'A Matter of Conscience"--Arab Terrorism Exposed,
UN Indicted in Analysis of Three Major Occurrences

Israel, a fellow member of the
Arab states in the United Nations.
is the target of an "unconscionable
effort" by its neighbors to destroy
it. Three major occurrences point
to an unprecedented level of de-
pravity" to which the Arabs have
sunk in these efforts to annihilate
Israel, a responsible spokesman
for the Israel government stated
this week. He posed the questions:
"Will an enlightened world

watch idly by as a call is issued
for a holy war by kings and
rulers 'of states purporting to be
members of the civilized family
of nations? Will a world that has
permitted, in our own lifetime,
an attempt to be made upon the
physical life of the whole Jewish
people continue about its busi-
ness while a call is made pub-
licly and unabashedly for the
destruction of its remnants?"

The statement defining the issues
declares:

THE AL-AKSA FIRE

1. On Aug. 21. 1969. the Al-Aksa
Mosque. sacred Moslem shrine in
the Old City of Jerusalem. was set
afire. Through the prompt and
effective efforts of Arab and Jew-
ish fire brigades, the fire was ex-
tinguished -in time to preserve the
entire structure of the mosque and
its dome. The damage to the
building was confined mainly to
the roof and internal walls of the
eastern wing, and the possible
r epairs and restoration could be
carried out within a short time.
Normal prayers in the mosque
were resumed the following day.

2. The government of Israel, on
behalf of all its citizens, regardless
of faith, immediately expressed
its profound sorrow at this event.
At the government's request, the
chief justice appointed an inde-
pendent commission of enquiry.
headed by a Supreme Court judge.
together with the mayor of Naza-
reth (a Christian Arab), and two'
university professors with scien-
tific competence, to enquire into
the causes of the fire. The com-
mission has already started its
work. Hearings are being held in
public. and its findings will he
published as soon as possible

3. On the basis of information
supplied by Moslem watchmen in
the employ of the WAKE, who were ,
on duty at the time, the Israeli
police have arrested a suspect, a
visitor of Australian nationality.
His trial will be public and open
to observers from any country or
faith. The Israeli government is
willing to provide the material and
technical assistance and other fa-
cilities that may be required by
the WAKE for the repair of the
damage caused by the fire, includ-
ing the entry of experts from other
countries deemed necessary by the
WAKF. (Incidentally, fires previ-

ously occurred in the mosque in
1964, and in the Church of the Holy
Sepulchre in 1949). It is natural

that the news of the outbreak of
the fire in this holy place should
have produced feelings of anguish
and excitement among the Moslem
population and civilized people the
world over. What has happened.
however, is that Arab governments
and some Moslem leaders have
exploited this tragedy for political
and propaganda purposes by un-
leashing a campaign which has
few parallels in the history of our
age. It takes the form of fantastic
accusations to the effect that the
Israel government
deliberately
decided to burn down the Al Aksa
Mosque, and that the suspect who
has been arrested was acting at the
instigation of the Israel authorities. '
President Nasser told the armed
forces of all Arab countries that
it was their sacred duty to go to
war against Israel; the only an-
swer is force, bloodshed and born-

22 Friday, September 5, 1969

—

bardntent, he added, "in order to
purify the Land of Israel." The
prime minister of Jordan said
Israel was responsible for the fire,
Lebanon announced that the fire
was part "of an Israeli plan to
destroy the holy shrine," while
Syria said that "the fire was
planned by the occupation authori-
ties who aim to wipe out Arab
sites in order to make Jerusalem
a wholly Jewish city." The Soviet
Union sought to capitalize on the
tragedy by echoing these words:
"The firing of the mosque by the
Israelis is the most dastardly act
committed against the Arabs."

the Soviet Union, is bent on with peace of mind, with confi-
exploiting every possible avenue dence and determination, its peo-
in
order to inflict on Israel death ! ple shall continue to build and
According to press accounts, this
and destruction. Consistently re- prosper.
commission has heard the most
jecting the dictates of reason,
But what of the world? Is it not
variegated kinds of evidence, with
they assiduously whip their time that it will look within itself?
witnesses letting their fancies run
populations
into
a
frenzy
of
hate
Is
this not a matter of conscience?
riot in - telling stories that have no
against it.
shred of truth to them: Since the
Six-Day War despite the Arab
It was the old notion that justice
Israel, alas harboring few illu-
campaign of terror and murder. sions, will continue to take care should not arise from laws, but
not a single death sentence has of itself in the future as it has in laws from justice.
ever been passed in Israel. and the past. With a clear conscience.
—Joseph Joubext.

Arabs in the areas administered
by Israel.

Israeli conduct in the administered
areas is well-known to thousands ,
of journalists and guests who have
visited there since the Six-Day
War. It is not an unsound specula-
tion that the failure on the part of
the UN to investigate conditions
among Jews in the Arab countries
may be construed by the Iraqi
rulers as acquiescence in their
policy of oppression and hangings.

MAKE YOUR
HIGH HOLYDAY
RESERVATIONS

Next on the Arab agenda is the
forthcoming effort to translate this
avalanche of hatred into political
capital through the instrumentality
of the UN Security Council. Thus
religious passions in the Moslem
world are being inflamed by HIJACKED TWA AIRLINER
AT
On Aug. 29, a TWA plane en
speeches. statements and through
the media of communication, and route from Rome to Athens and
hatred is being whipped up be- ultimately to Tel Aviv was hijacked
tween the two ancient and related by an Arab man and an Arab
woman and ordered to fly to Da-
faiths of Islam and Judaism.
mascus. Aboard were 113 passen-
Arab governments are using the
gers and crew, among them six
fire at Al Aksa in order to trans-
Israeli citizens—four women and
form their political dispute with two men.
NEW AIR-CONDITIONED SANCTUARY
Israel into a religious war and to
Immediately
following
a
hazard.
Ticket Committee In Session:
drag the entire Moslem world
into the dispute. Thus a new di- ous landing at Damascus airport
SUNDAY 10 A.M. TO NOON
,
in
circumstances
of
terror
and
mension of potentially most dan-
MONDAY thru WEDNESDAY 7 to 9 P.M.
intimidation
culminating
in
the
gerous consequences is being added
to the already complicated situa- •detonation of the plane by the ter-
Office Hours Mon.-Fri. 9 A.M.-4 P.M.
rorists, the six Israelis began their
tion in the area.
inevitable ordeal. First they were
Tickets also available for Special Services for Children 11
THE HANGINGS IN IRAQ
separated from the rest of the
Young Adults, and also our Child Core Program.
1. At dawn four days after the passengers and ultimately left be-
19160 EVERGREEN, DETROIT
Al Aksa fire, on Aug. 25. 15 people hind after the rest of the passen-
KE 5-4434
including two Jews were executed gers were permitted to leave. The
by hanging in the central prison women have since been permitted
of Baghdad. Among the fictitious to return home. The fate of the
accusations leveled against them men is still not known.
was the arbitrary and baseless
Hijackings are unfortunately a
charge of espionage in favor of common occurrence in a world
Israel and the United States. In replete with lawlessness. This.
offers a meaningful affiliation in the
premeditated manner. Radio Bagh- however, is a special case for the
living traditions of Reform Judaism.
dad announced the death sentences host country—in this instance one
only a few hours before their from which to date Israelis who
Services conducted by
actual execution. Prior to that. had the misfortune to stray across
Rabbi Steven Chester
Iraq had not even dropped hints its boundary lines or into its har-
about any trials taking place bors have returned after years of
against these defendants. A week the most ignoble mistreatment
before they were led to the gal- either mentally and bodily shat-
RELIGIOUS SCHOOL
lows, the Iraqi rulers announced tered or in rough wooden coffins.
YOUTH GROUP
the forthcoming trial of several
At the moment of writing. Israel
other Jews—the brothers Sassoon continues to pray for the safety
HEBREW SCHOOL
and Meir Abdo—to take place be- and the unconditional release of
SISTERHOOD
fore the so-called Revolutionary two of its sons. In this vigil, it
Tribunal.
has drawn heartening encourage-
ADULT EDUCATION
MEWS CLUB
2. Harrowing statistics tell us ment from the manner in which
that in Iraq in the last seven the U.S. government and TWA
months, 53 persons, including 11 have been exerting themselves in
Jews. have been led to the gal- trying to secure the release of
lows. Seven other Jews have been these men and their safe return
HIGH HOLY DAY TICKETS
tortured to death in Baghdad jails. to their families.
What does all this add up to?
Dozens of other Jews have been
•
available
An encyclopedia of Arab hatred,
thrown into prison since the Six-
terror and warfare directed
Day War. totally cut off from their
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476-4100
against Israel: The latest evi-
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dence that Arab leadership, aid-
3. Even this is but a fraction of
ed and abetted by its patrons in
the misdeeds of Iraq's blood-
thirsty leadership, who not only
trample into dust the elementary
rules of law and justice but flaunt
their moral depravity in public.
The most fitting image for this
24350 Southfield Road
reign of terror is . the gallows
erected in Baghdad's public
square.
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4. In face of this, the United
Nations yields to the Arab re-
fusal to permit investigation in-
to the situation among the
Jews in the Arab countries:
among the 2,500 helpless Iraqi
Jews; among the 4,000 Jews in
Syria who are being persecuted
to within an inch of their lives;
among the 1,500 Jews in Egypt
who live in constant terror des-
perately seeking a way out of
the nightmare that has become
their life. Yet a UN commission
has toured the Middle East, in-
vestigating the position of the

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