Geneva and the first
THE *DETROIT JEWISH NEWS contingent of Egyptian prisoners
David Ben-Gurion's name will go down in world history in recog-
nition of his genius as one of the chief architects of the State of Israel
and as a major factor in world Zionist affairs. His years out of office,
p, wever, are being marred by dissent, bitterness, some call it stubborn-
ness.
Now he is left alone in a party he created. His role is jocularly
assayed by the news agency of the Zionist Organization of America —
'INS — whose recent report from Jerusalem about the reduction of
!afi memberships to one stated:
A quiet funeral took place of the 21/2 year - old Raft Party.
2—Friday, January 19, 1968
was sent home last Friday.
General Dayan's remarks,
made in English, were sum-
marized by the defense ministry
Tuesday. He brushed aside as
"historic" the question of wheth-
er the lands of Israel belonged
to the Arabs or were the an-
cestral home of the Jews.
"Now we have a state and the
question is whether this state can
exist here. I say yes," Gen Dayan
told the Egyptian officers. "We
consider ourselves part of the Jew-
ish world, just as we consider
Arabs living in the State of Israel
as part of the Arab world. We
don't want to make them into
Jews — it's impossible and there
is no need for it — just as we
don't want to be made into Arabs.
True," Gen. Dayan said, "we are
a small nation, perhaps we shall
reach 5,000,000 souls. But even
as such we can live alongside you
and with you without becoming
part of you and without your be-
coming part of us. Under those cir-
cumstances, we can live in mutual
respect and peace. You will not
attack our ships. Understand that
in the midst of the Arab world
there exists a Jewish State. The
refugee problem can be solved
and a peace treaty can be signed.
We shall try to achieve it."
Gen. Dayan blamed the June
War on misinformation supplied
to Egypt by Syria and the Soviet
Union that Israel was mobilizing
for an attack on Syria. He said
that Egypt's subsequent blockade
of the Straits of Than, which
Israel shipping had used for a
decade, was considered by Israel
"a declaration of war."
The International Committee of
the Red Cross, an all-Swiss group,
announced in Geneva that Israel
and Egypt had both indicated their
readiness to begin a prisoner ex-
change after "several months" of
negotiations by the committee. The
Israelis, however, are believed to
have spurred Egyptian agreement
by their release of 500 Egyptian
soldiers and two high ranking of-
ficers on Jan. 1, and 120 others
a week ago Tuesday. According to
observers here, the action was in-
tended to put pressure on the
Egyptian government to reach an
agreement for the release of all
POWs.