Purely Commentary

Need for Realism and for Truth in Viewing

Arab Refugee Problem . . . Arab Failure to Give
Aid to Kinsmen . . . Character Changes in the U.S.

By Philip
Slomovitz

The Character-Changes in People and Faiths
Urgently Needed: An Honest Approach to the Arab Refugee Problem
Bishop Emrich was confronted with a query addressed to him with
While the primary issue today involving Israel-Arab relations is in the sphere of boundaries and the
regard to a report that Nasser had begun to read the Old Testament "in territories involved, the refugee problem remains major on the agenda of Middle East affairs.
order to understand the character of the Jewish people." The inquirer
The refugee problem is on a much vaster scale universally today than ever before, due to many
posed the question: "Hasn't the character of the Jewish people changed occurrences in areas throughout the world. Two months ago, it was reported by the United States Commis-
and taken on the characteristics of all the people among whom they sion or Refugees, the private agency representing more than 60 American volunteer groups engaged in
have lived these many centuries?"
refugee aid, that the number of refugees has reached the new high of 17,226,915, more than 1,600,000
Bishop Emrich's answer, in his Detroit News column was:
above the 10 per cent increase over the figure for the preceding year. The Nigerian-Biafran war
Of course! Every group adapts itself to the environment in accounted for 3,600,000 of that figure.
which it is placed. So Disraeli, the Jewish prime minister of Eng-
The tragedy is that there is a lack of realism, often a lack of honesty, in dealing with the refugee prob-
land. was a great Englishman and Senators Javits and Ribicoff are lems. Had there been a just approach to the issue, with fair negotiations with Israel, the Arab refugee
among the best of our senators.
problem could have been solved long ago by repatriation. But the Arabs have refused to cooperate. While
But at the same time that it changes, it also retains a central I Israel has rehabilitated nearly a million Jews who were expelled from Moslem countries , the Arab states
identity which binds it to its tradition. This is true of all groups— have flatly refused to contribute a penny to the Arab refugee funds.
Protestants, Roman Catholics and Jews. If it were not, the group
The American Academic Association for Peace in the Middle East has published figures to show how
would lose its identity and continuity. Once could ask your same Israel has resorted to every available means to assist the refugees. while the Arabs have hindered the
question of others: "Have not the characters of Lutherans, Angli- relief movement in their determination to perpetuate the problem as a weapon against Israel. The pro-
cans and Roman Catholics changed and taken on the characteristics fessional group has published a chart of the world's refugees since World War II to outline attempts that
of all the people among whom they have lived these many cen- have been made for permanent settlement of the refugee problem. Referring to this chart, the Academic
turies?"
Association for Peace states: "It becomes obvious, upon analysis of its contents, that the first condition
By the way, since I admire some people more than I do Nasser, towards resolving the problem is a genuine concern on the part of the host country for the settlement
hear
that
his
reading
material
has
improved.
to
it is good
of its new population and for their rehabilitation."
Both, the question and the answer, are provocative, yet they are not
In the extensive charting of conditions involving 23 countries the Academic Association for Peace
new. From time immemorial peoples have been affronted with the includes the following:
matter relating to assimilation, to man's reaction to environment and
COUNTRY OF
NO. OF
ORIGIN OF
CAUSE OF
HOW PROBLEM
the effect it had on heritage.
ASYLUM
REFUGEES
REFUGEES
DISPLACEMENT
I
TREATED AND
AGENCIES
I
Certainly, Jews — and others — take on the characteristics of the
DISPOSED OF
INVOLVED
peoples among whom- they live. American Jews are indistinguishable Israel 1948-1961
36,000
Egypt
Israel-Arab Conflict
Absorption Schemes
Government of
8,000
Syrian and
from American Christians, except in name—and that, too, is changing
Israel
Lebanon
Aftermath of the
Citizenship on arri-
—and in faith—and that does not change.
Source: Jewish Agency
46.000
Aden
Holocaust and
val
Jewish Agency
Jews in Ethiopia noOsok like the Ethiopians, but they read Scrip- Absorption Center
60.000
Yemen
World War II
130,000
Iraq
Integrated into
No UN action
ture in the ancient tongue. Chinese Jews look like the Chinese but the
150,000
North African
Labor Force and
learned Jew in China who has studied Hebrew is able to converse with
States
Economic life
442,000
Central and
his co-religionist from America or Britain or Germany or France or
East Europe
Israel in the language of the Bible.
Arab States
i Palestinian
Israel-Arab conflict
Host countries re-
UNRWA
Assimiliation is an ancient factor in the mingling of peoples, in the Source:
June 30. 1961 as j Refugees
In Palestine—
fuse to permit large-
absorption of the minority by the majority, in the succumbing of the supplied by UNRWA
scale resettlement
Voluntary
I
ration
card
method
of
Flight of Palestinian
or employment and
agencies
w eaker culture to superior.
census
Laci
Arabs during War
training projects
Like others, Jews assimilate: else we would have overflown the
6.000
Palestine
of Independence
631,000
Palestine
UNRWA in provi-
world. Massacres. conversions, submission to majority codes of ethics Jordan
Lebanon
j
61,000
Palestine
sion of housing,
and religious beliefs kept World Jewry in reduced numbers. Egypt (Gaza)
140,000
Palestine
food, medical care
I
119.000
Palestine
But we have survived because we are different: in faith, in a language Syria
and education
that is not universally spoken by all Jews but is universally prayed in ,
This is only part of the story. While, as indicated in the chart, the Arabs depended entirely on the relief
by all Jews, in codes of ethics that invite the entire world to share
that came from the United Nations Relief and Works Agency-70 per cent of the funds for UNRWA coming
with us a great heritage, a great tradition, a glorious thought in toe from the United States—while Israel assisted refugees with government and Jewish agency help—not a
teachings that are imperishable.
penny coming from the United Nations—Israel also contributed vast funds for aid to the refugees through
And because these ideas are imperishable, and a strong element
the UN. A New York Times report of June 15, 19611, states:
among us adheres to them while adopting the ways of life of our neigh-
"After the war Israel contributed $1,274,900 in cash and services to the United Nations Relief and
bors on the non-religious scale, we survive. We are characteristically
Works Agency and above $2,500,000 in direct relief to the Arabs in ocupied territory. Israel has
like our neighbors, Bishop Emrich, yet we are different. And this differ-
allocated $8,500,000 for road building, soil reclamation, reforestation and general economic develop-
ence is not to be apologized for but serves as an appreciation that those
ment of the west bank of the Jordan River and absorption of the Arab population. Before 1967,
who have benefited from the gifts we have given to the world are grati-
Israel had contributed $256,000 to the United Nations agency."
fied that Judaism is the Mother Religion of Christianity, that our ways
In the same report in the NYTimes the following figures were given of funds raised to aid the Arab
lead to high ethical codes, that we do not abandom faith: so long as we refugees:
live in peace, showing the sacred Mosiac codes and the teachings of
"American Air for Arab Refugees, founded in the Bay Ridge section of Brooklyn in the summer of
the prophets and the rabbinic teachers, there is glory both in outer
1967, reported raising nearly $27,000 by the middle of 1968. The money was contributed to the United
characteristics and inner acts of faith.
Nations Relief and Works Agency, to an orphanage in Beirut, Lebanon, and to others aiding Arab
victims of the war. In last year the Brooklyn group has raised only about $3,000.
U Thant's 'Dubious Means' via - a - vis Israel
"A spokesman for a Chicago organization, the American-Arab Congress for Palestine, said that five
Some weeks ago, U Thant, the secretary general of the United Chicago area groups collected about $40,000 in the year before the war to aid refugees. In the year after the
Nations, circulated a proposal for a UN inquiry into Israel's treatment war, Chicago's contributions rose to $500,000 in clothes, medicine and money, only to fall to about $250,000 in
of the Arab in territory now under Israel's control. Since only 66 of the the last year, the spokesman said."
nations he had circulated expressed approval of his plan, it may have
This is a fantastic story that has not been given proper consideration. While small and economically
collapsed. But because of its one-sided and partial aim, the idea has struggling Israel provides vast aid, the Arab states do not give a penny. While Christians and Moslems do
been condemned by Israel as a "dubious means" toward a "dubious a lot of squawking about the refugees, in the course of their damaging propaganda against Israel, note how
end "
few crumbs they hand out to provide relief where it is vitally needed!
If the UN secretary general had proposed an investigation of the
That's why we say that a bit of honesty could bring pragmatism and a speedy solution to the refugee
status not only of Arabs but also of Jews in Arab countries, it might problem. If, instead of battling Israel, the enemies of the Israelis would get together and work in harmony
have made sense. But he wanted to probe Israel while ignoring the for a humanitarian purpose, there would be no such problem as that of the Arab refugees.
status of Jews in Moslem countries. In Israel, correspondents have a
large measure of freedom and are able to interpret conditions. In the
Arab countries that treatment accorded Jews emerges into the limelight
only as in the instance of the public hangings in Iraq.
Thant invited criticism on numerous occasions, especially since his
blunders vis-a-vis the withdrawal of the United Nations Expeditionary
Force from the Israel-Egyptian border in 1967. He has displayed evi-
dence of partisanship on other occasions. He adds to the uncertainties
affecting the Middle East situation by actions that are antagonistic to
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Premier glory of our past and the promise means toward Jewish unity and aid
Israel. Such partisanship adds fuel to the fires of distrust in the UN's Golda Meir told the closing session of our future." ,
for Israel.
handling of the Middle East issues and U Thant earns the condemna- of the International Conference on
Foreign Minister Abba Eban
The health workshop, chaired by
tions leveled at him.
Human Needs in Israel that "As Mrs. Charlotte Jacobson of New called for a return of the discussion
long as the Jewish people is on our York, recommended implementa- of the Middle East issues to the
side, we will hold out too."
tion of a government 10-year_plan Middle East region and declared
The conference was attended by to improve Israel's medical serv- that the Four Power talks going on
ices,
a project which has been de- in New York have not come any
204 delegates from the United
ferred because.of the burdens of closer to solution of the Arab-Isra-
States and 23 other countries.
defense outlays. Jack D. Weiler, eli conflict than the year-long ef-
NEW YORK (JTA)—A New York his household puts himself in
She also told the Jewish leaders
New York real estate executive, forts of the United Nations' peace
State Supreme Court justice, rely- loco parentis and is as liable for
that Israel could not resign itself
ing on Jewish rather than secular the support of such infant as to a condition of "something be- reporting for the housing workshop, envoy, Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring.
Eban said it was Israel's aim to
said $1,000,000,000 must be invested
law, has ordered a Brooklyn man thought it were his own."
tween peace and war—peace in the
The husband, when living with morning and war in the evening, or over the next five years in con- instill in the Arabs both despair
to pay support for a child he help-
ed to raise although never legally his wife, behaved in all ways like peace in the north and war in the struction, noting that 70,000 families and hope: despair that any outside
need new homes, apart from addi- factors would solve their problems
a father, Justice Multer said. south."
adopted.
tional couples marrying each year and hope that direct talks with Is-
The coupl e, now divorced, Shortly after the arrival of the
Earlier the delegates adopted a
brought the newborn girl into their child, in Jewish tradition, he went series of resolutions which were and the many families living in rael would bring them the kind of
peace they need.
home in 1958 with the intention of to his synagogue and named the not considered formal and binding overcrowded conditions.
Eban said Israel was not will-
Michael Sacher of London, sum-
adopting her, but the couple sep- child after his maternal grand-
arated in 1959. father; he also claimed the child but rather as expressing a consen- ming up for the campaigns work- ing to forego any vital security
sus
of
the
conference.
Officials
said
needs
for the sake of building its
shop, expressed regret that a
as a dependent on his income tax
Justice Abraham J. Multer noted
detailed work on elaborating the "chaotic situation" existed in fund-
image abroad. He said, however,
returns, the judge said.
that the couple was not the na-
proposals
and
findings
would
con-
that Israel will continue to appeal
raising. The workshop recommend-
Justice Multer cited several pas-
tural, adoptive or foster parents of sages from the Talmud, Old Testa- tinue in working groups and com- ed a special body to coordinate ac-
to world public opinion for sup-
the youngster, and therefore, the ment and a textbook on Jewish mittees.
port. Among the weapons Israel
tivities.
man Murray Wener, had no obli-
needs, Eban said, is nerve.
The goal for the coming year was
Louis A. Pincus, chairman of the
law, including a passage from the
gations under secular law to sup-
set
at
raising
between
$350,000,000
He warned that any declaration
Jewish
Agency,
who,
jointly
with
Midrash Rabba, which reads "He
port it.
who raises a child is called the and $400,000,000. A resolution read Mrs. Meir, sponsored the confer. that the present cease-fire lines are
But, "under the Laws of father, not the one who had begot- by Morris L. Levinson of New York ence, told the delegates that the the permanent borders Israel de-
Moses and Israel," Justice Mut- ten the child." The husband has said, "We call on the Jewish peo- Agency was in process of being en- sires might close its options for
ter, said, "the head of every been ordered to pay $35 a week in ple to unite in a vast effort to de- larged. He said the conference was peace. On the other hand, he said,
velop Israel's human resources to evidence of the vitality of the en- under no circumstances will there
household who takes a child into
child support.
create a society here which will largement because an expanded be a return to the armistice lines
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS bring pride to us all, renewing the Jewish Agency could be an efficient of May 1967.
2—Friday, June 27, 1969

I

I

Mrs. Meir Tells Human Needs Parley:
Israel Can Hold Out . . . With Help

N.Y. Justice Cites Midrash in Ruling
on Divorce's Support of Foster Child

