Civil Rights in U.S. and Israel
Compared by Hebrew U. Prof.
8—Friday, August 28, 1970
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
JERUSALEM — The civil rights Union which guarantees unqualified
and civil liberties situation in Is- freedom of speech.
rael compares most favorably with
The ultimate distinction between
that in the United States, accord- the American and Israeli legal sys-
ing to a study recently completed tems is that all American legisla-
by Dr. Aharon Rabinowitz, secre- tion is based on the written Con-
tary of the Hebrew University's stitution which has no Israeli coun-
terpart. In Israel, all legislation is
law faculty.
Dr. Rabinowitz, who holds a guided by the Declaration of In-
masters degree in comparative dependence. which guarantees jus-
jurisprudence f r o in Washington tice, peace. freedom, tolerance.
University and a PhD in inter- equality and adherence to the UN
national law from Amsterdam Uni- Charter.
versity. began his research while
on a grant in the U.S. in 1965.
Japanese Grad Student
Basing his study on parallel Gets PhD at Hebrew U.
supreme court cases. Dr. Rabino-
JERUSALEM—For the first time
witz outlines the similarities and
differences both in essential law since its inception in 1925, the He-
brew
University has conferred the
and its applications in both coun-
degree of doctor of philosophy on
tries.
a research student from Japan.
According to the study, the
Dr. Takamitsu Muraoka. 32. was
civil rights problem as it is
among 135 other students who re-
nut
known in the U.S. does
ceived
their doctorates from He-
exist in Israel, the two chief dis-
brew University President Avra-
tinctions being that in the U.S.
ham
Harman
in the amphitheater
prejudice is purely racial and
of the university's Mount Scopus
that this racialism is institutional
campus.
with roots in racial legislation.
He is one of some 12 students
In Israel, where almost all citi-
zens are of common Semitic stock, from Japan at the university,
there can be no racial problem. studying for degrees at all levels.
One student. Jacob Yuro Teshima
Furthermore. the prejudice which
does exist is aimed against new recently gained his BA in Bible and
philosophy
and has now returned
immigrants (a problem which
ceases to exist after one genera- to Japan, where he is assisting his
father
to
run
a new breakaway
tion) and is always individual with
sect in Japanese Christianity.
no legal precedent.
Yet another student, Tomoo
Thus, for example, voting was
Ishida, is currently engaged in
never an issue in Israel, while it
research for his PhD thesis in
still is a major problem in parts
Jewish history on the royal dynas-
of the United States.
The rare cases of legal restric-
tions against Arabs in border areas
have no racial roots and are only
based on security considerations of
the type which motivated the U.S.
to curtail the freedom of its Japan-
ese citizens during the second
world war.
Another major distinction be-
ties of Israel
and the neighbor.
ing states during the period of
the Israelite monarchy.
A number of students from Japan
and among them holders of scholar.
ships arrive in Israel each year to
take up studies at .universities
throughout the country and, since
many of them are Christian. they
are found majoring in the field of
tween the civil rights situation in Oriental and Jewish studies.
both countries is that in the U.S..
Kibutz Hefzibah in the Jezreel
at least until recently, the Blacks
Valley has for some time played
demanded full integration.
host to a small enclave of young
In Israel, on the other hand, the
Japanese Christians who regular-
Arabs prefer a situation of "equal ly
send a limited but consistent
but separate" under which their
schooling is funded by the state number of their group for univer-
sity studies in Israel.
while the curriculum is guided by
religious and cultural considera-
tions. and the state respects and Most Venomous Animal
IF you're unhappy with the phone company,
well get you action.
guarantees their ethnic, linguistic Researched by Team
and religious rights.
JERUSALEM — The most veno-
Dr. Itabinowicz's main criticism
of the American Civil Liberties mous animal yet found in the
Middle East. a half-inch long, black
code is that it has no built-in sys-
tem of checks against abuse. Ile desert bug, has recently been iden-
cites the case of Preston vs. U.S. tified by scientists of the Hebrew
University.
in which the Supreme Court re-
The Reduviid bug was found by
versed the guilty verdict against a
confessed robber because police university zoologists in the Sinai
during
the Hebrew University's
had searched his car without a
scientific expeditions to the desert.
warrant.
and
a
few
bugs were brought back
"The rules of due process
to Jerusalem where the scientists
which must in America be ob-
began
breeding
them in the hun
served with uncompromising
dreds in the laboratory of the de-
strictness may in Israel be ap-
partment of entomology and veno-
plied with some flexibility" ac-
mous animals with the aim oc
cording to the study.
On "defamation and libel" Israel studying its biology.
So venomous is the small preda-
has gone one step beyond the U.S.
by prohibiting any form of group tor, which lives in dry, stony desert
libel. U.S. law only protects reli- areas, that a mouse bitten by it is
gious and racial groups.
dead within less than one minute.
While Israeli law is based prim-
arily on British law and to a lesser
extent on American precedent, the
rules regarding "freedom of asso-
ciation" are more European and
only guarantee this freedom for
The venom is stronger than
that of the animal which pre-
viously was termed the most
venomous in this area, the yellow
scorpion, which annually kills
several children in Israel and
"It happens.
"Sometimes people have a legiti-
mate complaint against the phone com-
pany.
"But too often they go to someone
else for an answer. When we should be
the first to hear about it.
"We're service and repair repre-
sentatives at Michigan Bell, and if you
need an answer for a slip up, call one of
us first.
"We have a new way to handle,
complaints and unusual service requests
much faster. Now if you should ever
have a question for the phone company,
you don't have to contact someone else.
"To take care of these hang ups,
Michigan Bell has set up 'Special Action
more in Egypt.
"lawful purposes within a frame-
work of the law.•" There is no abso-
While the research team the first
lute freedom of association in year concentrated on breeding the
bug, the following year was devot-
Israel.
In the U.S., on the other hand. ed to biological studies, and only
groups whose ambition may be the now the team is ready to start de-
undermining of America's demo- tailed studies on the chemical and
Forces' in its local offices.
"Our 'Special Action Forces' are
made up of specially trained people.
"They know the best ways to track
down misplaced orders. To answer un-
common questions. To process even the
most complicated service and repair
requests.
"So if you ever have a telephone
repair problem, just dial repair service;
for any other service requests, call your
service representative at your local
Michigan Bell business office. If we can't
solve your problem through regular
channels, we'll turn it over to our 'Special
Action Forces'.
"Now, if you contact us first, you'll
get faster action."
Michigan Bell
cracy are allowed to operate al- pharmacological properties of the
most unhampered—protected by a venom, and prepare anti-serum if
silent Bill of Rights and a Consti- requested.
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