Purely Commentary
Big Four's Prejudiced Role in the Middle East
and the Established U.S.:Israel Friendship. . .
Christians Speak Out Firmly in Israel's Support
By , Philip
Slomovitz
U.S. Stands Alone in Defense of Israel Against Three Pro - Arab Partners
The Christian Sense of Justice Toward Israel
Contrary to the concern that has been expressed over the attitude
An item that assumed an insignificant official quarters from Zagreb. If the newest
of Christians toward Israel and on the Middle East issues, there is
Yugoslav news bit is true, even if it is a trial
position among the sensational stories about
mounting support of the Jewish position.
balloon, then much good is to be expected
It is true that the friendly attitudes are not as overwhelming as the Middle East tensions appears to indicate
from the current negotiations.
they were when Israel first emerged as a fledgling nation, with the the source of much of the trouble in that
endorsement of a majority of the members of the international United
Perhaps even more important is the JTA
Nations. There has been antagonism in the nature of enmity that ap- area and the reason for a continuing animus
item from Jerusalem that Arab leaders are
proached anti-Semitism. The session that was held only two weeks ago against Israel.
discussing the possibility of independent
in Washington's National Cathedral, with the Rev. E. L. R. Elson, the
statehood for the refugees and former resi-
minister who had the late President Eisenhower's ear as a member
From the United Nations came a confirma- dents of Palestine. It is reported by JTA from
of his church, demonstrated a sad example of Christian injustice toward tion made by Western diplomats that there
Jerusalem:
the Jew. The rabid opponents of Zionism gathered there and the British
member of parliament, Christopher Mayhew, who has been playing was disagreement between the United States
A - number of prominent West Bank
vicious roles against Israel in his own country, arrived here to spread and the other three members of the Big Four
Arabs have been meeting secretly in Beirut
his venom against Israel.
Union,
Great
Britain
and
France
—the
Soviet
with
a similar number of Palestinians from
In a larger sense, however, there are, in the ranks of the Chris-
Jordan to discuss the future of their terri-
tians. men and women who refuse to yield to the type of bigotry that —over a statement to have been issued on
tory and the possible establishment of a
stems from such quarters as the -Washington Cathedral where Israel's the question of Israel's withdrawal and sub-
enemies gathered for "A Plea for Justice for the People of the Holy stantive issues at stake in the negotiations
new entity independent of the Hussein re-
Land," failing to include in that motto the truth that the exclusion of
gime in Jordan. Israeli authorities were
Israel and Jews was intentional. There are men like Carl Hermann conducted by Dr. Gunnar V. Jarring. A New
ing in advance but took
aware of the meet
Voss, Robert St. John, Roy and Alice Eckardt, Dr. Christian E. Hauer York Times correspondent revealed that the
no steps to prevent the West Bankers from
and scores of others who do not hesitate to speak in Israel's defense. U.S. position is that a statement by the Big
leaving Beirut, via Cyprus, ostensibly to
Among the very noteworthy analyses of Israel's position which em-
settle "family affairs." Israeli authorities
anate as very strong defense of the Jewish state and its role in the Four could be regarded as outside pressure
on the West Bank prohibit political activi-
Middle East is a volume of great merit, "Encounter With Israel: A on the governments involved. That statement
ties obliged to interfere in anti-Hussein
Challenge to Conscience" by Alice and Roy Eckardt. published by As- was prevented from public notice by U.S.
activities on foreign soil. Sources said the
sociation Press. Dr. A. Roy Eckardt is professor of religion at Lehigh
University and is a n. , teu theolocian. His wife, Alice Eckardt. a grad- action.
meeting could not be held in Jordan for
uate of Oberlin College and Lehigh University, did special research at
obvious reasons, although the participants
the
knowledge
we
have
already
at-
From
Parkes Library, England. in Christian-Jewish relations, and joined her
include two former Jordanian cabinet min-
tained about the role of three of the quartet
husband in three study missions to Israel and the Middle East. Their
isters, Dr. Kadri Tukan and Rashid el
impressive book traces Israel's history, shows the challenges Israel in the Big Four we can surmise that what the
Nimr, both now resident of the West Bank.
has for the world, gives an historical perspective of Israel's roots from three who differed with the U.S. wanted was
Jordanian authorities permit no activities
pressure upon- Israel that is thoroughly un-
ancient times and affirms Israel's historic rights.
calculated to strengthen Palestinian etc:,
This Protestant theologian and his wife delve deeply into the issues acceptable. Furthermore, it is now a matter
ments within the Jordanian population.
and both as students of religion, as historians, as students of world of record that except for the United States
affairs they add immensely to an understanding of the Middle East as the other members of the Big Four have been
There have been numerous similar con-
envisioned by Christians.
placing obstacles on the road to peace by ferences, and if it were not for the pressures
They deal with current issues, and it is interesting to note that antagonizing Israel and by playing a pro-Arab
from Cairo, Amman and Beirut and the
they did not overlook a major problem emanating from Gaza. On the role. This is where most of the trouble origi-
question both of the charges of brutality in Gaza and mistreatment by
threats to those who seek peace with Israel,
Israel of Arabs in other areas, it is important to note the following in nates: in the ranks of statesmen- (sic!) who
all the fantasies antagonistic to Israel might
keep
displaying
their
prejudiced
role
in
the Eckardts' book:
have vanished from Arab hearts. But the ob-
"Hundreds of Arabs from the administered territories, includ- antagonisms to Israel.
stacles remain serious and the differences
ing many refugees, are receiving the same treatment at the Hadas-
are intense. What is hoped for is that there
It is an established fact that Egypt and will soon be a change of heart and that even
sah Medical Center in Jerusalem that any. Israeli would receive. In-
credibly, the treatment extends as well, regardless of the cost of the other Arab states would prefer to 'have
Anwar el-Sadat might yield to concessions
care involved, to captured terrorists and to numbers of ordinary all peace negotiations conducted either by the
people who come over from Jordan. No urgent .case is ever turned
away for lack of funds.
"A group of French nuns, who conduct a hospice for Arabs in
Jerusalem, recently deplored the 'campaign of lies against the Is-
raelis and testified that in neace and war. their'bwn work has been
made particularly happy by the good will of the Israeli authorities, not
only toward themselves but, more important, toward Arabs in their
care.
"In the Gaza Strip, Israeli army officers show concern and com-
passion for the fate of the previous generation of Arab refugees
and also for the new generation. The officers woiry about the sev-
eral thousands of young Arabs who have graduated from high school
each year, only to he unable to go on to university or to find jobs.
Israel has acted to remedy this situation. At this very moment some
1,200 Arab students from the Gaza Strip are attending university
in Egypt at the expense of the Israeli government.
'On the basis of intimate personal experience, Gaymond Gunter,
former British minister of labor, attests that for generosity and kind-
ness, Israeli behavior and policy in the administered areas today are
'unique in the histery of humanity'—this, in contrast to the tension
and oppression that many communications media falsely lead one to
expect."
Big Four or by the UN Security Council. In
both quarters there is not a single friend of
Israel additional to the United States. That
is why such aims of Israel's enemies, to trans-
fer negotiations to either of these two quar-
ters, could never be accepted by Israel.
Overcoming these obstacles ; Israel has a
good chance to get the ears of peace lovers
even among Arabs and their friends. The New
York Times, in an editorial entitled "Mrs.
Meir's Positive Response," in which the Israel
prime minister's position on the latest Israel-
Egyptian exchange of notes on the question
of the opening of the Suez Canal was treated
favorably, emphasized that there is an Egyp-
tian "willingness to conclude a peace treaty
with Israel and to accept some rectification
of Israel's old borders. The editorial added
by making this revelation:
sufficient not only to continue the cease fire
but also to accept the possibilities for an
agreed-upon lasting peace.
All too often there are negative factors
that cause concern. There is the injection
again of the Yugoslav Tito's personality with a
plan we do not know and possibly would not
understand since it could not be condoned —
because Tito has always been influenced by
Nasser. Then there is the rumor of a Jarring
plan to take Israel back to the 1948 demar-
cation line. The latter is so fantastic that one
wonders whether rumors can go to such ex-
tremes. Jarring has studied the history of
Israel and pre-Israel Palestine. He knows how
the Bernadotte plan was totally- refuted. He
knows that an Israel without a safe border is
a doomed-to-death nation. Therefore we do
not even believe that such a plan is in the off-
ing. And if it is, it must mean that Jarring
must go and other negotiators will have to
take over. Otherwise, we must retain confi-
dence that there is better sense even among
Arabs who will understand what is good for
them and what is good for us. And that good
item is PEACE, starting with continuation of
a cease fire that will mean an end to casual-
ties that are so unnecessary for all concerned.
On this score alone, the Eckardts render a great service in their
refutation of false charges about Israel brutalities. But the Eckardts
"Yugoslav diplomats report that the
do much more. They expose the regrettably prejudiced role of the UN,
Egyptians have expressed to them their
and they declare:
readiness
to make these important con-
"Chief among the transgressors has been the United Nations. One
cessions."
influential case of UN bias is the acclaimed Security Council Resolu-
tion of Nov. 22, 1967. The only real concession explicitly demanded of
This is significant news. Often the inten-
any party is the one applied to Israel . . . Only Israel is mentioned tions of the Arabs, stemming frrom Nasser's
by name. Unbelievably, no tangible concession is in fact required of
days,
were revealed by Tito and his Yugoslav
the Arabs, i.e., of specific Arab nations. The device used is the omitting
of any reference to a single Arab state by name. Apart from the insis-
tent identification of Israel, resort is made to the artful abstraction
Middle East. In a word, everyone's duty readily becomes no one's duty. The American Position and the Regrettable Exaggerations ,
Only Israel is seized by concrete duty. The all-important consideration
Thus, it is heartening to know that the an abandonment by Israel of- the Sinai areas
to remember here is that for the Arabs, Israel is not a genuine state.
and retention of Gaza, and other rumored
It is a bastard pretender of an infamous union of Jewish evil and Wes- American position vis-a-vis Israel is so well
plans may prove disturbing for a time. But
tern sin. Accordingly, the Arab nations have an easy escape from the established and that the Israel-U.S..friendship
is
a
reality.
But
it
is
regrettable
that
there
they must be resolved, and Israel's cautious
wording, 'respect for and acknowledgment of the sovereignty, territor-
are occasional exaggerations. For instance, policies could be expected to lead toward
ial integrity and political independence of every state in the area ..
Since when does Israel qualify as a state?"
speaking to the Ahavat Zion group in Paris realistic solutions. -
Let it be said to the credit of the Eckardts that they saw through upon his return from Washington, Jean
the alleged "friendship" of American Friends Service, and the position Jacques Servan-Schreiber, the leader of the
While the spokesman for the State De-
of the "friends" is exposed as follows:
French Radical Party, expressed certainty partment, Robert J. McCloskey, has described
"There is a recurring pattern in pronouncements such as the one by
the
Big Four's role as "complementary" and
that the U.S. would go to war to preserve
the Friends (the American Friends Service Committee): By assigning
"supportive," the true attitude beComes
an inferior degree of legitimacy to Israel ... in contrast to other states Israel's existence. He gained that certainty
. . church spokesmen and others fancy that they have a right to tell upon meeting with Secretary of State William known quickly enough and the truth emerges
with rapidity, specially when the anti-Israel
Israel to do something, while they need only advise the Arab states to P. Rogers. It is logical to believe that Rogers
say something. Specifically, Israel is told to engage in an act that would told him he favored direct Arab-Israeli nego- aims are expo d.
leave her no less vulnerable to aggression than she was in 1967, and tiations and that a united Jerusalem should
As long as Mrs. Meir's position, in behalf
with no allowance at all for the suffering and loss of lives she sustained remain Israel's capital. But anything ap-
of her government, on the Sadat Suez de-
as the direct consequence of that vulnerability. All the Arabs are asked proaching a direct U.S. involvement is incon-
mands, are recognized with validity by the
is to offer promises which, as in the past, can be easily negated when- ceivable because Israel opposes it and the
U.S. government, in spite of a division of
ever the time seems advantageous. The framers of the Quaker docu-
ment are under the illusion that the Arab nations are prepared to make U.S. could not risk it. American opinion does
opinion on "strategy advantages" within the
peace with Israel, a claim that is highly questionable. Unfortunately, not favor any foreign military expedition and
State Department, and since the Israel Knes-
e
Israel is determined to battle for her own
security, as long as American aid will be
forthcoming in the form of loans and the
sale of jets. .„
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Jarring's reported solution, in the form of
the Arabs are not Quakers."
It is in evaluating Israel's positive role that Rev. and Mrs. Eckardt
are especially emphatic, as indicated in this position of their report:
(Continued on Page 6)
2—Friday, Frinvary 19, 1971
set stands firmly by its prime minister, we
can await valid negotiations that retain a
measure of hope for peace. This must never
be abandoned: peace is too precious for any
one to give up hope for its realisation.