Purely Commentary
By Philip
Slomoyitz
How's Your Funny Bone? Study the Tactics of Politicians
We are in the throes of an ironic age. Satire will mingle with irony, the cynics will have a heyday and
the best advice for potential voters in the forthcoming November election is that that should be strong-
minded. not to permit the humorous to he transformed into the tragic.
There will be a lot of fun in the present Presidential campaign and there will be the agonizing and the
di,tressing flow else can sharp divisions among the ideological effects on our social and political hfe
crocri:e in a •,:eriou, campaign for the Presidency of the United States?
The agonizing troubled many Americans in the past several days. The Thomas Eagleton issue was an
-..aunt one. To many it was a hit disgusting—that the great American press should have made such a
1,,Ilt• of it when it should have been one of compassion.
•••• was a time when retardates were mistreated. when they were abused as second class citizens. We
t.neil better. We handle them with the one factor they need so urgently in life: a measure of love
1; ■ 1
from their fellow men. How else are they to be cured, or assured a place in our society?
". told a person wearing a hearing aid he looked upon with contempt instead of receiving our assistance
making a place for himself in an already all-too-difficult social structure?
Wny should a man who had undergone medical treatment, who knew enough to ask for psychiatric
1 e under assault politically, socially—humanly?
The entire Eagleton matter seemed like a campaign of character assassination. The courageous in the
rank; of ail parties should have 4protected the Missouri Senator from the outset.
While it advocat"d Senator Eigleton's withdrawal from the race for Vice President, the New York
referring to the Anderson charge that has since been withdrawn and for which Jack Anderson has
stated: "Entirely apart from the effect on the Presidential campaign, the press in general is
• . tie kind of irresponsible journalism reflected in the publication of such ill-supported charges."
t the press played up little scandals, inflating them into major issues, all-too-often? Isn't the
.ia.inz right into the hands of Spiro Agnew with the manner in which the Eagleton case has been
1'
depressing, the aspect of aLtony in politics. There are the humorous, and among the funniest
for us by the office id McGovern for : President. Under date of July 20 there was
' • .
bate relea , e" a 'Statement by Senator George McGovern" that reads in its complete
f•tt-:
to lows:
The Ninth of Av is a dark day in Jewish history —the second most serious feast day in the
- 0■•,1c calendar. On this day, twenty-five-hundred-fifty-eight years ago, King Solomon's Temple
was destroyed.
On this day, nineteen-hundred-two years ago, the Second Temple was destroyed. The
defenders of Masada fought on for three more lonely years, but the Ninth of Av of the year
seventy was the beginning of almost nineteen centuries in which Jewish independence was only
a dream.
On this day of mourning and solemn remembrance, we should reinforce our determination to
build a world of peace and compassion. Instead we are continuing a foolish war because we
do not have the courage to end it.
On this day when all men should he penitent for the cruel and wretched moments of our
past, instead we are continuing a bombardment of Indochina.
On this day that has meant tragedy and suffering through the ages, we are adding new
tragedy and suffering to the old.
May this be the last Ninth of Av on which we mourn for the present as well as the past.
•,•— ■ 7•nber. this is an exact quotation of the McGovern statement—inclining his concern about Tisha
a FEAST DAY!)
..•■••sy this release as utterly funny. For several decades, from the time that Presidents, Senators,
, . •-s ---- politicians in all categories—sought to impress Jewish voters with messages of greetings,
'",• f, Rosh flashana, students of political developments viewed the statements with tongue in cheek, and
::• :::rally The intentions were so clearly evident! Some politicians began to resort to Passover, some
. for the release of messages to their Jewish fellow citizens. But Senator McGovern's office
•, new precedent by resorting to Tisha b'Av for a word of consolation!
it to the candidate of the sincerity of Senator McGovern to advise him to be more cautious.
earefully—;inee it must have been a Jewish message-writer who resorted to the
Tish WM- sentimentality.
•
•
•
'Hebrew' Synonymous With 'Jewish'
in 'Nationality' Fight in Israel
By AMOS BEN-VERED
JTA Middle East Barran Chief
(Copyright 1172, JTA, Inc.)
JERUSALEM — The case of
Commander Dr. Benjamin Shalit
of Israel's navy, at present the
chief psychologist of the country's
, armed forces, who asked that his
' i nfant son be registered as of
"Jewish nationality, without reli-
gjon"—a plea rejected by the Su-
preme Court—is only the latest
in a series of legal, public and
private battles over the term
"Jew" and over the puzzling de-
finition of what Jewish "national-
ity could mean."
to Judaism, or ge to another
country, and enter a civil mar-
riage which is then recognized
here under civil law just as
Mexican marriages or divorces
are recognized in the U.S. Mos-
lems and Drure are slightly bet-
ter off, as Moslem religious law
permits marriage between Mos-
lems and Jews without prior
conversion and the Haiti can
thus
perform the
ceremony.
Druze law is similar. But the
principle Is the same: it is reli-
gious law which lays down the
To those familiar with life in
rules,
Eastern and Central Europe, there
Ever since the establishment of
is nothing strange about the term
"nationality" as distinct from cit- Israel, many groups including
Marxists
and free-thinkers, have
izenship. First coined in ancient
times, it served to inform a ruler tried to change this. Private mar-
of many peoples as to what ethnic riages have been arranged, and
group any particular person be- declaratory judgements asked from
longed. In the Roman empire, in the civil courts that they are
Byzantine times, and later in the valid. Civil marriage has been de-
Ottoman empire, one could be a manded. Civil divorce has been
citizen of Turkey, but in fact be- advocated. All this was met by
long to the Bulgarian, or Greek, unwavering resistance of Ortho-
or Armenian ethnic group or na- dox groups including the National
tion. Thus, identification papers Religious Party, coalition partners
carried information about a per- in the government for all but one
son's "nationality" in addition to of the 24 years of Israel's ex-
his citizenship. To this day, this istence. Moreover, the NRP has
is the rule in many Eastern coun- claimed that there cannot be a
distinction between Jewish na-
tries.
tionality and Jewish religion —
In the Ottoman empire , to which whoever ceases to be a Jew by
Palestine belonged until the first religion is automatically excluded
World War, the distinction was im- from the Jewish community or
portant because, for example, a ethnic group.
Moslem of Turkish nationality
When Israel's Supreme Court
might be rnuch more loyal to Con-
stantinople than a Moslem of last year decreed, in the case of
Arab nationality. Thus, the regis- Shalit, that a distinction may be
tration was carried by everyone made, the law was amended by
on his identity card, in addition the Knesset, under pressure from
to his religion, while his citizen- the NRP and with the consent
ship was a third and distinct of many traditionalists in other
parties which include Prime Min-
entry,
ister Golds Mew.
The British Mandate took over
Shalit had married a professed
where the Ottoman Turks left off
atheist of Scottish and French par-
and did not change the law. Reli-
entage. He himself is an atheist.
gious tribunals were the sole au-
However, he demanded that the
thority in all matters concerning
two children born of this marriage
personal status, that is mainly
be registered as belonging to the
marriage and divorce. Only where
Jewish community or ethnic group
persons of different religions were
(Jewish "nationality'). The Su-
involved could the civil authorities
step in: a Belgian Christian and a preme Court ruled in his favor at
the time. However, when his third
Druze woman, for example, could
child was born after the amend-
be married by the Belgian consul
ment of the law, a plea on his be-
in a civil ceremony, and divorced,
half was rejected. So he bad to
if they so wished, by the District
full back on the alternatives re-
Court.
jected many times in the past
The state of Israel went one
when advanced by others: regis-
step farther: while granting the
tration as "Hebrew" or as being
in not be vcrlouked There should not have been any injection of politics in the Middle
• ',id he kept non-partisan But it was dragged in and its injection should be criticized. We
I .rael Ambassador Itzhak Rab:n's statements at the very outset and we are distressed
■ n,:,•r. Jr , writing on - flow McGovern Will Win , " in last week's New York Times
..e
has , found it necessary to state.
- ■ •
n-r. of Israel is .. puzzling. No foreign envoy since the unfortunate Sackville-West in
r-e, t,
■ ..terv,ned so mindlessly in Internal American politics as the present Israeli ambassador in
-isho 4too, Genera! Rabin. Publicly. he has dismissed the Democrats as a party of words and praised the
P-puhlica-is as the party of deeds and privately he has wigwagged to Jewish leaders that they must get
`•'hind Nixon. Unless the government recalls him, one must assume that he is executing a premeditated
• , ,diry The impact of such gross intervention on the highly intelligent and independent Jewish vote is,
'•..wever.- prodlematic "
The resentment can not be viewed as unjustified, although it is just as ridiculous to suggest Rabin's
religious communities continued
being recalled by the Israel government. General Rabin has already. stated that he wishes to go back home,
jsuisdietieu over Israelis of their
and no other advice will be necessary. Yet, whoever speaks for Israel, should, as we have stated time and
particular religion, it abolished
again, stay out of American politics.
the parallel civil procedure. In
Yee, this will be an active, exciting, opinion-dividing, interest-creating year. Can one keep altogether •ether weeds, as Israeli Jew
during aM the debates and differences of opinion on the policies of the two parties and their distin-
rennet be• married or divorced
guished banner bearers?
In Israel by *NY. listbsollY save
Catholic-Episcopal Couple
Remarry—As Orthodox Jews
a rabbinical one. If his partner
does not belong to the same
faith be (or she) must convert
of "Israeli" nationality. Israel is
not yet a nation. the court ruled.
One can be an Arab., a Jew., a
Scot, or a Frenchman. But as
yet, then is no Israeli ethnie com-
munity, while "Hebrew is synon-
ymous with 'Jewish."
Vacation Program for Israeli Mothers
NEW YORK — With their eight he and his wife began to feel that
children looking on enthusiasti-
tie "values, life-style and *p-
ratty, an Episcopalian end his i proach of Judaism" coincided with
Roman Catholic wife were re- their own.
married — as Orthodox Jews.
Richards then wrote to Yesh-
' You don't join the Jewish relig-
iva lnaversity where a rabbi
ion, you become a Jew," explained
referred him to Rabbi Leo Co-
42 year-old bridegroom J a in e s
gan. Cogan tried to dissuade
Richards. A year and a half ago.
Richards, but Richards won out-
after years of thinking and rethink-
cast December the whole farn•
ing.. Richards and his wife Wdna
ily was converted and the older
decided to convert.
boys were Bar Mitzvaed. To
make things complete, the Rich-
Richards, who seas just a few
ards
were remarried by Rabbi
months short of becoming an or-
dained Episcopal minister, became
increasingly interested in Judaism
white be was studying for the min-
' ♦ try under the guidance of a
priest while working as a prison
parole and probation officer in
Santa Fe, N. N.
Cogan in Queens.
"Talk about relevancy," Rich-
ards said. "Judaism makes you
aware of the beauty of every-
thing."
The family has decided that the
logical place for them now is Is-
In the course of long diseussicays, reel.
2 — Pridery, Aerlet 4, 1472
THE 11111101T /MON NEWS
Morning ealiathenics are part or a vocation program enjoyed by mothers from some of Israel's
largest and meat deprived families in a special summer camp prejeet speasered by Pioneer Women
fa Israel. More than 1,170 mothers, both Jewish and Arabs, each whir their two youngest child`c .`•
are sow partbripatiag is these tamps which have been set up in IS firacer Weems community cclt.urs
and agricuiturat etimels throughout the seuatry. 'The "mothers camp pregram" — the first of its type
tried to liirael — is designed in bring red and recreative to women with large families flora city shun
aelgisborboods, taro settlements and development towns.