_
Purely on:in:tett sti,
Israel's Religious Issue: Golds Meir's View
.
Religious controversies have seriously affected Israel. The current
issues over autopsies have aggravated the situation. The total control
over marriage and divorce, and the related problems involving recog-
nition of the status of new settlers, often appear to be threatening the
unity of the people of Israel.
Reform and Conservative Jews in America are annoyed by restric-
tions imposed upon them. New settlers are faced with difficulties when
they are asked to prove their Jewishness.
In the interview Israel Prime Minister Golda Meir gave to Andre
Fontaine of Le Monde of-Paris, one of the questions addressed to her
was: 'What place. In - your view, does religion occupy in Israel today,
and are you satisfied with that place?" Her answer is most impressive
and may throw light not only on her owm position but on the think-
ing of many in her government. She said:
• Israel is not a religions state: there is no state religion. None-
theless, no one can separate the Jewish people and the Jewish reli-
gion. 'There is no obligation to strict observance of Jewish religious
teaching, but every citizen must know something of Jewish history
and of the role of their religion in the very existence of the Jewish
people. There has been no dispersion comparable to the Jewhdi
diaspora. The Jews have always been a tiny minority, but they have
continued to be one people. There isn't the shadow of a doubt that
the religion and the fact of saying the same prayers helped to pre-
serve their unity. It doesn't matter whether a Jew prays three times
a day. or three times a year. There are plenty of Jews in New York,
for instance, who are totally integrated. But the big stores there close
for Yom Kippur, for their owners identify,theniselyes witil -the
e. At the Jewish- NeW Year, every Jew mekes a vow to "be
in Jerusalem the following year."
Nonetheless, I must add that religion has created problems.
Rigidly Orthodox Jews don't want a state. A modus vivendi will have
to be reached. The government must assume control of marriage
and divorce, particularly. But as these now come within the powers
of various religious bodies, quite a few problems are going to be
created in many a family. The easy way out would-be to set up two
sorts of weddings—civil and religious. But that again would create
other problems. Patience and understanding are needed on both sides
to eliminate the difficulties. We'll tackle this within hours of reach-
ing a peaceful settlement with the Arabs. -
It is apparent that under present conditions in Israel, when more
than a dozen political parties are represented in the Knesset and the
country depends upon a coalition government, it will take time to
solve the problems created by the religious party. One must‘hope that
the time will came very soon when either a two- or three- or four-
party system in Israel 'will lead to solutions.
Meanwhile, it is tragic that in the controversy over autopsiei the
reasonable appeals of the Hebrew University have fallen.On the deaf,
ears of extreme partisans. Not only are there disturbanees- ", - -M- -Israel
but the issue is being brought to our shores and there is an effort at
creating rifts in Jewry. Attacks on Hadassah and the Hebrew Univer-
sity, appeals to hatred and to prejudice, impressions given that there
are cruelties in Israel's hospitals—these are developments that do not
contribute to rational and plausible discussions which alone can lead
to an avoidance of interference with progress and with the proper
need to assure non-interference with modern medical practices.
CI
0
0
<_ Pragmatic Advice.-ta:Sadat; - - ,
Detroit's Tribute to 13-G;
GOIda on
issues
S ta000 70
By -philip
?
amtnovrtz
Sadat's Deadline and the Views'of an Imaginary Soldier - -
Egypt's President Anwar Sadat keeps insisting that Dec. 31 is "the
deadline" for action against- Israel. (It has been suggested that by
presidential decree he could well extend the Egyptian year 1971 by
some months to-- avoid living up to his insistence that he is "ready to
sacrifice a million people: for the - -independence of our country and
its liberation").
- —
A columnist for General Features, Jim Fiebig; acting-in -the role
of an imaginary Egyptian soldier who has listened to Sadrits threats,
wrote a letter to "Dear President Sadat," signed -it "The Guys, in
Platoon 108," and wrote:
"The guys in 'my platoon asked me to write and tell, you hOW
touched we all were by your . recent broadcast, esPeriallry'thit part
about sacrificing a million of us to defeat the enemy.'Believe me, we
just can't wait to get started. . - - • •
• "The guys also wanted me to find out what plateMr youll-_ be
attached to when the fireworks begin.- (Although you- hayen't said
you'll actually take part, we know any man courageous enough to
sacrifice so many won't sit out the action in any bomb shelter.) .
"Well,. sir, we'd Ilic
e- to recommend our platoon. Most • Of lit
haven't any combat experience, of course, but our Russian advisers
are positive we'll make a - good showing. They have already taught
us how' to load our rifles and unscrew the caps to our canteens.
"More important; we are confident of total victory. We have seen.
the Israeli soldiers near their bankers_a thousand yards away, and—
just as our advisers promised—they are only a few inches tali. How
can we. lose? =. _
presidee‘:_we leek_fetWou-d to your presence."
•
An- addinia -in Yiddis
h, addressed to Sadat, might well ask, in
inviting a reply: NU?
But while.Sadat and his associates- are rattling
g their sabers, there
could be trouble ahead. When a man aiks his troops to be prepared to
"be ferocious in battle against Israel," and reiterates his appeal a few
hours• later, perhaps he is really on the verge of acting irrationally.
Again—it's the U. S. that is the chief target, while Israel's plea for
talks is ignored. ,
After all, an y thing can happen in the' atmosphere -of madness.
,
•
•
•
Mindssenty's Anti-Semitism Must Not Brrflidden
There was quite a fuss over the departure from, HungarY of
Cardinal Mindszenty. He was given asylum in the U. S. Embassy in
Bildapest and his release was hailed as an historic event What -needs
to be recorded is that he was—probably still is—an anti-Semite.
Robert E. Segal, Seven Arts Feature Syndicate columnist, has
exposed the bigotry of the Mindszerdy Foundation. And Dr. Baruch
Tomaschoff of Jerusalem wrote to the Jerusalem Post describing
Cardinal Mindszenty as an anti-Semite "of long standing" and stating:
"He is of German origin—his name was originally Joseph
- Pehm—and was "the spiritual director" of a Hungarian weekly. in
- Zalaegerszeg at the beginning of - the '20s. This paper strongly
Horthy's anti-Semitic regime and published- anti-Jewish
articles. - . . He does not 'deserve any sympathy from liberal-
minded people, let alone from Jews, for be never challenged the
Nazi regime over its program to exterminate the Jews, but
only over its oppression of the Church, as well as of the population
of Hungary. The cardinal did not protest against the deportation
of Jews, but after the war, he prayed for the salvation of the
souls of the murderers of the Jews, asking for full forgiveness
for their misdeeds.
"At the time of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution, the cardinal
tried to set up a Christian Democratic Party under his auspices. lie
approached the Jewish leader of the Liberal Democratic Parb%
Ernest Brody, asking that the Jews should support the new party.
Mr. Brody's answer was: `Not a single Jew will support party
that is under the auspices of Mindszenty.' This was reported by
Dr. Paul Benedek, who was present at the interview:
"It is most deplorable that Pope Paul, instead of denouncing
a priest with such a record, has seen fit to honor him so highly,
when he is a man who has repeatedly crucified the spirit of
Jesus."-
We must not be 'misled by hero-worship and the notoriety that
had been given Mindszenty. His record must be made known and as
an anti-Semite he must be placed among the bigots of our time.
-
Detroit Honors Ben-Gurion's 85th Birthday
As the chief architect of the Jewish State, David Ben-Gurion's
name has entered indelibly into Jewish history. His 85th birthday,
which undoubtedly will be an occasion for an entire year of celebra-
tions throughout the world, has inspired an unusual means of paying
tribute t3 a great man.
Histadrut has undertaken to raise $85,000 for the establishment
of an Institute of Negev Studies at Sde Bpker, the chief residence
of Ben-Gurion in the Israel southern desertland. It is undoubtedly the
most approved sort of honor acceptable to B-G who is so anxious
that educational efforts be advanced and research conducted in Israel.
The Detroit Histadrut Campaign, which opens on Dec. 2, -will be
• •
dedicated to the fien-Gurion project. This community may raise 10
per cent of the needed $850,000 sum for the Ben-Gurion Negev Insti- Pogrom All Week, Psalms on Sunday
tute: It is a gocd way of honoring the Israeli leader and participation
There is an old satire, in relation to the pogromists in Russia, that
in this project is-strongly recommended.
all week they propagated pogroms against Jews and on Sundays they
went to the churches to chant Psalms.
"
_ _
The Copts in 4Egypt aren't such good friends of Israel and the Jews.
But when the 117th successor to St Mark hecame,Pope Shenuda NI
as- patriarch of the Coptic Orthodoi Church and Pope of - Alexandria
(he ,was a former Egypdan army officer who became . a hermft), he
recited David's Psalm 1111:
"Open to me the gates Of righteonsmits. I will-go into them and
I will praise the Lord. This is the gate of the Lord into which the
righteous will enter. " ' -
- Now we must wait and see: whether, at-the gates of righteousness.
a spiritual numerals clams will be' established, or whether justice will
be for all peoples.
•
earl
"
By HAIM SHACHTER
,
poPulation of
Israel increased- during' the past
Tear by , 82,000 . and now totals
about 3,050,000:. Ia;the:past --six
Years, the general population-greei
by about 476,000, of - whom 322,000
were Jewish. -
A total of 72 per cent of the
Jewish growth was due to natural
increase; the non-Jewish Popula-
tion growth was- due entirely to
natural increase.
Should the rate of immigration -
Ind, emigration, continue at the
same Late as in recent years, it is
expected, that by 1985 the total
population- of Israel will be abOut
4,250,000,: Of whom . 3,500,000 mill
This infOrnaiitiOn is Contained in
the., jest ` Published 22rid annual
Statistical Abitract. .
-
The Jewish population. in -Israel
increases by 25-27_ per 1,000, • 17
cent.;-dulr-to
and the remainder to immigration.
The non-Jewish' population has a
natural increase of 40 per 1,000,
These figures do not cover the oc-'
cupied areas.
• The number of people age 65
and over continues to increase and
now stands at about 200,000, or
7.2 per cent . as compered with
3.7 per cent in 1948- If this pro-
cess continues, the -aged -.will ac-
count for 92 pa cent,of the total
population by .1980.
mei. Were .a . 74slan 771,e66
births; II 41179.- There' La's: heat
an lierialerio feral*, :
- due
Israeli Iteseliaui - noir has a birth
Ospectimey - if SA - children, as
compared- with t.2 children in
-
A., total of26,554 marriages and
2.385"-Aeorces- were-raterein in
the countrjrC1971:011.,Percentagii
of unmarried-Sege in-,the Jewish
population rifleriell is . among the
lowest in the : world.
:
For the first. time :the Stiihs
r Ideal
Abstract 'Contains information
about the Mobility of Israel's pop-
ulation. From 200.000 to '250,000
people change their place of resi-
dence -annually, about :half- the
number Within' the area in: which
they live and the other halt to
other regions in the country:The
Main trend of , migration la from
'rural 'regions to the towns,- and
from Tel Aviv and Haifa to Jeru-
salem and its suburbs. The Tel
Aviv district has 882,600 residents.
Ther...tentral region, which Includes
Petakii-4115rici:J!.ainla
and Rehovot districts,- is the - nail
largest, with a population of 537,-
560."lhe Haifa district, Which ex.
tends clown 'to Haden*, has , a
population- of 46000. The 'teeth-
e district has a ulation Of
=
453-900, - the soutlter6 region, 333,
200, and the Jerusalem' distriet,
3.=,700.
Data show- a constant drop in
- illiMracyamong the Jewish papule- -
don (front 12.6 per cent in 196j
to 9.3 per; cent -in MO).
In-the non-Jewish Pomilatien the
percentage of illiteracy during the
same - period has dropped froin
49.8 per cent to 36 per cent: that
of people of un. to 8 years' school-
ing. has risen from 41 per cent to
49 per cent.
-
British Experts 'Report lirael - May . - 1 oin Nuclear Club
' Here are two -notable photographs of David Ben-Galion. Pheto
on left shows the former prime minister of IsEael shearing iheea
•
at the Sde Boker Mutt in the Negev:IThe, photo on the right shows
the noted tabor Zionist in his uniform as'a member of the Jewish
Legion in World War I.
4ceember 26: 1971
i.ONDON.....(JTA) —Israel, along small scale basis in Israel. It has
with Japan and Judit.,may soon a warhead capability of between
:join the 'unclear club. ; it was sPec-u- 990 and 1,540 pounds. '`From this
lated -here in 'a report' in, Jane's it is argued• that a nuclear pay-
Weapon. Systems, an authoritative load is probable," the report
but unofficial British publication. stated. It added, however, that We
The latest: edition of this publida, existence , • of the ;Jericho has not
lion quotes' reports that Israel-has been authenticated and that Israel
produeed n
has -:frequently- 'asserted that it
the Jericho, capable of carrying would not,introduce nuclear weap-
a nuclear warhead.
oo. -4 1tO•- the-Middle East. But
According to ,reports -
'Wash- there is little doubt that if it -were
ington, the magazine reported, the considered by Israel that such
be forthcoming," the . niagazifie
article stated.
Jane's. also -.. reported that the
Soviet: Union •fi now has the initia-
'114- tin weapons technology,"- which
_Is considered "a potential 'source•
of distorbance of the - relative:bat-
ancelhat _exists between - 11m majcrr
rs
powe
,
reported advahceS.
supersonic - bp:utter .1s4- lots
sit-kale iiliseioiiiicapatilify,'Tfte
•
_
,U.S. hs an equivalent bomber
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Jericho was being produced on a - weapons were needed, trik-N wool.1
on the drawing bp.ards