By MOSIIE RON
Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent
Rabbi Blau Loses Influence With Naturei Karta
Rabbi Amram Blau is no longer
the acknowledged leader of many
thousands of members of the
Naturei Karta. Previously lie could
order thousands into the streets for
de onstrations against autopsies
or driving cars on the Sabbath, for
participating in municipal elections
In Jerusalem, opening a swimming
pool in the capital or wearing
Mini-skirts. Today, if Rabbi Blau
organizes a demonstration in Jeru-
salem, only a few dozen take part.
The members of Naturei Earth
Cannot forget that Rabbi Blau at
an age past 70 had married a con-
verted Jewess, Ruth Ben David.
They do not persecute him for it
but he is now a completely isolated
person. All his efforts to regain the
leadership of Naturei Karta have
failed.
The members of Naturei Karta
cannot forget that he chose the 49-
year - old French woman, Madelain
Lust, born in Calais, as his wife.
She had a son, Claude, born in
1944, from the marriage with her
former husband, Henry Frey. Di-
vorced in 1954, she was converted
together with her son to the Jewish
faith and six years later she mar-
ried Rabbi Blau. The religious
court of Naturei Karta did not ap-
prove this marriage and Rabbi
Blau was boycotted by Naturei
Karta members. They cannot ex-
plain his odd step. Sonic say that
Ms' zeal has been the reason for it,
other people maintain that lie is a
primitive and obstinate man and
does not know how to respect the
opinion of other men.
* *
Rabbi Amram Blau belongs to
one of the most distinguished reli-
gious families in Jerusalem. His
late brother, Moshe Blau, was an
Outstanding leader of Agudat Is-
rael in Jerusalem. His late father,
Shlomo Yitzhak Blau, was a dis-
ciple- of the Brisk Rabbi Yehoshua
Leib Diskin. He was a zealot and
when he arrived at Jerusalem, he
appealed imediately to all Jews of
Mea Shearim and the Old City to
boycott the secular school.
Forty years ago, Rabbi Amram
Blau caused the split between
Agudat Israel and Naturei Karta
because the leaders of Agudat Is-
rael in Jerusalem had agreed to
pay to the municipality education
taxes when they promised them a
subsidy for their special schools in
Jerusalem.
Nine years ago a conflict broke
out between Rabbi Blau and the
religious court of Naturei Karta on
account of his marriage to Ruth
Ben David. He had to leave Jeru-
salem for the first time in his life
and settled with his new wife in
Bnei Brak. After the "stormy
winds" in Mea Shearim had sub-
sided, he returned to his native
city but since then there is a deep
rift between him and the members
of Naturei Karta.
Rabbi Amram Blau conducts
prayers in the small prayer house
"Thora Weyirah," in which only
members of his family and a few
members of Naturei Karta parti-
cipate. They cannot forgive him
that he had left Jerusalem. A few
years ago, when his first wife.
Hinde, was hospitalized in Tel
Aviv, he did not cone to visit her,
declaring that - he will never leave
Jerusalem.
Rabbi Blau and his second wife
are now living in a modern apart-
ment. Their economic situation is
good. His wife cares for all his
needs. His and her children are on
very good terms with their par-
ents, They visit them often. His
wife dresses well. She is busy with
Social welfare and cares especially
for the old people and for poor
children.
Ruth Ben David has also entered
political life and entertains many ,
guests in her home. You can meet'
there guests from 'abroad. Arab
notables and diplomats from the
Old City. She talks with them poli-
tics and translates the words of
her husband in several languages.
• • •
Recently, Rabbi Blau had a talk,
with the chief editor of the Arabic
daily "El Nods" appearing in the
Old City, Mohammed Ibn Shalbie.
They discussed the political situa-
tion and Rabbi Blau advised the
Arab editor how to find a political
solution for the Jewish-Arab con-
flict. Rabbi Blau proposed the
establishment of a big state in the
Middle East like the United States.
He maintains that Jews and Arabs
could live in peace, if there would'
be no Zionists and no Jewish state.
Lilrvan Regime
Pledges Equality
for Jewish Citizens
ROME (JTA)—The new regime
in Libya has declared that it will
follow an independent course in
the Arab world, will treat its Jew-
ish citizens on an equal basis with
all other citizens and will not toler-
ate violence against anyone, ac-
cording to authoritative reports in
Italian newspapers.
Meanwhile, a number of wealthy
Jews in Tripoli have been interned
by Libyan authorities since the
revolution which unseated King
Irdis. But their detention is purely
a "precautionary measure taken to
protect them from possible at-
tacks." the newspaper La Stampa
reported .
According to the newspaper's
correspondent in Tripoli, Giorgio
Fattori, Libyan officials made it
clear to him that the detention
was protective. He said there are
about 300 Jews in Tripoli who ap-
pear quite free and are reachable
by telephone calls from friends
and associates in Rome and Naples.
Fattori reported that only one
anti-Jewish incident occurred dur-
ing the military coup, when a
Jewish youth was attacked in a
public square. He was rescued by
soldiers. The new regime is gen-
uinely anxious to prevent anti-Jew-
ish incidents, Fattori wrote.
A spokesman for the military
junta that deposed King Idris re-
portedly told Italian journalists
that Libya stands aloof from either
Nasserism or Baathism (the re-
gimes of Syria and Iraq), will not
accept the "advice" of Mohammed
Heykal and in fact would resent
a "paternalism" on the part of
any Arab leader.
• Heykal is editor of the semi-
official Cairo newspaper Al Ah-
ram which is regarded as a
mouth-piece for the regime of
President Gamal Abdel Nasser.
The junta spokesman reportedly
said that fibya will -fulfill all
international agreements and is
neither Communist nor any va-
riety of Marxist.
He said that Libya will be on
the side of the Arabs in all major
international issues but has its own
role to play in the Arab world and
in Africa.
Libya's new premier, 34-year-old
Dr. Haamoud el-Naghrabi, is a
Palestinian by birth who was edu-
cated in Syria and the United
States.
The new leader of the govern-
ment was once jailed and deprived
of his Libyan nationality because
he led petroleum workers in a
demand for higher wages.
The new military regime has of-
ficially protested to the United
States and Britain over arms sup-
plies to Israel, it was reported
Tuesday from Tripoli. The com-
plaint to Britain was over an al-
leged plan to sell Chieftain tanks
to Israel which the British ambas-
sador, Donald Maitland, denied.
But Libya's foreign minister,
Saleh Buesir, called in U.S. Am-
bassador Joseph Palmer Monday
to express his country's concern
over the delivery of F-4 Phan-
tom jets to Israel and the official
state visit of Premier Golda Meir
to Washington this week.
According to the reports, Buesir
told the American envoy that
"Such aid and sympathy from the
United States to Israel means con-
tinued support -to Israeli agges-,
sion against the Arab countries.'
There are some dramatic devel-
opments among members of Na
turei Karta. Sonic of them are not
ready to follow their leaders blind-
ly, to demonstrate and to throw
Naturei Karta on the Shaarey
Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem and
its manager, Dr. David Meir. They
attacked Dr. Meir at his home and
during his prayers at the Wailing
stones at policemen and non-reli- Wall. These attacks came after
gious Jews.
false rumors were spread that
On the other hand, one can find autopsies are carried out in the
Shaarey
Zedek hospital. The mem-
a group of zealots who propose to
leave Israel. In their newspaper bers of Naturei Karta did not
"Hachoma" they write that reli-
gious life in Israel has become
unbearable, that there is a great
danger for the religious Jews, that
one has to separate himself from
the Zionist bandits and also from
Israel. If one stays in Israel, they
say, one becomes a part of the
crimes which are performed by
the Zionists. They say all in Israel
are responsible for the breaking of
Torah rules, that those who re-
main in Israel, contributes to the
desecration of all that is holy to
religious Jewry, that we must
mourn seeing with our own eyes
how all religious values are tram-
pled and put down, therefore the
time has come to leave Israel.
The writer of the article asks:
What has a religious Jew to do any
more in Israel if the Almighty will
not redeem this country and for
give the sins of its inhabitants? A
campaign must be started abroad
against the Zionists and Jews
abroad must be separated froth
Israel, they argue. They say Jews
should be warned against the dan-
ger of Zionism and the Jewish
State.
*
This extreme group of the Na.
Karta has made a bad im-
pression even on the members of
Naturei Karta in Jerusalem. Sonic
lof them have clearly disassociated
themselves from this pamphlet.)
They did not let this pamphlet be
distributed in the small synagogues
of Naturei Karta in Jerusalem. t
They maintain that they have been
born in Jerusalem and will never
leave the Holy City, until the Mes-
siah will arrive.
Readers will certainly remem-
ber the attacks of members of
accept the explanation of the man-
agement of the hospital.
Last week Amram Blau had to
undergo a gallstone operation. He
had to give in and be admitted to •
the Shaarey Zedek Hospital. The
operation was successful and he is
feeling well. After his release from t
the hospital he most probably will
cotninue his fight against the
turei Karta will draw the right
conclusions from this case and re-
frain from attacking the only
strictly religious hospital in Jeru-
salem and its manager, Dr. David
Meir.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, September 26, 1969-13
T. H. Grant
INCORPORATED
a
eme-47-e- f
manager.
Ruth Ben David stays with him
in the hospital and praises the
treatment he gets. Also those ye-
shiva scholars of Nattirei Karta
who took part in the attacks on the
hospital and its manager are visit-
ing Rabbi Blau. They behave quiet-
ly with doctors and nurses. The
rabbi is praising the treatment and
all goes well. It is to be hoped that
the leaders and members of Na-
T
r t stry
Shaarey Zedek Hospital awl, its
in
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