Brilliant's Descriptive Book Portrays
the Charm and Challenge of Israel
For an intimate introduction to
every aspect of life in Israel, there
is a most delightful book by Moshe
Brilliant, who has served as an
Israeli correspondent for the New
York Times.
His "Portrait of Israel," pub-
lished by American Heritage
Press, a McGraw-Hill subsidiary,
covers every aspect of life in the
Jewish state and shares with the
reader experiences that relate to
the religious factors, the army, the
revival of the Hebrew language,
industrial and agricultural devel-
opments, life in the kibutz, the
sabra and his noteworthy role and
scores of other factors in a com-
munity that has emerged so vit-
ally ip the family of the nations
of the world.
Brilliant's work is filled with
anecdotes. It has the charm of
Intimacy. It is very instructive
while providing fascinating read-
ing that contains much that Is
entertaining. It has the great
merit of being filled with ex-
cellent photographs by Micha
Bar-Am, all of which provide
added material for an under-
standing of Israel and the na-
tion's people—of all ages. At the
same time, there Is an addend-
um to the volume, a "Special
Interest Guide" by Sylvia R.
Brilliant.
It is, perhaps, especially note-
worthy that the able author com-
mences his drawing of the portrait
of Israel by describing the re-
markable resurrection of Hebrew,
the Lashon kodesh, which is re-
corded in rabbinical legend as "a
celestial language." Brilliant com-
ments that "there is no other in-
stance in history of a fossilized
language being successfully re-
vived," and he states:
"Edward G. Robinson, the
actor, was filled with joy when
he heard a child in Tel Aviv
exclaim: 'That's him. That's
Edward GIMEL Robinson.'
"Another tourist said he had
been prepared for the exper-
ience of hearing babies banter-
ing in the words of Isaiah. But
when he heard a lunatic rave
at length in the tongue of the
prophets, be was tremendously
impressed."
Describing the sabra. Brilliant
consider him straightforward,
"Idealism burns in the sabras," he
maintains but they consider it
poor form to shoot off sparks."
There are so many delightful
stories in this volume that it be-
comes most difficult to select
enough to describe the book's
charm sufficiently. Brilliant tells
how the Israelis overcame their
enemies in the wars of defense,
how the settlements, under attack
and in danger of annihilation, mo-
bilized to protect individual colo-
nies and the state at large. There
is, for instance, the story of Uri
Zisling. whose occupation was as
his kibutz's cowhand but who
served as a successful battalion
commander.
One of the early chapters is en-
titled "Where Hutzpa is a virtue"
and so, of course, it is. with the
Israeli military men introduced
as always being "informal, re-
laxed, egalitarian."
It is a strict society, but Bril-
liant views it as only partially
theocratic, even though Reform
rabbis can not get a foothold
into it. How do they manage
the kashrut In the army, and on
submarines? In the army
kitchens Meat is marked in red,
milk foods in bine, and on sub-
marines, rabbinical inspectors
double up is chaplains.
Some of the sad experiences in
dealing with rabbinical restric-
tions are alluded to, and the reali-
ties are acknowledged.
Thus, who and what is a Jew
provide interesting analyses with
reviews of recent experiences in
Israel. There is the accepted
fact about the consensus that a
Jew in Israel who is antireligious
"does not sever his umbilical cord
to historic Judaism, for his Ian-
,,,
,,
-
guage, his idiom, his festivities,
and his thoughts derive from it;
but a Jew who switched to another
religion cut himself off from the
national past of his people."
The differences between Orien-
tals and Europeans receive due
attention and Brilliant, taking into
account numerous conflicts, as-
serts that Western Jews had be-
gun to recognize that social and
economic conflicts could be dam-
aging and are to be averted.
Thus the Iraqi and Egyptian
and North African Jews become
merged into I s r a e 1, and the
process receives due and excel-
lent treatment here. The hu-
mane aspects to treating minori-
ties, Arabs, Druzes are part of
the achievement. Yet the author
is realistic about the Arabs: he
recognizes that there are many
Israeli Arabs who are loyal,
while others have been lured
to an anti-Israel position.
The accounts of Arab attitudes
form important aspects of a story
well told and marked by a lack
of prejudice or blindness. There
are dangers ahead and many are
tackled formally and wisely
in the Israel sphere covered here.
The Jerusalem story, too, is
valuable here, and needs to be
treated with due apreciation.
Then there are the personalities
who make up the people and the
leadership of Israel. There is this
paragraph in the Brilliant book:
"Once, at a meeting of the
Knesset, an American tourist
near me pointed toward the
cabinet table at Minister of Ag-
riculture Aharon Zisling, who
was from Hibutz Ein Harod.
'Isn't that the waiter from Ein
Harod?' she exclaimed."
Brilliant's "Portrait of Israel"
has the special merit of emphasis
on facts without resorting to hero
worship. He credits fully the ac-
complishments of the great men
in Israel and the creators of the
state yet in describing the rebel-
lious —David Ben-Gurion he does
not hesitate to point out, in his re-
port on the emergence and decline
of the new Raft party, that "the
public was bored with his (B-G's)
crusade, which it regarded as a
useless exercise in self-flaggela-
tion.
There is realism also in the ap-
proach to the Arabs. Here is a
sample of Israeli experience:
"Israelis draw no false illu-
sions from the situation (about
terrorist hideouts, arms caches,
etc.). At a meeting of Arab
mayors, chamber of commerce
officials and other notables in
occupied Raunallah, near Jeru-
salem, General Dayan turned to
his hosts and remarked: 'If you
think I don't know that at least
seven times a day you say "to
hell with Israel" and "to hell
with Dayan" ..
• ,t• • or- •
"'You're wrong,' one of the
mayors corrected him. 'Seventy-
seven times.' The Israeli offi-
cers and the Arabs joined in the
hearty laughter.
"It is precisely such encoun-
ters that offer a glimmer of
hope for the future ."
The explanation is rational: Is-
raelis don't expect Arabs to like
them, butt he road is being paved
so that: "One day, it is hoped,
sensible Arab rulers •will recog-
nize the futility of their dream of
erasing Israel and the feasibility of
living side by side . . ."
The "Special Interest Guide" by
Mrs. Brilliant also deserves at-
tention. Gathered according to
many fields of interest, this guide
is designed for businessmen, for
travelers with special interests.
It helps merchants meet export-
ers. It assists those interestsd in
archeology. It serves many pur-
poses.
Mrs. Brilliant's "Guide" helps
the reader understand Israel's ar-
chitecture and town planning; art
and sculpture in many areas
where there are either exhibitions
or private showings or where the
subjects are taught; the universi-
ties and the variety of educational
media; hobbies, drama, data pro-
c es s in g, engineering, medicine,
dentistry, pharmacy, s c i e n c e,
sports—the subjects covered here
are endless.
The entire book serves the
over-all need of providing the
closest links with Israel for those
seeking facts, as well as to illumi-
nate the characteristics and the
human values of a reborn nation.
—P.S.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Public Outraged at Bill Forbidding Press Attacks
on Foreign Notables; Threat to Freedom Feared
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Adverse
public reaction has delayed the
presentation of a bill in the Knes-
set that would forbid Israeli news
media from expressing criticism of
prominent citizens of any country
with which Israel m a int ains
friendly relations.
The measure, for which the for
eign ministry has been pressing.
was scheduled for a first reading
shortly but has been assigned a
lower place on the Knesset agenda,
presumably to allow for amend-
ments.
The bill would render foreign
heads of state, heads of govern-
ment, religious leaders and mem-
bers of their families immune
from criticism by Israeli media.
Truth, the usual defense in libel
cases, would not be admitted.
The foreign ministry claims such
a measure is necessary because
certain countries where the idea of
freedom of the press is not as
deeply ingrained as it is in Israel,
take offense when their leaders
are criticized abroad.
Larry Freedman
Orchestra and Entertainment
647-2367
A ministry spokesman declined
to name such countries but
claimed that because of criticism
in Israeli newspapers, "we have
had very serious trouble."
Public opinion here appears to
have been outraged by the pro-
posal. Critics assert that it would
stifle press freedom in Israel to
accommodate countries wher e
press freedom doesn't exist. They
warned that if the public acqui-
esced in such a law there was no
guarantee that it would not even-
tually be extended to forbid criti-
cism of the political and religious
establishment at home.
Suporters of the bill believe it
can be passed if its provisions are
watered down to exempt only
foreign heads of state and their
immediate families.
CONTINENTAL WATCH
JEWELRY SHOP
Jewish Exponent Elects
First Woman President
PHILADELPHIA (JTA) — Mrs.
Myer Feinstein, a former vice
president of the Federation of
Jewish Agencies, has been elected
the first woman president of the
Jewish Exponent, now in its 83rd
year.
Mrs. Feinstein has been a leader
in the Allied Jewish Appeal-Israel
Emergency Fund and is a member
of the national board of the United
Jewish Appeal's women's division.
Her late husband served as presi
dent of the English-Jewish weekly
from 1959 to 1961.
Justice Minister Backs Bill
to End Homosexual Law
JERUSALEM (JTA) — Justice
Minister Yaacov Shimshon Shapiro
has told the Knesset that he fa-
vored a bill to rescind the law
against homosexual acts between
consenting male adults.
The bill was introduced by Uri
Avnery, of the Haolem Hazeh fac-
tion.
Shapiro noted that the existing
law is never enforced but as long
as it is on the books it instills a
"nagging fear of prosecution" on
the part of male homosexuals who
are often afraid to call the police
when they are victims of certain
offenses.
The justice minister pointed nut
further that female homosexual
acts are not forbidden by law.
Friday, January 1, 1971-29
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