Purely Commentary

A Variety of Current Interests in a Most
Turbulent Age . . . Some Basic Facts About the
Refugee Question _ . Exposing Anti-Israel Bias

Dr. Zeitlin Interrupts Chief Editorship of Jewish Quarterly Review
A literary note of world interest has just been written by one of the most interesting personalities.
He is a bachelor, he is one of the very few in the past century who earned the highest title obtainable by
an ordained rabbi—moreinu; he is an authority on world history yet he is sociably charming, alert to world
affairs, tolerant even though he can be biting when dealing with opposition to his views while upholding
an idea.
We refer to Prof. Solomon Zeitlin, the great authority on the period of the Second Commonwealth,
who announces, in the current issue of the Jewish Quarterly Review, that he is giving
up active editorship of the magazine after 30 years in that role. He announces an
outstanding list of scholars who will now form the board of governors—Irving A. Agus,
Robert Gordis, Solomon Grayzel, Sidney J. Hoenig, Abraham J. Katsh, Leon Nemoy,
Harry M. Orlinsky, Ellis Rivkin and Ezra Shereshevsky. The latter will be the man-
aging editor. All but two were his students. All of them no doubt are relieved to know
that he will remain active as an adviser, perhaps also as an active participant.

The importance of this item is ascribable to the fact that the Jewish Quarterly
Review was founded 80 years ago in England and is the oldest Jewish scholarly maga-
zine. When Dropsie College was established 60 years ago, it became part of the func-
tions of that school of higher learning which, under the leadership of Prof. Katsh, its
current president, has become a university for post-graduate students. Dr. Zeitlin

By Philip
Slomovitz

Jews in Arab Countries . . . All This Talk About
Refugees . . . and Silence About Jewish Displaced
When the American Jewish Congress, at its biennial convention in
Washington last month, challenged the indifference of the United
Nations, especially with regard to the failure to take into account
the plight of Jews in Arab countries, it was merely pursuing an old
complaint. When the AJC governing council accused the UN of "callous
indifference to the plight of Jews living in Arab lands," charging
that the UN has "failed to initiate an investigation into their perilous
condition," it repeated a fact that has been presented time and time
again, only to be ignored by the world organizations where the cards
are stacked against Israel.
There are some basic facts about Jews in Moslem countries that
need repeating:
In 1945 there were 175,000 Jews in French Morocco and another
15,000 Jews in Spanish Morocco. Now there are 40,000 Jews left in
Morocco—one of only two countries where Jews have a modicum of
security.
In the other such country, in Tunisia, there were 66,000 Jews in
1945. Now there are 15,000.
There were 75,000 Jews in Egypt in 1945. Now there are 2,500, and

Dr. Zeitlin began to write for the Quarterly 43 years ago. He became its editor 30 years ago. He many of them are in Nasser's jails.
has been and remains a controversial figure—controversial in the sense of being challenging. It was he
Here are some figures about other Moslem countries: There were
who refused to accept the Slavonic Josephus, more than four decades ago, as a genuine document, and 90,000 Jews in Iraq in 1946, now there are 2,800. Of the 26,000 Jews
those who abused him were compelled to admit that his views were correct.
in Libya in 1946 only 4,500 remain today. Of the Syria-Lebanon total
now 3,500 in Syria and
He continues to challenge the claims that the Dead Sea Scrolls belong to antiquity. Even if he number of 25,000 Jews in 1946, there are
stands alone, his contentions sound so valid that he has begun to gain adherents for his arguments. He 3,500 in Lebanon.
It
is
known,
of
course,
that
there
have
not
been any Jews either
admits that it may take a generation of new scholars to give his views the true test. insists he will be
in Kuwait or in Jordan or in Saudi-Arabia. Only in Turkey and in Iran
proven correct. We are inclined to accept his attitude as the right one, his views as based on deep and
are
Jews
free—as
free
as
one
can
hope
to
be
where
there is pressure
correct study of a most interesting issue that has caught the imagination of people so thoroughly that few
from terrorists and from those who, unlike the governing forces in
dare submit to the basics advanced by this eminent scholar.

Somehow, our feeling is that even though he retires as editor he will remain a dynamic force—at
Dropsie University, in our generation, in the columns of Jewish Quarterly Review.
During the forthcoming Rosh Hashana week Dr. Zeitlin will be among the scholars who will go to
Israel, as a Dropsie University delegation, to present an honorary degree to President Zalman Shazar, on
and roommates at the college in St. Peters-the latter's 80th birthday. Zeitlin and Shazar were classmates
burg that was sponsored by Baron Gunzburg. What a wonderful occasion for a great scholar to meet a
fellow student and to place his university toga upon him! It'll be a great time for Shazar, Zeitlin, Katsh-
and Dropsie University.
= *
e r e
S

A TV Distortion and Evil Consequences: Unnecessary Damage to Peace
It's understandable: newspapers, and other communications media feel they should be impartial,
able to present both sides of every question, ready to give a platform to people with grievances. Some
call it even-handedness. All of which is to the good—except that all too often these media do not check
on truth and do not ascertain whether what they do will render an injustice and will cause harm.
The Channel 7 tv program on Monday, narrated by Peter Jennings, who had as his collaborator
Barrie Dunsmore, swallowed hook, line and sinker all the hate-inspired El Fatah arguments. It inflated
the number of refugees. It spoke of Lebanon as a center of activities against Israel, when, as a matter of
fact and established record the Lebanese are resentful of the presence of the guerrilla terrorists in their
midst. The latter destroyed the peace and tranquility of that nation—the only one in the entire Middle East
with a desire to retain amity with Israel.
That tv program resorted to the new Kremlin-Cairo created euphemism for anti-Semitism: the
new campaign against Zionists. And in the process there was that new attempt of claiming that Jews
were acceptable when, again as a matter of truth and fact, Jews were massacred by Arab terrorists long
before there was a Jewish state.
That tv program proved that from the American-financed Beirut University stems most of the poison
against Israel, Israelis and Jews.
That program contained a bit of satire when Arabs were quoted as having "lost faith in the UN."
How about the double-talk in the Security Council, the ganging up on Israel by the Soviet and Afro-Asian
blocs—all against Israel, without rhyme or reason?
What we say might have been debated, except for the final words by Jennings that "until they are
satisfied there will be no peace in the Middle East"—and the satisfaction recommended by Jennings
was for the El Fatah who have only one desire: the extermination of Israel. Therefore with El Fatah
there will never be peace, while there remains the hope with the rational and realistic Arab rulers that
peace will be attained before very long.
The tv program on Channel 7 utilized an argument that has been a basis for letters in both of our
daily newspapers about the 32 children who died when Israel bombed a military point near Cairo. The
UAR is yet to prove that the children who died there were not planted since it has not been denied
that Israel's objective in the bombing was a military point. The cruelty of the entire argument is the
headline one darling newspaper again uses of "Israel responsible," an indecency in giving a platform
to one who without expressing remorse charges Israel with guilt of having transported children on the
Lebanese border. But the children had been taken on that bus for years to their school, and the terrorists
knew it and deliberately attacked a children's vehicle. Such heroism! And this is what a tv program plays
up and speaks of satisfaction for fomenters of terror!
Only one other fact needs to be mentioned in this connection—that of the Lebanese attitude in the
matter of terrorists' intrusion into its territory. Contrary to the claims of the murderers who condone
attacks on children's school buses, Lebanon disapproves of the actions of the terrorists. Two items in the
Washington Post are worth quoting. Both are datelined Beirut. James W. Lewis Jr. reported:
Lebanon, embarrassed over Israeli patrols on its territory and under pressure because of a flood
of refugees from the South, today (May 27) announced strict measures to curb Palestinian guerrilla
activity."
-
In the same issue, explaining how the refugees "resent commandos," William Tuohy cabled:
"In Lebanon, Moslem sentiment has long supported,the commandos, but, increasingly, Christian
sentiment is that the Palestinian commandos are trying to dictate national policy to the detriment of

these countries, are bent upon destroying Israel.
What happened to the Jews who left the Arab lands? They were
either banished or forced to escape, their possessions were confiscated,
most of them settled in Israel.
There is an interesting story also to be told with regard to the
Jews in Algeria.
Yet there is talk only of Arab refugees, and the Jewish refugees
from Arab lands are ignored, those who survive in Arab lands are
neglected and the world organization is. indeed, indifferent about them.
This is one of the proofs of the double standards in the UN.

'Lo m'Uktzekho

Which a Biased Editor Won't Understand

There is an old Hebrew saying addressed to the stinging bee:
"Lo m'uktzekho v'lo m'duvshekho"—don't give me your honey and
spare me your sting.
For several weeks we thought that a certain editor whose bias
smelled to the high heavens knew about that saying: he kept Israel out

of his editorial columns and out of the letters to the editor. But you
can't keep unsavory bias silent: he is back to his old tricks, with two
lies-laden letters in succession in his columns this week.
Will he ever learn that he drags to the gutter a good newspaper
and that journalism is not helped by resort to bias?
e
*

Bahrain ... Another Anti - Israel State?
First we were informed that Iran (one of the friendly-to-Israel Mos-
lem states) was accepting a free choice of independence by Bahrain,
and then, a few days ago, the United Nations Security Council gave
quick recognition to the independent and sovereign status of the Per-
sian Gulf Bahrain sheikhdom.
One wonders: does this mean the addition of another anti-Israel
state to the roster already accumulated at the UN?
And since the Security Council, noted for its injustices and enmites
toward Israel, acted to grant independence to Bahrain, does this add
venom to accumulated hatred?

•

•

•

Recalling Allan's Chat with Nasser
Frequently, there are inquiries about Gamal Abdel Nasser's earliest
role and whether he-really was a prisoner of the Israelis.
It was so contended in an article in the London Observer some
time ago.. Then the following letter to the editor of the Observer was
published:
"Permit me to make a correction to Mr. Lajos Lederer's article
last Sunday, 'Tito bids for peace' where be says in effect that
President Nasser was taken prisoner during the 1948 Palestine war.
"I wish to point out categorically that at no time was President
Nasser 'taken prisoner' during the Palestine war.
M. SAMIR AHMED Counselor,
Charge d'Affairs a.i.
Embassy of the United Arab
Republic, W1
Thereupon the editors, in footnote to the UAR letter, wrote about
the role of Yigal Allan, one of the Israeli generals in Israel's war of
independence, and stated:

"It is technically correct that the then Colonel Nasser was not
taken prisoner, but he was trapped in the Faluja 'pocket' with his
brigade. While release negotiations were proceeding, General Allon
spent several hours with him, discussing military and political

Lebanese economic and political health.
problems."
"In the eyes of the Lebanese Christians, and perhaps some Moslem leaders, too, the fate of
As a clarification of historical facts, this item is especially
southern Lebanon may well be the "Jordanization" of the whole frontier. In Jordan, the commandos interesting. One day General Allon will surely tell his own story about
have the run of the country, the Palestinian population has what amounts to a veto power over the that episode in Israel-Nasser relations.
government, and the once lush and productive Jordan Valley has been turned into a wasteland by the
raids and reprisals."

Of course reprisals bring damage, but they are inspired, especially on the Lebanese border, by
the terrorists.
Francis Ofner, reporting to the Christian Science Monitor frOm Israel on the situation in Lebanon,
told of past experiences which were marked by Lebanese-Israeli friendships and related:

"On the human level the sad nature of the situation was highlighted by one of the farmers of
Avivim, Meir Biton, whose 10-year-old niece was among the victims of Friday's bus attack. He
said to a newspaperman visiting the village:
"Our orchards and the fields of the Lebanese farmers meet at the border. Until a few months
ago we were on friendly terms with the Lebanese. We would exchange gossip at the border and at
night they would creep into our orchards and steal peaches.
"But now they don't come any more. They are scared we'll kill them if we catch them. I wish
the time was back again when the Lebanese farmers used to steal our peaches."
Israelis can chat again with the friendly enemies the Lebanese on their borders. There can be a

bit of petty larceny. But first the terror must end. Israel must use force to curtail it. Arab chieftains

can utilize reason and a desire for genuine peace to end the state of terror. The latter are more vital to
the issue. Would that there were a domination of the rational and reasonable in Israel's enemy ranks!

2—Friday, June 5, 1970

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Israel to Raise Funds for Refugees

JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Israeli Cabinet approved
the establishment of a public corporation to raise funds
for "the economic development and rehabilitation" of
Arab refugees in the occupied territories.
It plans to raise $24,000,000 from donations all over
the world. It has received its first commitment of $2,-
400,000 from a Jewish resident of Britain who wishes
to remain anonymous.
The funds are intended to finance the so-called
Peres Plan, proposed by Shimon Peres, minister of im-
migrant absorption. The plan calls for the creation of
new jobs in the occupied territories and the general
economic development of the region, including voca-
tional training, farm development, health education, wel-
fare, housing and civil engineering.