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Pure-ly Comnientary
Charles Yost Reveals The Hidden Prejudices
George Bush, the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations,
spoke encouragingly, several days after he had succeeded Charles
Yost to the important international post, about the Middle East's
conditions and the American attitude. Like President Nixon he empha-
sized that this country is not exerting pressures upon Israel for com-
plete withdrawal from conquered territories. State Department officials
similarly appeased Israel and her friends on that score. Even in the
light of his policies that are continually interpreted as harsh, even
Secretary of State William P. Rogers has denied that there is pressure.
But a retired U.S. official now proves that there are pressures and
that there is something unholy about American policy. Charles Yost,
who had not revealed his true attitude until after he had left the UN
post, showed his true colors, and if his attitude was and remains
American policy, then—woe unto the U.S. claim that our aim is for
.free covenants freely arrived at. If men assigned to diplomatic posts
will keep declaring themselves with tongue in cheek, then there is
little hope for peace anywhere. whether it is in the Middle East, in
Southeast .Asia• or even on the home front.
The entire tenor of Yost's "Guest Privilege" article in Life maga-
zine is in the form of emphasis • that Arabs seek peace and Israel
resists, and he becomes a prophet on the basis of his analyses that
"there is likely. to he another (war) in a year or two." It is his "privi-
lege"—and it is a justified one—to judge "territorial acquisitions" in
his specific way. There arc many Israelis who say it more emphatically
than he does—David Ben-Gurion among them—that there should he
vast concessions by Israel. But pragmatist challenges the privileged:
how arc these concessions to be attained? by Israel's negotiating with
the United States and or with Russia. or with the United Arab Republic?
After all, there is such a thing as realism even among statesmen-
diplomats, unless they become spokesmen for power-seekers in a
game of power-politics—and the Yost view is all too clearly the effect
of a Big Four attitude which the proper reading of current history
rejects, since three of the four—France, Russia and Great Britain—
are definitely unfriendly to Israel. Is the fourth, our own government,
now to he added to the three to make it a unanimous anti-Israel
viewpoint, if George Bush will prove to be a pursuer of a Charles Yost
policy?
Charles Yost apparently believes that rational people will fall for
such tripe as "the evidence is clear" that the UAR would assure
freedom of the seas to Israel. Remember 1957 and the Eisenhower
pledge? And on the question of Sharm el-Sheikh Yost speaks of the
"consent of the UN Security Council, on which of course the U.S, has
a veto." What a sense of humor! Has the U.S. ever exercised its veto
power when the USSR was brutal toward every move made by Israel?
And does Yost really believe there is justice in a Security Council that
is loaded with Israel's enemies?
If there k fair play left in the ranks of diplomacy the last
statement by Sadat should help resolve the entire issue. He made it
plain that an agrcenicnt on the Suez Canal reopening must provide
freedom of movement by Egyptian troops and their placement on
both sides of the canal. This, if granted, would mean a reversion to
the dargers that faCed Israel prior to June 4, 1967—it would mean
free passaee for Israel's cnemie.i into Israeli territory and an invita-
tion to destroy the Jewish state. Any one who imagines that Israel
might adopt such a suicidal attitude or that Israel's friends would
subscribe to it is acting insanely.
Yost is charitable when he says: "One cannot but deeply sympa-
thize with the a:4onizing dilemmas of those responsible for the present
and futuoc security of Israel. Its essential vulnerability is indisputa-
ble . . ." And there is a but: a choice has to he made, he says, and
his emphasis on a "choice" is predicated on the view that Israel
should not keep saying they can't trust the Arabs. Aren't the Arabs
adhering to the view that Israel must abandon not only the areas
held prior to June 4, 1967, but also territories acquired in a war that
was instituted by the Arabs in 1948: Aren't many of them saying they
would expel Jews who arrived in Eretz Israel after 1918? Where is
the logic and where is the justice—and who are they who say they
are offering guarantees to Israel? Is there any contender other than
Israel who can protect Israel'? Therefore, who else is to negotiate
except Israel with those who aimed at her destruction?
President Nixon is the man to speak now. If those representing
him at the L'N and in the State Department speak through both sides
of the mouth, tongue in cheek, mouthing appeasements while adhering
to a policy that would spell Israel's destruction, then he more than
any other person must state exactly what must be made known imme-
diately: what is U.S. policy and who formulates it?
Yiddish Ranks Gain a Non-Jewish Adherent
Advocates of retention of Yiddish as a major Jewish medium of
expression and as a literary language often gain interesting supporters.
Books on Yiddish. translations from Yiddish writings, the constant
appearance in English of the works of Sholem Aleichem with encour-
agement that they be read in the original in which they were written,
keep adding to the popularity of the language.
Bnai Yiddish is an interesting periodical published by Bnai Yiddish
Society. It is edited by Itzhok Kozlovsky. In its current issue there is
"A Letter From a 'Non-Jewish Yiddishist,' " signed Magdalene Strum-
pet, and it reads in part:
:--1,rtIrtior;Nrity-fi',10rder-T.aking:. Catholic A3 ries,t,'§-.
View Applied to CaHey My Lai Cae'''and Israeh
Soldiers' View Against the Shooting of Innocents
----- '111111111404alipg•
By Philip
Slomovitz
The Calley My Lai Case: Immorality of Order-Taking
William L. Calley, Jr., may or may not emerge a national hero. But his and the
My Lai case revive the basic issue affecting the rejection of Nazism and the obligation
never to forget the Holocaust and to protect mankind against the repetition of the crimes.
that stemmed from Hitlerism and related brutalities.
The Nuremberg trial was recalled in the discussions about My Lai and Lt. Calley.
Taking orders in the service of one's country is being ruled an irrefutable obligation. Is it?'
If ever we adopt such an unqualified attitude, we will be reverting to tyranny and
medievalism.
The Jewish War Veterans have issued a statement about "the personal tragedy of
Lt. Calley" and have asked for. protection of "a fragile national unity from suffering further
damage." If fragility in unity is to be avoided, it must be judged humanistically, and we
must not be misled by hippies waving a Vietcong flag or by ultra-patriots ordering the
submission to order-taking under any circumstances.
The Jewish War Veterans' statement took into consideration the Vietnam problem,
and the JWV National Commander Albert Schlossberg stated:
"The policy of American withdrawal from Vietnam requires more urgency as the
Calley case further compounds existing divisions among Americans in all walks of life
over our commitment and its cost in substance and morale. In the last analysis. the foot
soldier has now acquired the additional burden of deciding who is his enemy."
This expression of concern has justification. Our veterans would emerge in a poor light
if they ‘yere to ignore the urgency of a situation that demands as speedy withdraWal from
Vietnam as possible. There remains the problem of order taking. Is it justified? Unless we
now negate the entire procedure that marked mankind's condemnation of Nazism, we must
reject blind submission to rulers, army officers or whoever would destroy the basic human
values.
Let us turn back the pages of time and recall an admonition from a Catholic priest.
In our issue of June 14, 1963, your Commentator reviewed a book by the Catholic
army chaplain, Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Ryan, "A Sol -dier Priest Talks to Youth," published
by Random House. The portion from that review relating to the present situation follows:
Maj. Gen. Patrick J. Ryan, former chief of the
said 'My country right or wrong,' and we all know
army chaplains, who spent many years in combat
the beastliness that the Nazis turned loose on the
areas, has received many honors, among them the
world. Look at Adolf Eichmann, the Nazi official
annual citation award of the Union of Orthodox Jew-
whom Israel hanged in June of 1962 for having
ish Congregations of America. His experiences with
done most to organize the slaughter of 6,000,000
the Men in the armed forces qualify him to an
Jews during the Nazi persecution. Eichmann's de-
unusual degree to offer advice to our young men
fense throughout his trial was that he was `follow-
and ' women on the problems that face them in every-
ing orders'! He pleaded that he was serving his
day:.-life. He does it with a keen sense of humor,
country! Could any man have done his country a
with candor, and with a deep understanding of issues
greater disservice than to have followed the bloody
that face Our - youth in "A Soldier Priest Talks to
path that led to the destruction of Germany from
Youth,"_-published .byRandom House.
the air, and its division into two separate, hostile
AS'.the title denotes,. : the approach is that of a
camps?
CatholiC, lull the adOcc is.'.ppplic .;Jble to all faiths,
No one can place country above conscience,
and ignoring - the ;ChristOlogiCal • aspects, this book
any more than he can place loved ones above con-
serves a difOst ct.aluable - purpOse.
•
science. The Church teaches. us that the Fourth
Because of his distinguished - ai in career it: is
Commandment, on Which patriotism is based, also
especially interesting to note•that-j7x. e:ft';
coin%
`.Obey. your mother and father in all
notes the Eichiparm theory: of . "following _ . .orderS.!.., • 111a.t.ig.niit'sin.'
The same applies to the fatherland:.
Ile declares in zill's'Oriousties 5 that
saW your father striking- a cripple.
not the man who 'Says, as Stephen Decatur once did
would be horrified- and very qUick to ,/ plead with
'My country, rightfir Wrong, but tight –Or
-to . S0p...1.:Ife•I'sgIne ,:Shotifil: i Oply to you,if,4::'
country!" If your - coun.try
you
wOrk
forbid-oti "shoUld find your'-countr y bidFY-
: Ike
m ake her right, if only
. love:her . so
i little .land or` mistreating _:minorities
and it pains you to see,J),ei':ettibarked on a wicked
awri community; ...You:16ve.-iifface..of Your,
course." Gen. Ryan proecedS to state on this "Score: .
too much • to.-"s'OR-1(•disfigure.d
or
The men who followed Ritter and Mussolini
.prehidice."
_ • . • back
.- •
.
Unless we adhere to theSeprinciples, we•-Will_.be turning
clock ':that
cated mankind's emergence from •barbarismto
•
.
•
How do Israeli soldiers respOnd .
Terror and the Frontier-Guards," •by.. - to -ordertaking?''Ih.'an-article entilled":Gaza-'Re -Porf: •
the Israeli jottrnaliSt, Victor Cygielinancbi'respondent.--
of Le Nouvel Observateur and Radio•LUxeMbburg, in the Mi,adle East
we
read:
. Monthly New Outlook,- . .
"A year ago, Israeli soldiers stationed in the Gaza
•
••
Strip'
were permitted to do . What
is still forbidden in the other occupied territaries:—to...shoot in the directiort._ora 7:grenade-
thrower even if he melts into a crowd. But most of the sold
7. told en--
commanders that they could not do this: they refused on - the ground that such action- risked'
injury- to innocent bystanders. Revealing this on Jan. 6, General
Dayan•added: 'And I must tell
you that I am proud that our soldiers, daily exposed to these killers, refused the permissfon:
We have referred to this incident on an earlier occasion editorially, and We call
attention to it again. It is true that Israeli soldiers have been. given the right to protect
themselves in the horribly dangerous Gaza area where life is endangered. For the first time
Arabs, under Israeli rule, have the right to travel out 9f that area, and 5,000 Arabs go -to
inner Israeli areas on jobs provided for them by Israel. Untir'June of 1967 Arabs were
imprisoned by Egypt in that area and now they possess .freedoms! The terrorists who are
not respecting that freedom have endangered the lives of all who visit that area—and the
dead at the hands of the terrorists are mainly Arabs! That is why Israelis who are there
must protect themselves!
But orders are not followed blindly by Israelis! They do not tolerate murder! They -.
reject tyranny and terrorism! :
"Ich Tern zich Yiddish. Yes! I am. finally able to
In this spirit we adhere to the idea expressed by Father Ryan, pursued by Israeli
fulfill the life's goal I have always had. I am learning soldiers, that blind submission to orders from above is wrong!
Yiddish front a fine gentleman, Mr. Blatherstein, who
Let this be the lesson in the Calley My Lai case!
purchased for me the necessary text and is giving me
lessons. He is a real patron of culture and owns the
well-known factory of soaps and detergents (out here in
the Midwest a well known slogan on the radio is 'Lather
Up With Blather') and we are learning. I think that nip
BY RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX
the people of Israel used to refer the name "Pesah" refers more dir-
(Copyright 1971„1TA In•.)
example should serve as a reminder for Jews all over
to this holiday because this name' ectly to thy idea of redemption and
the world.- Jews! If I, a Gentile, can learn Yiddish, why
Passover sometimes is called means to "pass over" or to celebrates the fact that our breth-
not Jews ! Yiddish is the key to Jewish life. Yiddish is Flag Hamatzot and sometimes "spare," the idea being, the Al- ren were redeemed from Egypt.
a barrier to assimilation ! Yiddish united Jews in every called Pesah.
mighty is extoled for sparing the
It is worth noting that this dem-
first born of the Israelites during onstrates how the Jewish people
land . . . Yiden, lernt zich. Yiddish. Yiddish iz eyer
schprach! Oyb a nisht yid lernt zich Yiddish, yiden muzen Some commentaries write that the course of the last plague. Some remember both the blessings as
oych Yiddish lernen. Ich zog zu, az meyn kwmendiker the name Hag Hamatzot (Feast explain that the two names are well as the tragedies and embar-
of the Unleavened Bread) is the used because the matzot on the rassments that took place in the
brif vet zayn in gantsen oif mammeloshen."
one hand remind us of our afflic
The Origin of Several Names Given Passover
Thus, there is a revived interest in Yiddish, and frequently non-
Jews study the language.
. As a matter of fact, a number of years ago the editor of the
Yiddishe Arbeiter • Shtimme, about whose 70th anniversary we have
written recently, was a non-Jewish lover of Yiddish.
Thus, there is a revived interest in Yiddish and frequently non-
Jews study the language.
4%*
name given to the holiday by the
Almighty, who is impressed by tho
fact that His children in Israel are
so meticulous in cleaning their
homes and not eating unleavened
bread on the Passover. The other
name Pesali is a name which
,
tion" or the "poor man's bread."
They are thus reminiscent of the
state of haste and poverty under
which our brethren worked in
Egypt as slaves. On the other hand,
2—Friday, April 16, 1971
course of their long hitory. The
embarrassment served to humble
them, while the redemptive acts
served to make them most thank-
ful and indebted to the Almighty,
the Heavenly Father.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
ee.