State Dept's. Mid East Policy Labeled Inept, Tragic
NEW YORK (JTA) — Father John the U.S. position had 'by no means' dle East envoy Dr. Gunnar V.
Jarring to his mission.)
Sheerin. editor of the Catholic crystalized."
World, told some 1,000 persons at - Sen. Javits assured Israelis that The Soviet note made it clear
tending an American Jewish Con - United States policy was to pre- j that the Soviet insistence on a
gress rally for the security of Israel serve the military balance of "package deal" conforming to the
that the current State Depart- power in the Middle East and that Nov. 22, 1967 resolution of the
ment's Middle East policy is a the U.S. would provide Israel with United Nations Security Council
"masterpiece of inept diplomacy" arms should the balance tilt against barred peace between Israel and
any one of the belligerent Arab
that had "evoked protests from it.
practically all parties involved."
He said he would do his utmost states until peace with all could be
The priest. who recently returned to see that the government gives achieved.
But the crux of the Soviet posi-
from a tour of the Middle East, favorable consideration to Israel's
declared that the various proposals requests for more military and tion was that the Four Powers
had to lay down a complete
for a peace settlement submitted economic aid.
peace program with only minor
recently by the United States "rep-
Opposition to Rogers' proposal
resent not only a turnabout in
details to be discussed between
that a line should be drawn in
American policy but a tragic fail-
Israel
and the Arabs. Moscow re-
the Sinai region prior to any
ure to face up to some of the chief
- and
jected the concept of a Soviet-
meeting between Israeli
obstacles to peace."
American
agreement on "neutral
Arab leaders was expressed in
formulas" for Dr. Jarring to sub-
Father Sheerin criticized Sec-
an editorial of the Atlanta Con-
mit to the belligerents. The Rus-
retary of State William
P.
stitution, one of the outstanding
sians argued that this "in effect,
Rogers' proposal to give Arab newspapers in the south.
(would) shift the main emphasis,
refugees of the 1948 war the
The editorial stated it was dis-
in working out an agreement on
option of repatriation to Israel
turbed "by some aspects of the
or resettlement in an Arab coun-
present U.S. posture on the con- basic aspects of the settlement,
Arb confrontation" over to contacts between the
try. "I believe the secretary's tii
nu ng I sra et-
proposals will not bring about
and added that "we find it hard to parties through Ambassador
Arab recognition of the legal ex-
believe" that if Israel returned Jarring."
istence of Israel, nor will they as-
The Soviet note rejected the pro-
Egypt's Sinai desert and other
sure security to Israel," he said. Arab territory it occupied after posals contained in the American
The prospect apears to be an the Six-Day War "Nasser and his note of Oct. 28--the text of which
escalated campaign of more sus- firends tomorrow would immedi- the State Department has not yet
tained and intensified guerrilla ac- ately adopt a policy of sweet rea- released but is expected to do so .
tivity "on the part of the so-called son." soon. Moscow characterized this
note as "one-sided" and "pro-
Palestinians" who "vehemently
In Ottawa a delegation repre- Israel" and charged that it actually
affirm that they will settle for
senting the Canadian Jewish
represented a withdrawal from
nothing short of total destruction , community, asked Mitchell
of the state of Israel regardless of Sharp, the secretary of state for positions previously taken by the
United States, notably on the Israeli
peace committments by Arab
external affairs and acting prime withdrawal from the occupied ter-
leaders."
minister, for a re-examination of , ritories, conditions of which Wash-
New York Sen. Charles Goodell
Canadian foreign policy with re-
said U.S. foreign policy should gard to the Middle East and a ington had spelled out in earlier
try to create an atmosphere in
"new diplomatic initiative" to proposals.
New British proposals aimed at
which responsible Arab leaders can
seek a solution to the Arab-
bridging the gulf between the So-
sit down with Israeli leaders and
Israeli conflict.
viet and British positions were re-
work out a hist peace. He assailed
In view of the failure of the Four ported to be in preparation follow
Rogers' policy as unrealistic and
dangerous "While purporting to Power initiative to find an accept- ing the Four Power meeting Tues-
be balanced it actually favors the able solution to the conflict, the in-
day.
creasing ambivalence of the United
Arabs," Goodell added.
Meanwhile, the envoys' deputies
States position and the inability of
The senator declared that "Oil the United Nations to resolve the were to meet again this week to
try
once again to put into written
diplomacy should not be the basis conflict, the delegation urged Can-
for our fore;en policy" and urged ada to undertake a new diplomatic form a statement of the areas of
agreement,
areas of pot e nti a 1
abandoning Four Power talks be- initiative.
agreement and areas of complete
cause it is a "diversionary tactic."
During the meeting. Sharp, who disagreement after some 25 Four-
Rep. Edward I. Koch told the has actively sought to aid the Jew-
Power meetings. A session of
rally he did not believe it is in ish population remaining in the
deputies last week failed to pro-
the interest of the United States Arab states, expressed his concern
duce a statement.
to change its policy toward Israel over the position of the Jews in
The Washington Post reported
"so as to make it more acceptable Iraq, Syria, Egypt and Libya.
that
prior to Tuesday's meeting,
to the Arab states." He said he
• •
•
"The U. S. was authoritatively
supported the policy Nixon expres-
Soviets
Turn
Down
All
said to be intending to make clear
sed when he was running for ofice
to the Soviet Union that no further
last year that would give Israel
but 2 U.S. Proposals
concessions can be expected and
a technolo"ical military margin to
LONDON—Moscow rejected eight that the next move on a settle-
more than offset her hostile neigh-
of
10
major
American
proposals
ment is up to Moscow."
bors' numerical superiority.
The paper reported that the
for Egyptian-Israeli peace in the
"Unfortunately, the campaign latest Soviet note on the Middle British did not regard the Soviet
rhetoric has not been fulfilled,"
reply of Dec. 23, rejecting the
East, it was disclosed here this
Koch said, "and we have seen week.
American proposals for an Is-
under the present administration ,
raeli-Egyptian settlement "as
In particular, the Russians with-
a change in policy which euphemis-
representing Moscow's entire
tically has been labeled 'balanced drew their former acceptance of a
position."
policy.' Yes the scales have been U.S. move to start the peace talks
Consequently, it said the British
tipped, but tipped adversely to using the so-called Rhodes formu- believed that were areas for com-
la.
This
formula
follows
that
used
Israel and its security."
after the Israel War of Independ- promise and were making pro-
A resolution calling on the Nixon ence, when the parties gathered on posals to that effect. Joseph Sisco,
administration "not to draw maps, the island of Rhodes for talks assistant secretary of state for
not to propose boundaries, and not parUy h through
e
Middle Eastern affairs, met Wed-
an intermediary.
impose conditions" but to bring
morning behind closed
The hitherto-secret Soviet coin- nesday
both sides in the Middle East con-
doors with members of the Confer.
munication, handed to Secretary of
flict to the conference table was
ence of Presidents of Major Ameri-
State William P. Rogers Dec. 23,
adopted by those attending the
can Jewish Organizations for an
contained a point-by-point criticism
off-the-record discussion of Ameri-
rally.
of America's most recent version
can Middle East policy and the
In Tel Aviv, Sen. Jacob K. Javits of a Mid East settlement. This
American position in the Four-
assured Israeli leaders that Presi- version, submitted to Moscow Oct.
dent Nixon will not change his 28, upset the Israelis, who protest- Power and bilateral talks.
The meeting was arranged on
friendly attitude toward Israel. ed it would amount to appeasement
Sisco's initiative and at his request.
The New York Republican, a mem- of the Russians and Arabs.
The fact that Sisco sought the oc-
her of the Senate Foreign Relations
Representatives of the Four casion to present the administra-
Committee, arrived Saturday on
Powers resumed their talks on tion view once again to American
a three-day private visit.
the Middle East situation rues- Jewry and to seek to allay fears
He was received by Premier day despite the airing of a funda-
widely expressed by the American
Golda Meir and Foreign Minister mental disagreement between the Jewish community that the admin-
Abba Eban. Sen. Javits met Soviet Union and the United istration was weakening danger-
States which could be bridged ously in its support of Israel. was
briefly with newsmen at Lydda
only if one side or the other taken as evidence of the effect the
Airport. He conceded that there
abandoned its professed position massive American Jewish protest
has been a deterioration in
- • Israel-American relations but
on the role and function of the has had in Washington.
claimed it was due pricipally
intervening powers.
(Detroit's Max Fisher, former
to misunderstandings and not to
(In Washington Tuesday, Robert chairman of the United Jewish
a diminution of American sup-
J. McCloskey, State Department Appeal and a friend of President
port for Israel.
spokesman, said the United States Nixon, brought 43 influential Amer-
Sen. Javits said his trip to Israel "was soundly disappointed" by the ican Jews to Washington last week
was to "gather more facts" on Russian note. He termed it a seri- for a two-hour off-the-record ses-
what he viewed as a "drifting ous setback to the cause of peace sion with Rogers. Rogers is said to
apart" of -Israel and the United in the Middle East and represented have insisted there was no policy
States. He said Rogers' Dec. 9 a "negative and retrogressive" change and that the U.S. will not
statement of U.S. Middle East attitude. McCloskey said the Rus- impose any settlement on Israel.)
policy was "not the last word on sian position could only serve to
Ambassador Armand Berard of
the subject by any means" and that delay the return of UN special Mid-
I
! '
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
36—Friday, January 16, 1970
Soviet's Attitude
Toward Guerrillas
to Undergo Test
France told Tuesday's meeting
that agreement had been reached
on several key points. listed
several in his talk with the envoys
but sources said later that the
BOSTON (JTA) — The Soviet
"agreement" attained on many of
the issues he cited was, at the Union's "ambiguous but slowly
warming attitude" toward the Pal-
least, highly debatable.
estine guerrillas will be put to the
Ambassador Berard's initiative test in the near future when Yasir
in offering his "balance sheet" was Arafat, head of the El Fatah and
ascribed by the New York Times of the Palestine Liberation Organ-
to the intention "to help the French ization, visits Moscow, the Chris-
government squash oppos 1 tion at tian Science Monitor reported from
home and abroad to its decision to
Beirut.
supply Libya with Mirage fighter
Arafat, who failed in his bid to
planes."
get massive financial support for
The presentation of the "balance the terrorists from the oil-rich
sheet," the New York Times said, Arab countries at the Rabat sum-
was regarded by experts as "a bit mit conference, will seek finan-
of diplomatic forcing designed to cial and military assistance from
move the talks off dead center by the Soviet Union, according to the
stressing the positive aspects."
Monitor's dispatch from John K.
The paper noted that "the French Cooley.
Arafat's talks with the Rus-
in effect are asking the other three
sians, it quoted pro-guerrilla
powers to confirm that the talks
sources in Beirut as reporting,
have been positive.
Jewish College Grads .
Create Their Own
Religious Cornmunity
will "deal with the size of poli-
tical, military and financial as-
sistance that the Soviet Union
may be prepared to extend to
the Palestinian revolution."
In view of the Soviet Union's
professed commitment to the Se-
NEW YORK (JTA) — Several
curity Council resolution of Nov.
Jewish college graduates are creat-
22, 1967 outlining the basis for
ing in New York City a community
settlement of the Mid East conflict,
in which to pursue an intensive ex-
Russians are expected to avoid
the
ploration of the Jewish tradition.
full-fledged recognition of Arafat
They are seeking guides in that
by having the terrorist and his
tradition for religiously-oriented
aides received by a Soviet non-
personal life styles.
governmental "solidarity organi-
Wary of establishment rind
zation" rather than by the govern-
hierarchy, the graduates repre-
ment.
sent one element in the explosive
3ooley reported marked differ-
growth of Jewish activist groups
ences between "Soviet diplomats
which seek a wide variety of re- accredited in Arab capitals, policy-
forms in both the general and Jew- makers in the Kremlin and diplo-
ish societies in America, 1),.t from mats engaged in big-power dis-
a Jewish base.
cussions" over policy on the guer-
The graduate students have es-
rillas. He said "the new Russian-
tablished the Havura in New
Palestinian contacts may help to
York City, which was incorpor- crystallize the Soviet stand on the
ated last May under New York
guerrillas."
state law as a religious and
educational institution. Havura
may loosely be translated as
fellowship.
Arrangements were completed
in December for a 34-month lease
on a 4%-room apartment on Man-
hattan's upper west side. Once it
is furnished, the apartment will
serve as a central location for a
variety of educational, religious
and social activities now carried on
in apartments and homes of mem-
bers. Sabbath morning services
have been started in the new cen-
ter.
Field Workers Supplied
With Inter-Com Units
JERUSALEM — Jewish National
Fund afforestation and land recla-
mation teams working in areas
subject to attack from across the
border have been supplied with
wireless communication sets tuned
to the wave length of military units
stationed in the vicinity. The sets
will make it possible for the work-
ers to contact army personnel for
assistance if pinned down by en-
emy fire.
Try and Stop Me
By BENNETT CERF
y
EARS AGO, the inimitable Sam Goldwyn celebrated his
birthday in the very middle of his filming of the Gersh-
win epic, "Porgy and Bess." It was a happy and competent
cast, and one of the hap-
piest thereof was Sammy
Davis, Jr. To show his ap-
preciation, Sammy pre-
sented Mr. Goldwyn with
a wondrous wrist watch
that gave not only the
time in seconds, but the
date, the phases of the
moon, low and high tides,
and probably traffic con-
ditions on Sunset Boule-
Santint3
vard.
Davis, Jr.
To further please Mr.
Goldwyn, the cast pre-
pared a special rendition
of "I Got Plenty of Noth-
in." Sammy Davis in particular gave his all for this feature,
dancing his head off, and concluding with a slide clear across
the studio, landing with arms outstretched smack in front of
Goldwyn.
"Do you like it, boss?" panted Sammy. Mr. Goldwyn
looked carefully at the watch just presented to him and made
his only comment of the performance: "IT'S TOO LONG!"
• • •
A candidate for governor in a Southern state was asked what
he planned to do it elected. "That's not worrying me a bit," he
replied. "The big question in my mind is: what am I going to do
if I'm NOT elected."
• • •
A Current airline poster suggests "Tell her to pack bags for
two." Under one copy thereof a disgruntled husband crayoned,
"Yes, sir! Hers and her mother's!"
C MO, by Bennett Cert. Distributed by King Features Syndicate.