Purely Commentary The Nixon Report and the Jackson Evaluation President Nixon's message on American interests in foreign mat- ters has evoked' many comments. As was to be expected, Democratic presidential aspirants criticized the White House occupant. There were some conflicting views on the Middle East and on the American postion towards Russia. But there was one statement that deserved more than casual interest. Senator Henry M. Jackson of Washington certainly is among the best informed men on the conditions affecting the Middle East. He has been and remains the most ardent supporter of Israel in her battle for survival against the odds set up by Russian aid to the Arab states. Commenting on the Middle East section of the Nixon State of the World Report, Senator Jackson stated: Political Considerations and Lack of Vision By Philip Sionsovitz _ . in Tackling Low-Cost Housing in Forest Hills Sen. Jackson's Middle East Analysis Area . . Painful Subject: Forest Hills Niue and the Political Implications in Racial Conflicts Rabbi William Berkowitz, upon assuming the presidency of the New York Board of Rabbis, raised several issues. He made the serious charge that the needs of the large number of Jewish poor, were being ignored. He charged, in relation to problems that have arisen in New York universities, that a quota system is being.•introduced-in education and that Jewish students will suffer from a revived "numerus• clausur." He took up the issues involved in the proposed low-income Forest Hills housing program. In the latter, he invcilved Mayor John Lindsay, charging him with "walking over the body" of the Jewish community in what he implied was a political "sellout" in a housing program that has met with strong Jewish opposition on the ground that it will destroy the established Jewish institutions and may compel another mass flight from the city Jews had built up in recent years. The President's third "State of the World" message, with re- Rabbi Berkowitz did not necessarily stir up a hornet's nest. It existed for some time spect to the Middle East, is the third annual admission that Amer- before he assumed his public office as president of a large rabbinical organization. What ican policy has failed to counter the increasing Soviet build-up in he did was to bring the matter to a head, and as a result he incurred the anger of the Union that strategic area. We are told that the State of the World report was written by the State Department with some sections rewritten by the White House. That may be so, but the section on the Middle East was written, not on the 7th floor of the State Department, but in the West Wing of the White House. This shift in Middle East geography is most welcome. It is highly significant that, for the first time, the United States Government has faced up to the fact that the Soviet Union is responsible for the failure of American efforts to reach some general understanding "on the basic conditions of stability in the Middle East." The report this year acknowledges, for the first time, that "Soviet personnel were directly involved in violations of the stand- still agreement of Aug. 7, 1970." The report acknowledges that the Soviet Union has sought to use the Arab-Israeli dispute "to gain the use of naval and air facilities In Egypt." The report this year, unlike last, is explicit in itemizing the past massive influx of Soviet weapons and personnel into Egypt, a development that I believe we should have been most vociferous in protesting at the time. In contrast to last year, the State of the World report reflects American concern at the continuing effort by the Soviet Union to "use the Arab-Israel conflict to perpetuate_ and _wand its own military position in EgypL" _ - The seventh floor referred to is the office of Secretary of State William P. Rogers in the State Department, thus clarifying the position expressed in the Jackson statement. of American Hebrew Congregations and the New York Federation of Reform Synagogues, while retaining support from six other New York groups, primarily the Forest Hills community. While the issue revolves around Greater New York and the Forest Hills community, it could well affect similar situations elsewhere. It has been charged that Mayor Lindsay played politics at the expense of the Jewish community, and the new danger of another change in an important neighborhood seriously affects race relations, the best attitudes among citizens and threatens divisiveness of a sort that leads to civil strife. The incident in New York assumed such serious proportions .that the New York Times discussed "Ethnic Entity" in this editorial in its issue of Feb. 11: The sharply divisive and ethnically-oriented attack There are ap reasons for oppos in on the city's Forest Hills housing project by the ent form the huge low-cost housing rojec its pres- p t that is being so brusquely dumped intothe Forest Hills president-elect of the New York Board of Rabbis is area. This newspaper has expressed the view more hardly calculated to make easier a solution of this than once that far greater sensitivity in the prepara- tion and planning of this example of "scatter-site" In intemperate and unfortunate language, Rabbi housing should have been shown by the city authori- Berkowitz used the podium afforded hint by his new ties—and still should be shown. There are legitimate position to exacerbate the racial aspects of the Forest questions of size of impact, of socio-economic differ- Hills dispute instead of endeavoring to ameliorate ences, of schoids and other social services, of siting, them. With its racial and political overtones, his of previous community involvement—all of which speech can only have the deplorable effect of driving could have been bandied better and still can be. - a wedge between black and Jewish communities in But it is no help at all to inflame latent racial this city—which is certainly the last thing the over- prejudices and passions--by talking of "preservation whelming majority ties or of this city of the people of rthese-commtm of ethnic entities" in terms of real estate, either in Forest Hills or anywhere else. m all indications, in the dispute over the Forest Hills plan, there were blunders that could and should have been 'avoided. High-rise, multi-apartmented structures do not contribute toward neighborliness in a staid and calmed community that has fears of repe- tition of violent experiences from which some of the residents had fled before settling down in Forest Hills. Noted here, contrary to the prejudices that are so often aroused What makes the situation much worse is that, at this late date, as an aftermath to by statements by the present White House occupant, are Senator Jack- son's rational approaches to the issues involving both Russia and the the Rabbi Berkowitz incident and the NYTimes editorial, Jewish groups in New York now suggest a meeting of Blacks and Jews, apparently for the purpose of ironing out grievances. Middle East. He notes previous shortcomings but he acknowledges current sincerities. This is how issues affecting American foreign pol- Can such a confrontation bring anything but additional harm after all the injuries icies should be judged: rationally, without prejudgement and prejudice have been inflicted by a plan which,-Mayor Lindsay's associates state, can not and will not-be and in the best interest cf this country and the human needs of the peoples affected. altered? If there is to be an established harmony, isn't it to be attained before damage is done, and if a plan like a multi-storied low-priced housing proposal is opposed community- of adhering to political motivations, if such motives truly exist? The sensational Irving story has another intresting aspect. There damage already has been done. The new proposals for black-white meetings was more than one "fake" in the life of the man accused of plagiarism. may or Much may not be desirable in matters involving - state and nation. The fact is that politically Iry Kupcinet, in his Kup's Column in the Chicago Sun-Times, calls there have been motivations that have not led to the best results. Some have done much attention to the following: harm. Housing programs needed better advance planning. Busing has become objectionable It never rains but it pours: Clifford Irving is facing a $55,- because it is compulsory and because it is a substitute for a major aim: improvement of our 000,000 libel suit as a result of his book, "Fake!," and you know schools. Is it any wonder, from the Jewish point of view, that Rabbi Berkowitz should have the trouble he's having with the purported autobiography of How- warned politicians: ard Hughes and the resultant threat to his marriage because of the dames who have turned up in the investigation thereof. Now comes "Don't eat our knishes and wear our yarmulkes one year and the following year refuse another blow. Because Irving is in the headlines, the Jerusalem to see us. We also demand that Jewish 'politicians who trade on their Jewishness • for political Post of Israel decided to reprint its review of his book, "The Battle gain realize their responsibility to the Jewish community." of Jerusalem," published in 1970. And, according to the review, Since the qUestion of ethnic entities has been injected in the debate over the desirability inaccuracies appear on every page." More: "There is only one original contribution in this book—and this originality lies not in of the projected three 24-story structures that are to bring into Forest Hills residents in 840 the fact that the incidents have not been described elsewhere, but new apartments, the view of Rabbi BerkoWitz should not be ignored. He stated that the that for the most part they never occurred at all except in some- Forest Hills project does not "combine principles of integrated housing with the preser- one's vivid imagination." Can't win 'em all ! vation of ethnic entities and institutions" and that "the concept of 'community control' that It's no use: the plagiarists and fakers are usually caught up with. acknowledges the rights of one group but not the other is not true community control and is a further act designed to provoke interminority strife." * This is not an attitude to be ignored. It is a viewpoint that needs serious consideration. Medievalists in Arab ranks It is one, like busing,lhat is certain to be injected into the 1972 Presidential campaign and into the politics of the. state of New York. Failure to be realistic in the matter will serve to Much of what is attempted to attain peace between Jews and Arabs is nullified by the medievalism of some of the Moslem spokesmen. divide the communities in the Empire State. The problem is one to be handled by qualified When bigots undertake to revive so ancient a stupidity as the ritual social and political scientists in the best interests of America. It is not Forest Hills alone murder lie, confidence in their good sense must vanish. that is involved here. A basic American idea is under threat and dare not be ignored— a a Another Episode in Clifford Irving's Career wise and may indeed prove unworkable, can't politicians solve it with emendations instead , Here is an example of what happens in irrational journalism. In the Beirut newspaper—or magazine—Al Hawadath, a writer, Salim Nasser, dealt with Israel-Vatican relations and then proceeded to state: Feinberg School 'Gets Absolute N. Y. Regents Charter "Residents of the Saad and Sa'id quarters of Jerusalem near the Jewish Mea Shearim quarter prevent their children from leav- ing the house lest they be kidnaped by the Jews and their blood used for kneading dough for matzot. Since_ it is forbidden for Jews to knead matzo dough with yeast or water, lliey therefore use Christian blood for softening the dough." NEW YORK—The board of re- gents of the University of the State of New York has granted an abso- lute charter to the Feinberg Grad- uate-School of the Weizmann lit-_ stitute. Ritual murder charges have been leveled at Jews in the Ukraine, and the Soviet authorities were blind to the spread of prejudice in such bigoted fashion. It is with such hate-provoking elements that we must deal in aspiring for a message of justice from those who delib- erately distort truth and resort to the basics of ignorance in search for power. The school has been operat- ing under a provisional charter since 1967, accrediting it as an American academic institution.' Abraham Feinberg, president of the school, also is chairman of the board of governors of the Weir, mann Institute of Science and of 2—firldry, Fehraary 11, 1972 TIE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS the board of its American com- mittee. When, in January 1967, the Fein- berg Graduate School received a provisional charter — subsequently extended in May '1970—it was the first such recognition granted to a scientific graduate school in the Middle East by the board of re- gents. Established in 1958, the Feinberg Graduate School currently has a student body of 547 graduate stu- dents-316 students studying for their PhD degrees, and 231 for their master of science degrees. Of these students, 80 per cent are Israeli and 20 per cent ,come from Europe, Asia and ,Aft' The facilities 'Of the' -Weizmann Institute as,a whole are available to the student body. The school's curriculum is supervised by boards fon, each subject, consisting of senior scientists in the given fields. Admission to the school is on the basis of merit. Qualified students are provided' with scholarships, living expenses and dormitory ac- commodations.