Purely Commentary

Quakers Must Provide More Adequate
Assessment of Middle East Situation
With Correction of Circulated Myths

By Philip
Slomovitz

Marcel Proust and Georges Picquart

Harmful Report Corrected . . . Quaker Actions Deplored

Wherever one turns in France, there are placards, specially
designed posters and other references to the 100th anniversary of the
birth of Marcel Proust (1871-1922), the very eminent French novelist.
In a biographical sketch of Proust in the Universal Jewish Ency-
clopedia, Andre Maurois referred to his Jewish mother—a Weill—
and paid him these tributes: "The work of Marcel Proust will remain,
in the history of the French novel, a landmark as important as the
works of Flaubert or Balzac . . . There are French writers as great
as Proust: none is greater."
It's a pity that the Maurois tribute, while it reviewed Proust's
works at some length in the Universal Jewish Encyclopedia, did not
delve farther into history. A London Times article by Anthony Powell
was more extensive. It described Proust's interest in army matters,
his dealing with real people and his having devoted a great deal of
space in "Jean Santeuil" to Georges Picquart, who played a major
role in the defense of Alfred Dreyfus. There is also reference to the
"real people." aspect and to descriptions of Picquart in "A la Re-
cherche."
Powell's article contains this description of the Picquart aspect
in Proust, by defining the role of some of the characters in his novel
in relation to the Affaire Dreyfus:

From the Quakers — the American Friends — we always expect a sense of fairness
and impartiality. They failed to live up to their traditional role in their analyses of the Middle
East situation. Their misrepresentations are noted in the expose, "Truth and Peace in the
Middle East — A Critical Analysis of the Quaker Report." The Quaker view has already
been exposed by Judge Justine Polier, the American Jewish Congress leader. The current
expose is a joint declaration by the American Jewish Congress and the Anti-Defamation
League.
It's a pity that a great organization must be called to task for unfair methods in
treating Israel. The ADL-AJCongress statement calls attention to the Quakers having cir-
culated their report among members of the U.S. Congress at a time when the sale of jets
for Israel's defense was under consideration, and, among other things, the following facts are
noted:

"Picquart's story should be briefly recalled. An Alsatian, 16-
year-old when Alsace was annexed by Germany, he was regarded
as an ambitious and very promising officer. Although no men-
tion of him is made in 'A la Recherche' in connection with Fro-
berville, he had served on Galliffet's staff, been present at Drey-
fus' court-martial, and, in due course, put in charge of the Secret
Service Section—an outstandingly ramshackle one—at the French
War Office. On taking over, Picquart re-examined the Dreyfus
file held by his Section, coming to the conclusion that something
had gone badly wrong in the courts acceptance of evidence. He
drew this fact to the attention of his superiors, with the con-
sequence that he was himself posted to North Africa (stationed
where there was a good chance of death in action) then, when
he persisted in making further representations about Dreyfus,
put under arrest, imprisoned and placed in the running for

condemnation to five years in a fortress.
"All this is striking enough; but when it is added that Picquart,

The report accepted—and furthered without
question or quotation marks—the Arab propaganda
view that Israel was imposed on the area by West-
ern states guilty of anti-Semitism to solve, at Arab
expense, a problem Arabs never created. Noting
that Israel's present population mix is less than
half from Europe and more than half from Arab
countries, the authors declared that for the Quakers
"to omit or overlook that the persecution of Jews
living in the Middle East was a primary factor in
the creation of the Jewish state is to turn one's
back on history." They went on to document that,
far from imposing Israel upon the Arab world, the
Western powers did much to block its establishment
and little to advance it.
The Quaker account falsely implied that the
1948 fighting erupted spontaneously and simul-
taneously on both sides when, in fact, it was

launched by the Arabs despite Jewish appeals for

peace and coexistence. The Arabs not merely "never
accepted" (as the Quakers gently put it) the UN
partition of Palestine, but attempted to destroy it
by force of arms before it could be implemented.
The report mentioned neither the invasion of Israel
by surrounding Arab states nor Britain's important
role in turning over key installations and equipment
to the . Arabs.

war. If both sides were equally provocative, the
ADL-AJCongress analysis asks, what Israeli p ,
vocations were comparable to Egypt's massive trot .
build-up in the Sinai, Egypt's demand for t_
removal of the UN peacekeeping forces, Egypt'g -
naval blockade against Israel? The Quaker report
did not explain why the UAR "felt bound to reinsti-
tute the blockade of Israeli shipping" nor did it
mention Nasser's bellicose statements at the time. I,
In the entire Quaker section entitled "The
Escalating Crisis," which purported to establish the
I
background of the 1967 war, there was not a single
word about the role of Jordan—"a role which con-
tradicts the Quaker insinuation that Israel moved \,
`aggressively' in quest of territorial expansion."
Despite repeated expressions supporting "the
just recognition of claims denied to the abused
Palestinian people," any significant Arab respon-
sibility for the plight of the refugees was studiously
avoided. There was no mention of the fact that
it was Jordan, Egypt and other Arab states that
denied the Palestinians a voice in the armistice 1
negotiations of 1948-49, nor was it mentioned that
the failure to establish the Palestinian state called
for in the UN Partition Resolution of 1947 was
solely a result of political decisions by the Arab
states.
The Quaker advice to American Jews "to
reexamine the full implications of their role with
respect to American Middle East policies" was
insensitive and, in reality, a warning to American
Jews to be wary of exercising their rights as
citizens.

if not a rabid anti-Semite, was decidely unfriendly toward Jews.
he will at once be seen to be building up the sort of ch
aracte
upon which a writer likes to get to work. When Dreyfus wa s
cleared, Picquart refused to meet him; and, when, in due course
The record of events and proceedings in the
Picquart rose in rank and was in a position to be of some assis
Lance in Dreyfus' professional rehabilitation in the army, he woul United Nations prior to June 5, 1967, and the
take no step to make things easier. Clemenceau, in a slapstick d public record in the world's news media make
mood, appointed him his Minister of War, a post Picquart filled "preposterous" the Quaker judgment that the UAR
without great distinction, behaving rather badly to officers wh 0 and Israel were equally guilty for the outbreak of
had merely been carrying out orders issued by former anti-Dreg
Because of the "long history of mutual respect and sympathy between American Jews
fusard.superiors. Picquart remained unmarried all his life; dying
in consequence of being thrown from his horse, when in corn , and American Friends and their past collaboration in many humanitarian causes," it is
mand of an. Army Corps, about six months before the outbreak understandable why the Jewish organizations' analysis calls it "particularly regrettable" that
of war in 1914.
the Quakers should have pursued an "anti-Israel" attitude in their report.
"Even this very truncated summary conveys some idea of
If the Quakers continue to seek "only truth and fairness in the approach to any issue
the complexity of Picquart's character, and of the attraction it and would reject any 'slant' imposed on the facts for any reason," then the two national
could exercise for a novelist. Conrad, for example, would surely Jewish organizations are justified in asking for a correction of the damage already done.
have been in his element in dealing with its contradictions and
It is utterly distressing to be compelled to ask for fairness to Israel from ChriS-.
Picquart's ups and downs of fortune. At the same time, the Drey-
tian
spokesmen.
The Quakers can set the pace in the direction of just consideration of the
fus case, unique in itself, was something too extraordinary, too
earth-shaking, to allow any real fictional parallel to be contrived. Middle East situation with reversion to truth when dealing with matters that affect the 'very
Proust was certainly aware of that. If Picquart was to be handled life of Israel and her citizens. Jewry has a right to demand an end to distortion of truths_
at all, he must be handled as himself. He does not appear in which, when they affect the security of Israel, usually also become harmful to the entire
Person in 'A la Recherche,' although we are told that Madame Jewish people.
Verdurin's guests flocked to see Stravinsky and the dancers of
the Russian Ballet, just as they had once come to goggle at Golda Meir Clarifies 'Panther' Confusions
Picquart when invited to her parties as 'lion.' In 'Jean Santeuil,'
After Golda Meir had made a statement in the Knesset regarding
on the other hand—an instance of material omitted in the more
mature work—Proust gives an account, even if a trifle roman- the poverty problem and the so-called "Black Panther" issue in her
ticized, probably as good as one as exists, of Picquart's appear. country, a champion of the cause of the impoverished said "the premier
ance in court. It includes some of Proust's own musings on the has finally said it all herself," and he removed his name from the list
of those who were scheduled to participate in a debate on the issue.
state of being a soldier."
Here is what Mrs. Meir had said:
These facts are introductory to further study about Marcel Proust
REVIVIM, Israel—A call - to Jew-
and his works. They nevertheless indicate an historic sense and the
"No one is entitled to deny that poverty exists in Israel, and
ish youth in Israel and abroad to
effects that the Dreyfus case had upon so many writers who, like
we must not put up with this situation—we would be false to our- participate in the development of
Proust, devoted their works to the heroes—some also to the villains
selves if we got accustomed to it and regarded it with complacency. the Negev was made at the annual
--of the famous anti-Semitic chapter in Jewish history which in-
"Our education laws apply in equal measure to all children in conference of the Teachers Coun-
fluenced Theodor Herzl's adoption of the Zionist ideal. Herzl was a
Israel, yet it cannot be said that this equality is implemented in cil for the Keren Kayemeth (Jew-
reporter at the first Dreyfus trial at which he sensed the anti-Semitic
practice.
ish National Fund) held at Kibutz
trends. Proust, as a Dreyfusard, was concerned with the military
"It cannot be said that there is equality between two children IRevivim. The young people we
aspect. That's why, in Proust's novels, it is Picquart who is the
studying in the same class and with the same teacher, if one invited to join in this vital unelt : . -
"lion." From Anthony Powell in the London Times we learn how
comes from a house in which four persons live in three rooms, taking both by establishing pt-
a man seeking justice often retains a hatred for the very Jews he
with a houseful of books and parents able to assist in the prepara- settlements in the area and help-
defends. We find it now mirrored in hatred for Negroes even among
tion of homework, while the classmate comes from a two-room ing to raise funds to make these .
those who, as a matter of principle, will fight for civil rights because
house with 10 people living in it, with no one able to help the child villages possible.
basically, humanly, they -can not defend injustice.
to make progress in the studies.
Among the projects for which
*
*
*
the help of the youngsters was
Heinie Hoch
"There
is
no
equality
between
these
two
children.
There
have
He Coined 'Silo Charlie' Title
been problems that we have succeeded in solving; we are on the asked was the 25 kilometer road
Henry G. (Heinie) Hoch, one-time church editor of the Detroit
way
to solving other problems. But there are problems that, cuirently being cut by the KKL
News, was one of our top newsmen and a distinguished religious
despite
the effort, will take a long time to solve—material resources connecting the settlements of Re-
writer.
can speed up the pace, but sometimes even financial resources vivim, Sede Boker and Mashabbe
Be covered many important events in the various religious
Sadeh. The convention was under
cannot do the work of time."
communities and it was during his career as editor of the News'
the chairmanship of Dr. B. Ben'
Indeed, she had said it all herself and the issue emerges as a Yehuda, head of the Teachers
religious page that the Father Charles Coughlin controversies occurred.
Heinie Hoch was the writer who coined the "Silo Charlie" title recognized problem. Nevertheless, there is need for clarification because Council, with the participatich . of
for Coughlin—a reference that was quoted nationwide. A glance at so many Americans are misled by the term "Black Panthers." These Eliezey Argov of the KM, .ekecu-
Coughlin's church in Royal. Oak will explain the "Silo Charlie" are the less affluent in Israel, the poor, hundreds of thousands whose tive and teachers from through 0 - qt
reference.
conditions must be improved. There has been evidence that the gov- Israel.
*
*
*
ernment, plagued by scores of problems, desires to improve _upon the
Kibutz Revivim was chosen - =as.
terrible conditions.
The Jesus-in-Japan Bobe Maaseh
the site of this year's convention:.
But there are two societies in Israel, and it is not easy to get to' mark - the 28th anniversary.
If ever the term Bobe Maaseh was applicable to a fantasy, it
them together, to equalize them. It takes time. The ingathering i-bas the establishment of the first three
certainly found a subject in the Jesus-in-Japan myth.
In ancient times, Jews traveled widely. They had maritime not been easy and the absorption is even more difficult. World Jewry. Jewish settlements in the Negev :
industry, their camels were numerous for transporting goods in could help a bit more Affluent Israelis must do more. And as long (Revivim, Gevulot and Bet Eshel.)-,
as the problem is recognized, it is unfair to pour salt upon the wounds by the Keren Kayemeth and the
business transactions they conducted in Europe and Asia.
But—Jesus arriving in Japan—surviving the age of 112—having of Israel's government with disruptive demonstrations within Israel 25th anniversary of the founding
and misunderstanding outside Israel.
of 11 additional villages in the
secured a substitute for the Roman crucifixion rite?
What a story! Even Robe could not concoct such a maaseh!
night
following Yom Kippur 5707
2—Friday, August 20, 1971
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS (1946).

Ask Youth Join
Development
of the Negev

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