Russian Bear's Traditional . Death Hug Nothing has changed at the Kremlin. The ghost of the Czars have never left the headquarters of the terrorists who first acted in the role of tyrannical emperors, and now as terrorizing dictators who speak in the name of the masses but who are the worst oppressors of their subjects. It appears worse under communism than it was under Nazism. When the Czar personally directed the persecution of a Jew on the atrocious blood libel charge, in the infamous Beiliss Case, the Jew had recourse to defense in the courts. The Jews who were tried in secret court sessions in Leningrad didn't have a ghost of a chance to defend themselves. But there are no secrets in our modern society. There is a re- bellious spirit in Russia, and there is a chance that it will emerge there as well as throughout the world in condemnation of the death sentences against those who sought escape from the horrors of the Soviet oppres- sions. More trials are predicted, and the voices of protesting peoples should be heard in an effort to prevent further injustices. Gradually it becomes apparent that the trial was not to punish hijackers but to terrorize Russia's Jewish population into silence as a rebuke to those who dare ask for the right to settle in Israel. Russia's inhumanity is becoming more evident with the indifference to the public expressions of sympathy for the victims and in condemna- tion of the preparations for other trials in Leningrad, Riga and Kishi- neff. There is no limit to the Russian terror, and the protests must not stop, the condemnations must be expressed wherever there is a sem- blance of justice on earth. Perhaps even the Kremlin will listen to the voice of reason. Let my people go has become an outcry for the right of people to go where they please. If they are unhappy where they live, they have a right to choose their residence. There is an established international principle embodied as Article 14.8 in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights of the United Natioqs which declares: "Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country." Russian Jews have a right to leave the land they consider inhospit- able. Let there be an end to oppression and let us have clean con- sciences in the knowledge that we have helped right a great wrong. The crimes of the Kremlin cry ,out to the high heavens. Let the ccndemnations be heard from every area where there is a human sentiment that is repelled by the medievalism that stems from the Communist headquarters. • • A Very Timely Russian Story The Russian totalitarian regime may appear immune to criticism, but it does not hide always from the limelight that exposes its aims. To Chronicler of the London Jewish Chronicle we are indebted for a timely story. It happens to quote one of Israel's very able leaders who had bolted the radical ranks many years ago to join the pro-Russian party out of his belief that a stand with the Soviets would be helpful to his country. The story, entitled "Quick trips," follows: Dr. Moshe Sneh, who represents the pro-Zionist Israel Commu- nist Party in the Knesset, tells this story of two scientists at the Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT) in Helsinki. "My wife and I have a car each," said the American, "and so does our daughter, whose college is a long way from home. Have you got a car?" "No," the Russian replied. "We don't need a private vehicle. Our public transport system Is first-class: buses, trolley-buses, mini-buses, the Metro, trains, taxis, droshkls. "There are excellent shopping facilities and a beauty parlour near our home. Our daughter gets to college by Metro and I don't have far to go to my work either. "As for our friends," the Russian added, "we travet to them in tanks." • • • Voices of Reason Negate Panic-Spreaders • , ' of war . . . all but 10,000 of its 268,000 inhabitants have fled the artil- lery and air duels along the canal." He tells of difficulties university graduates encounter in getting jobs and of 80 per cent of students seeking jobs abroad. There are economic pressures elsewhere, but in the Arab countries the low standard of living, the illiteracy, the hatreds are ascribable to the terrible Middle East situation which can be corrected by peace with Israel. Only the handful of extremists stand in the way of such a peace. How soon will the ruling Arab classes come to their senses? 4•.1-1 • - mediately affected by American policy, I would recommend the following: (a) We should faithfully ample` ment the basic policy express- ed In Section 501 of the De- fense Procurement Act of 1971 which is now the law of the land—to furnish to Israel the means of providing for its own Senator Jackson's Challenging Report security in order to restore and maintain the military bal- In his 22-page report on his assessment of the existing situation ance in the Middle East. in the Middle East, Senator Henry M. Jackson (D., Wash.) expresses concern over the attitude of the Soviet Union and the encouragement (b) Recognizing that the economy can no longer sustain its re- it gives to the Arabs "to adopt a rigid rather than flexible position." cent high level of defense pro- Addressing his statement to Senator John Stennis, chairman of the curement, we should stand U. S. Senate Committee on Armed Services, Sen. Jackson goes into ready to assist Israel not only considerable detail to describe Russian aims, from the time of Catherine by credit sale but with grant the Great in 1788, to acquire a foothold in the Mediterranean. He points aid for certain military equip- to the failure of the war of attrition threats against Israel and to Israel's ment essential to her security. needs to sustain her military strength and in urging assistance to We should assist Israel in the Israel, he emphasizes that Israel has always paid for weapons it had (c) development of an improved secured from this country. Here is what he had to say on the subject: indigenous defense production "One serious, and often overlooked, problem faced by Israel is capability in certain areas the severe economic dislocation that results from the absorption of through the provision of pro- manpower and capital by the - defense effort. One plausible strategy duction rights for equipment for weakening Israeli defenses is to require that she continually of U.S. manufacture. maintain a high state 'of readiness, utilising much of her trained (d) We should drop the "Rogers manpower for defense purposes. Such a war of economic attrition, formula" of supporting only if actively supported by the Soviets through her Egyptian and Syrian 'Insubstantial alterations" in clients, is a severe threat to Israel's industry and economic develop- the 1949 armistice lines, sub- ment. stituting, in its place, a for- "Israel has always in the past paid for weapons acquired in the mula that recognizes the pri- United States. For many of the 22 years of its history Israel was macy of establishing borders forced to pay prime rates for second-hand arms. As the United States for Israel. has come to appreciate its own security interest in the Middle East, (e) Our approach to a settlement Israel has had access to sophisticated aircraft and other weapons should, above all, emphasize manufactured in this country. A realistic appraisal of the Israeli concrete, physical arrange- economic and financial situation indicates that It will not be possible ments to assure Israel's secur- for Israel to maintain the level of defense expenditures necessary ity which, if imperiled, merely # #.## tt.s, a av er, • SiOMOVitZ Irrational Diplomacy Stemming From Kremlin and Novosti There is no sense trying to guess why a nation that could benefit so much from friendship with the world and with Israel should be bent upon anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism, hatred for Israel, and a biased stand in support of the extreme Arab terrorists who seek the destruction of another people, the Jews. From the Kremlin there keeps pouring propaganda that is so hateful that one wonders what the geniuses in the Communist party hope to accomplish by it. Novosti, the Kremlin's news agency, serves its masters well with the type of propaganda that covers up the crime that has just emanated from the Leningrad courtroom. A load of copy has come from the Washington quarters of the Kremlin rulers. The Leningrad story is distorted, there is a continuation of the charges that "Zionists" have done it all, and back of the entire concoction is such a deep hatred for Israel and such great pro-Arab bias that the puzzle becomes even more complicated. It is understandable: the Soviets would like to get control of the Middle East. Right now Israel stands in the way by keeping the Suez closed. Fortunately the State Department, hardly ever friendly to Israel, recognizes that the major danger is to the United States' position in the Mediterranean. Perhaps that realization will assure firmness, and while there is hope that resumption of the Jarring talks will assure continuation of the cease fire and an encouragement to rationalism that might lead to a stable peace, this country can not overlook the threat in a major area in the world. Right now the Russian-made tragedy in Leningrad, which threatens to spread to other courts in the USSR scheme of punishing those who wish to go to Israel, is of chief concern. Will world public opinion bring the desired result not only of a reversal of the death sentences but also of an end to the anti-Jewish actions that are encouraged by the Kremlin? One of the current press relases issued by Novosti Press Agency deals with the cancellation of the Bolshoi tours of the U.S. and charges that "Bombs Versus Music" are at stake. It accuses the "Amer- ican rowdies from the Jewish Defense League" of throwing bombs at Russian artists and it concludes its article signed by one of its commentators: "By throwing bombs at Soviet performers, the American Zionists have, in effect, flung bombs at American audiences and, in the final analysis, at themselves." Endlessly, it is the Zionist bogey that is resorted to in the hate-spreading campaign. Now we must hope that the world's public opinion, which has not been misled by the cancellation of the Bolshoi concerts (remember the suspicion: Russia fears the defection of its artists) or the stupidities revolving around the "Zionist" accusatons. Russia even sent out a missile accusing Israel of having planned hijacking to get Russian Jews to indicate a desire to go to a homeland of their choosing! So—as Golda Meir has said, a day will surely come when Russian Jews will be able to go to Israel —and we also may see the coming of a day when Kremlin hatreds will vanish. From time to time the purveyors of hate spread ill tidings about the Middle East, the Jews and the Arabs, the chances for peace and the cries of doom that emanate from those who would destroy amity rather than build honorably for the advancement of the peoples of the world. But there is no lack of rationalism and sincere efforts to interpret events pragmatically and on the basis of actual experiences. In two articles on Egypt and the Nasser legacy, in the current issue of Atlantic magazine, there are expressions of hope that peace is not remote, that it to meet the Increased threat from Soviet-supplied countries without is desirable by the Egyptian masses. American financial assistance, both for weapons and economic de- Hedrick Smith. New York Times diplomatic correspondent, sum- velopment. marizes his views on "Where Israel Stands" by stating: "Israel's immediate arms requirement for the next fiscal year "Support for the Palestinian cause is well nigh universal in (1972) will at least equal the $500,000,000 credit extended this year. Egypt, and Cairo could not contemplate a peace that did not give Unless some relatively inexpensive method to suppress SAM missiles the Palestinians their due. Egyptian officials are hesitant to define is discovered, which seems unlikely, grant aid for certain aims will precisely what that is. Nonetheless, there is outspoken opposition be needed." in Egypt to the Palestinian extremists' airplane hijackings, and more Senator Jackson is very critical of Secretary of State William than a little sympathy for King Hussein's refusal to permit the Rogers' approaches to a solution to the Middle East issues. The Wash- Palestinians to set up a state within a state In Jordan. ington senator's six recommendations are worth studying. They are: "Probably the most profound, yet subtle, change that I sensed 1. We need to recognize that the central problem In the Middle in Egypt was what seemed to be a genuine willingness to make peace East is the Soviet drive for hegemony, and that with Israel.• Before the 1967 war, even thoughtful and moderate 2. The maintenance of a high level of tension between Israel and Egyptians wanted to shut Israel out of their minds. The Arabs the Arab states is the primary vehicle by which the Soviet Union could not destroy it; they would acknowledge that much. But it was seeks to accomplish this objective. not to be accepted. This attitude has not softened as much as Israelis would like, but it has softened nonetheless. 'If Israel wants peaceful 3. We should assume, therefore, that for the foreseeable future coexistence with us without expansions,' one government official the search for peace and stability in the Middle East will be remarked, 'she can get it. We are ready for peaceful coexistence.'" resisted, rather than supported by Soviet policy. There is reason to believe on this basis that the desired peace 4. We should recognize that the best prospect for peace in the can be attained and that Arabs as well as Israelis crave it. Israel Middle East lies in discouraging radical Arab hopes for the did not seek expansion, and if the Arab leaders had worked for an eventual military defeat of Israel—hopes that lead to a men- understanding, the earlier borders might have been perpetuated. But acing and destabilizing alliance with the Soviet Union and that extremism has proven costly to the Arabs. Perhaps there is time to deepen Soviet influence in the region as a whole. repair some of the damage by a search for normalcy and a determina- 5. We should recognize, and make clear our determination to resist, tion to elevate rather than reduce the standards of living of the Arab the Soviet threat to our friends and allies in the Middle East, masses. particularly Greece and Turkey, Iran and those moderate Arab A second article in Atlantic, on "What Nasser Did," by a frequent nations who desire our support. To that end: traveler to the Middle East, is not altogether optimistic, but it, too, (a) We should actively encourage our NATO allies to join with us indicates that at one point, at the commencement of the cease fire, in a strengthening of our common defensive capabilities In the "the (Egyptian) government was ready to recognize Israel . . ." region; and Hedrick Smith's report calls attention to Egypt's increasing mili- (b) We should take immediate steps to explore measures to increase tary budget, to the city of Suez having turned into "a sad wasteland the strength and effectiveness of the U. S. Sixth Fleet, 2—Friday, Jaarrary 1,1,971 THE DETROIT, JEWISH NEWS. . the.special ease st. Tarsd, whose security la directly and int- • • By Philip Kremlin-Reinforced Pogrom Spirit Exceeds Even Czarist Tyrannies . . . Peace Hopes From Egypt . . . Senator Jackson's Recommendations Purely Commentary .10 4 4 - 1 11, 11 1 .• • f# • et i.i.„*.f. 11,..• .0J• f t a , , • a. ,.. a •• • • • ■•1.1."..e•• i 1. s invites Soviet exploitation and plants the seed of future war. If more fair-minded government spokesmen were to study the actual conditions in the Middle East and the serious proposals for peace as contrasted by the aims of extrem- ists, we'd have a better chance for a speedy end of the conflicts. Sena- totr Jackson's views hopefully will receive due consideration from President Nixon, senatorial leaders and the State Department. Not all observers who visit Is- rael are as enthused as Senator Jackson. Not all students of his- tory and of political controversies have the vision for solutions. But there are various ways of learn- ing the facts. There are those who turn to the propaganda mills and those who go behind the scenes. Even Sadat's "Never, never" attitude for recognition of Israel's right to exist is not necessarily final. There is the Egyptian aver- age citizen who has something to say about it. Therefore there is the matter of time and the realiza- tion that there also is the prop- aganda of fact—our propaganda— as contrasted with the propaganda of hatred. We aspire for the truth to penetrate the minds of the prejudiced—and we certainly have plentyo f .therti PIIIT911111:4411 . If • • II I ■ I U5 , 1 ■ .64 11•4•,