Purely Commentary
The New Elie Wiesel Epic
"One doesn't go to Jerusalem, one returns to it.
That's one of its mysteries."
"Do you know why Jerusalem was saved?" — "No. Why?"
—"Because this time the towns and the villages, large and
small alike, by the hundreds and thousands, rose up in its
de f ense."
- Someone is singing: it is David weeping over Absalom's
death. Someone is weeping: it is Jeremiah predicting the
destruction of the indestructible city. Someone is shouting:
it is Rabbi Akiba exorcising misfortune by laughing. Some-
one becomes a murmur: it is Yehuda Halevi, lover and poet
of Zion , whose soul penetrates the stone and thereby re-
tains its trembling; it is a child asking questions of his
grandfather: 'It is written that the Shekhina, the divine
presence, never leaves Jerusalem; but it is also written that
it follows the Jews, all the Jews, into exile: isn't there a
contradiction in that?' And the grandfather answers: 'That
proves the Shekhina is present even within contradictions."
SS and Arab Terrorists' Merger Revives
Challenge to Jewry .. USSR Communications
Breakdown . . . Elie Wiesel's Jerusalem Epic
In the streets and at public meetings, speakers were inciting
the citizenry to get rid of the sons of the alleged Christ-killers,
who were nothing but parasites and aliens wherever they hap-
pened to be tolerated. They screamed: "Jews to Palestine!" Father
turned a deaf ear. Our schoolmates picked fights with us in class,
and molested us out of doors. We felt less and less safe. Whoever
wanted to beat us up could do so with impunity, and sometimes
with the blessing of our teachers. My father's advice: "Pay no
attention. There are bad people eveyrywhere, it would be cowardly
for us to allow them to dictate our behavior." Shortly thereafter
a new slogan was adopted: 'Death to the Jews.' Father ignored
that too. On several occasions my mother tried again to convince
him to pack up and leave, and once I came to her defense with
arguments of a religious rather than a political nature; as a Jew-
ish child, the Holy Land with its messianic reverberations thrilled
my soul and set it afire. An attitude my father found more under-
standable. `If you want to go to Palestine,' he said, 'I don't object.'"
In this fashion history was reconstructed, the tragic contrasted
with the heroic, the horrors with the reacquired joys. It is "A Beggar
You cull these and many more paeans to Jerusalem and to Zion, in Jerusalem" who serves as the medium to link people with history
you gather them together with the scores of parables, mixed with and land and Holy City and prophecy.
panoramic views of the new Jerusalem united as a result of an
All are interlinked in another Elie Wiesel volume that emerges
historic war, and you have the vision that is in "A Beggar in Jerusa- as one of his great works. He writes in four languages. Hebrew,
Yiddish and English are among them. The present work like so many
lem," the newest of the great epics by Elie Wiesel.
In this new Random House book, we have what could also be a others was translated from the French. The theme is internationaL The
spirit is Jewish. The author is one of the great interpreters of Jewish
set of cantradictions, expressions of horror for
values and Jewish dreams.
war yet the glorification of what happened in
•
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June of 1967; a plea for peace, yet a defiance
of danger and an acclaim for resistance; a
Polls and Prophesies
review of historic failures, yet a halleluya for
Polls were taken on several vital subjects, and they indicated popu-
the genius of Israel that rises above defeat once
lar views on such matters as cancer cures, longevity, the work week.
again to claim its glory in the world.
It is interesting to compare the figures in relation to the United
It is the beggar who retraces steps, who
States, Israel and other countries.
hovers over Zion, and that mystic character
Will there be a cancer cure by 1990? The most optimistic replies
could be the author, or any one of the Hasidim
were in Colombia where 80 per cent answered "yes." The percentage
engaged both in study and research and in
was 75 in this country and 66 per cent in Israel.
fighting for Zion redeemed. It is the symbolic
Will there be a three-day work week by 1990? Canadians topped
Katriel, and Gad the military man, and once
the "yes" list with 48 per cent, 33 per cent Americans believe it and
again the author himself—and all are linked, Eli Wiesel
only 4 per cent in Israel.
merged into a single purpose, all delineated with passion and with
Will a life expectancy of 100 be reached by 1990? In Great Britain
love and with nostalgic ideas and ideals.
43 per cent believe it, in this country 27 per cent have such confidence
As the author delineates Jerusalem and the war of redemption he and only 8 per cent have such hopes in Israel.
also recalls his personal experiences, before the Holocaust, during it
Why the latter figure is difficult to explain, but the first two are
and after. It is history recapitulated and reconstructed. Perhaps few obvious for Israelis. They have confidence in science, and they also
others, except those who, like Wiesel, remember the horrors they know that they must work hard to attain their goals. Therefore they
survived in Auschwitz and Buchenwald, could write what we read in believe there'll be a cure for cancer and that a three-day work week
"A Beggar in Jerusalem:"
is remote.
"Kill a Jew and you make him immortal; his memory, inde-
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pendently survives him. And his enemies as well. The harder
Dilemma of Russia's Communications Media
they strike the more stubborn the Jewish resistance."
Are the Russians being fooled by the anti-Israel propaganda? Do
It is not all about Jerusalem, but much of it is about the Holy
City. Parables, paeans, dialogues—much that relates to the theme finds they believe the accusations leveled at Israel? How do they get the facts,
expression such as:
and how far can the Kremlin go to mislead the people about the Middle
"JERUSALEM: the face visible yet hidden, the sap and the East?
blood of all that makes us live or renounce life. The spark flashing
A truly effective analysis was made in a special article in the
in the darkness, the murmur rustling through shouts of happiness Christian Science Monitor by Paul Wohl who discussed the dilemma of
and joy. A name, a secret. For the exiled, a prayer. For all others,
a promise. Jerusalem: 17 times deployed yet never erased. The the Russian communications media and the one-sided coverage of
symbol of survival. Jerusalem: the city which miraculously trans- Middle East news. The Wohl article shows how news is distorted by
forms man into pilgrim; no one can enter it and go away the Soviet newspapers and that just as the Russian people "were not
told about the massive capture of Soviet-supplied military equip-
unchanged."
The author, writing in the first person, reminiscing, reconstructing ment by the Israelis during the Six-Day War, they never learned about
historical values, has a chat with one of the heroes of his new novel, the large ultramodern Soviet radar installation which Israeli raiders
Katriel. From it Jerusalem emerges in this form of spiritual citaldom: dismounted and carried off in helicopters Jan. 2."
Paul Wohl reviews the various aspects of news coverage in the
Katriel once asked me: "Do you know Jerusalem?"
"I think so."
Middle East by the Russian press and states:
"The Old City too?"
The Egyptian contention that they had destroyed an Israeli
"Yes, Katriel. The Old City too."
radar installation near El Kantara on the Israeli-held side of the
"When were you there?"
canal figured in the Soviet press, but the Israeli denial was not
"Long, long ago."
mentioned.
He didn't ask me when that was, and I was grateful.
Characteristic of Soviet handling of Middle East news was a
Rabbi Nachman of Bratzlav, the storyteller of Hasidism, liked
brief dispatch in Red Star, the daily of the armed forces, on Jan.
to say that no matter where he walked, his steps turned toward
Jerusalem. As for me, I discovered it in the sacred word. With-
23. It stated that the Egyptians had repulsed an Israeli air attack
out taking a single step. I saw it then, as I see it now.
on the island of Shadwan south of the Suez Canal.
Here is the Valley of Jehoshaphat, where one day the nations
On Jan. 24, Pravda and Red Star reported that the Egyptians
will be judged. The Mount of Olives, where one day death will be
had "struck a mighty blow" against Abe Israeli landing force.
vanquished. The citadel, the fortress of David, with its small
"As
reported earlier," wrote Pravda, the Israelis had tried to
turrets and golden domes where suns shatter and disappear. The
land on Shadwan but had met with spirited resistance. "In the
Gate of Mercy, heavily bolted: let anyone other than the Messiah
course of the fighting the Israelis suffered not less than 55 casual.
try to pass and the earth will shake to its foundations.
ties. Two planes were downed."
And higher than the surrounding mountains of Moab and
Judea, there is Mount Moriah, which since the beginnng of time
"Meeting heroic opposition from Egyptian troops, the enemy
has lured man in quest of faith and sacrifice. It was here that he
bad to bring up reinforcement."
first opened his eyes and saw the world that henceforth he would
Actually, neither Pravda nor Red Star had "reported earlier"
share with death: it was here that, maddened by loneliness, he
an Israeli landing on the island.
began speaking to his Creator and then to himself. It was here
Nor did Soviet newspapers mention that the island's large
that his two sons, our forefathers, discovered that which links
British-built radar station was dismounted and removed by the
innocence to murder and fervor to malediction. It was here that
Israelis on Jan. 24. Instead, Red Star on Jan. 25 announced that the
the first believer erected an altar on which to make an offering
Egyptians had chased the Israelis from the island.
of both his past and his future. It was here, with the building of
the Temple, that man proved himself worthy of sanctifying space as
On the same page on which Pravda published its distorted
God had sanctified time."
version of the Shadwan episode was a cartoon showing Western
Wiesel reminisced. He recalled the time of the approaching horrors,
broadcasters, followed by heavily armed soldiers, advancing as if
his conversations with his mother, his father's refusal to believe that
to attack. "In the ideological war against the socialist countries
the doom was nearing. There were so many who believed so! His
imperialism leans heavily on swindle and misinformation, filling the
mother was more realistic. She urged leaving the home in Tran-
other with subversive, slanderous broadcasts." read the caption.
sylvania. "The sooner, the better," she said, advising Palestine as
In line with its own technique of reporting, the Soviet press
haven. Wiesel reconstructs the scene:
never mentioned the large-scale executions in Baghdad on Jan. 21.
She enumerated a few facts: the general situation was wor-
Only on the 25th, Pravda reported that "conspirators had been
sening, hatred was pouring out over the country, over the con-
sentenced to death." The number of executions was not disclosed
tinent. Evil was present, tangible: in the newspapers, on the walls,
nor the fact that the sentences had been carried out.
on the faces of the neighbors and passers-by.
The sale of 100 French planes to Libya, on the other band, was
"Besides," she added with difficulty, "I'm troubled by a
promptly reported and played up.
premonition. A kind of uneasiness. I feel that something is being
prepared for us, that our enemies won't wait much longer to
This kind of reporting shows bow embarrassed the Soviets are
sharpen their knives."
by the military prowess of the Israelis and the poor showing of their
They were already sharpening them, but my father, blinded
Arab friends. Soviet news media, and the party organs which direct
by his faith in man, refused to admit it.
them, are in a dilemma.
"We're not living in the Dark Ages any more," he replied.
The Soviet public knows from official communiques that their
"Jews are an integral part of today's society, of our civilization,
government once again is heavily committed in the Middle East.
just as our family has been part of this town and its history for
Western news broadcasts, moreover, do make the rounds.
three centuries. Why should we abandon our home, our friends,
as long as nobody forces us to?"
Since the beginning of this month Soviet reporting of Middle
The conflagration had already broken out, executioners were
East military developments has become more detailed. The idea
decimating Jewish communities, but my father, an enlightened
apparently is to offset Western and Israeli broadcasts. Now Soviet
spirit and an optimist to the bitter end, still continued to affirm
news reports no longer omit major actions but give a fuller Arab
that in the 20th Century humanity could not possibly debase
version of events.
itself by once more condemning Jews to suffering the pillory
While this is in line with the Communist political philosophy of
and death for no reason at all.
partinost," meaning the obligation to stand by the party—right or
2—'Pitchy, February 27, 1970
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
wrong, true or untrue, it does not make for a balanced appraisal
By Philip
Slomovitz
and can only strengthen the
Soviet people's distrust of their
press.
While it is generaly understood
that the Russians are compelled to
follow these lines, the splendid
analysis of the existing conditions
deserves widest circulation so
that the democratic forces through-
out the world should understand
the basis for the hatred against
Israel.
There are Jewish leftists who
reject every rational approach to-
ward an understanding of the
Israeli position in the Middle East.
The Chomskys are unhesitant in
their condemnations, but they will
not be helped in attaining a direct
approach towards peace. Are they
blind to realities, especially to the
factual conditions which influence
the Russian political attitude which
they seem to follow blindly? In-
deed, let the fact be known—and
we are grateful to Wohl for his
analysis.
• • •
Terrorists' Unity
A Detroit couple had a sad ex-
perience in a downtown Chicago
restaurant. An Arab advocate of
terrorism, seeing some
JewS
among the diners, started a loud
shouting campaign against Israel,
in support of the murderous acts
of his compatriots, and boasted of
the damage done and yet to be
done.
It was a heyday for the terror-
ist, Before he had had his say
fully, he had the support of a head
waiter who also began to boast
he could prove with photos he had
with him that he had been an SS
member in Germany, that he
played his role with the Nazi
murderers and that he was now
getting his compensation in the
form of Arab terrorists' campaign
to destroy Israel.
Bandits usually meet their
doom, and whether one is an Arab
terrorist or an SS murderer, they
will one day be compensated for
their inhumanity.
The interesting revelation in the
Chicago experience ?the, current
one: that the SS and! MO Arab
terrorists are of the same ilk.
The Detroit couple was horri-
fied to hear the SS man boast
that his gangs killed but not as
many as claimed, that only about
10,000 Jews perished, that the Six
Million claim is a myth. Would
that it were so! Since when is the
loss of Six Million a number to
boast of? But for propagandists
it's been an argument, and for
Jews the merger of Arab terrorism
and SS inhumanities are cause for
another assertion: Never again
another Auschwitz! And because
Jewry will never again submit to
it the answer is: Israel will live
and Israel's kinsmen will know
how to react to terror, lie, fn-
humanity and an attempt both to
destroy Israel and to undermine
the freedoms of world Jewry.
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Questions Needing 'Answers
Many questions need to be an-
swered in the current critical siP
tuation in the Middle East.
Among the many is the painful
one involving the New Left—the
Chomskys and the Stones and the
deluded among the blacks.
In view of the terror, it is time
to ask L F. Stone, whose vitrioliel
attacks on Israel are the basis
of the propaganda material used
against Israel by Arabs and anti.
Semites, and to confront Noam
Chomsky, with the query a9 lat
where they stand at this time: are
they still lending comfort to those
who seek to deprive Israel of so-
vereignty and therefore laboring
for another genocide?
Where are you, Noam, where
are you, Isidore? Where were PM
last week, and why were you si-
lent when terror spelled murder
in Zurich and in Munich?