New Left as Menace or Asset
to Zionism, Debated at AJC
Annual Dialogue in Israel

Alm

di

•

"which must not be allowed to be-
come Israel's real, basic philoso-
phy," Ben-Aharon contended. "Op-
portunistic pragmatism" has per.
meated the Labor Party, he w arn-
ed. and is eating into many facets
of Israeli society. But, he said,
"Short-term political alliances
should not obscure deeper streams
of political purpose." lie asserted
that Just because right-wing forces
and governments help Israel more
now than left-wing forces does not
"We assume that anti-Semitism
mean they are Israel's natural al-
on the left can be rectified." said
lies.
Marie Syrkin of New York, Zion-
Jacobs also said the New Left
ist editor of the Herd Press.
was not by definition anti-Semitic.
"It's a myth to say the New Left
and said he and others within it
is anti-Jewish," countered Paul
were fighting such a trend.
Jacobs of San Francisco, who
Trying Kristol of New York, edi-
once ran for the Senate on Black
tor of the Public Interest, said
militant Eldridge Cleaver's Peace
Israel
and Jews generally were
and Freedom ticket.
politically conservative and should
Leftist anti-Semitism can be
have the courage to say so. The
purged more easily than rightist
New Left opposes Israel and
anti-Semitism, Miss Syrkin
American Jewry not out of anti-
claimed.
Semitism but out of anti-conserva-
"There's a wide spectrum of tism, he contended. •
belief among the New Left." re-
Marie Syrkin read from the poe-
torted Jacobs. citing Noam Chom-
try of LeRoi Jones to prove that
sky and I. E Stone as non-anti-
the New Left is anti-Semitic.
Zionist New Leftists.
Amos Elon, author of "The Is-
Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, AJCon-
raelis: Fathers and Sons," attack-
gress president, said the Holocaust
ed what he saw as Israeli society's
and the establishment of Israel
insensitivity to social problems,
had led Jews to desert the political communal differences and the
right.
plight of Arab villagers evicted
Prof. Theodore Draper of the from their homes.
Institute for Advanced Study at
Paul Jacobs, the dialogue's
Princeton University suggested
last speaker, on Aug. 5, claimed
that Jews would be better off if
that Israeli alignment with "re-
they did not "mortgage" their fu-
actionary forces," coupled with
ture to either side.
its post-Six-Day War policies,
Some speakers took pains to
had caused the New Left to be-
deny any anti-Semitism in the
come anti-Israel and anti-Zion-
New Left. Others sought to dis-
ist. He cited Eban's presenta-
credit the notion that anti-Semit-
tion of the State of Israel award
ism wa s the brainchild of either
to Goy. Ronald Reagan of Cali-
modern Socialism or the Amer-
fornia and the American His-
ican Jewish New I,eft.
tadrut's dinner honoring Police
Prof. Abraham Udov itch of
Chief (now Mayor) Frank L.
Princeton pointed out that anti-
Rizzo of Philadelphia.
Semitic tendencies had cropped up
Jacobs said that what he called
in "all redemptive movements** of
Israel's interference in American
Christian Europe. a full 600 years
Presidential electioneering — a
before the advent of Socialism.
reference to Ambassador Itzhak
Prof Henry Feingold of City
Rahin's reported — and denied —
Colleiie, New York, insisted that
endorsement of President Nixon
anti Semitism had been "tacked
—had cheapened politics. Jacobs
on" after the New Left adopted
said his criticism of Israel derived
its political views.
from his love, not his hate for it.
In the long run, the reyolu-
remarking "Am I an anti-Semite
tionary left is Zionism's only
because I see Zionism as a nation-
true ally, Yitzhak Ben-Aharon
alism with the good and the had
said.
of other nationalisms?"
Israel's present alignment with
Prof. Theodore Draper of the
more reactionary forces is merely
necessary political pragmatism, Institute of Advanced Studies at

Partic-
JERUSALEM (JTA
ipants in the American Jewish
Congress' 10th annual American-
Israel Dialogue debated vigorous-
ly whether the New Left was good
for the Jews, Zionism and Israel.
The debate, launched by Foreign
Minister Abba Eban who assailed
the New Left, was continued by
Ilistadrut Secretary General Yitz-
hak Ben-Aharon, who disagreed
with Eban, but with reservations.

13

is your lucky number, for those who tuned in regularly in
the 13-Part Television Course in Functional Hebrew—

"TO ISRAEL WITH HEBREW"
on Channel 56

A public service of

Zionist Organization of Detroit
and The Detroit Jewish News

Princeton University agreed with
Jacobs on alleged Israeli inter-
ference in the United States elec-
tions. Ile called it unprecedented,
unwise and short-sighted, and said
he would be tempted to vote for
the Democratic candidate, Sen.
George McGovern (S.D.), only be-
cause of the reported endorsement
of Nixon by Rabin and other Is-
raeli officials.

"To Israel With Hebrew" is sponsored and produced by
Tarbuth Foundation for the Advancement of Hebrew
Culture and the Department of Education & Culture,
American Section, World Zionist Organization.

Vocabulary for concluding Lesson 13, Tuesday, Aug. 8

LESSON 13

READ, CALL

-Ivy n',1`79 11! 7 ‘)

L IKRO , KO RIM)

AFTER

(ACHARE1)

OPENED

(PATCHU)

• lnK

n n5

:r

'CiDY
r:-

NOW

(ACHSHAV)

POND

(AGAM)

A LION

(ARYEH)

IN MEMORY

(LEZECHER)

A HERO, BRAVE

(GIBOR)

nipl

AROUND

(SAVIV)

ovno

NORTH

(TZAFON)

SURROUNDING

(SVIVAH)

aDvno
r .1

HIGH

(GAVOHA)

ninl
.
-

WHEN

(MATAY)

TO DRAW, TO PAINT

(LETZAYER)

A DRAWING, A 'PAINTING

(TZIYU

A PAINTER

(TZAYAR)

ART

(OMANUT)

A HOLIDAY

(CHAG)

A BONFIRE

(MEDURAII)

DANCE

( RIKUD, ROKDIM)

END

(SOF)

0

ix

.1K

107'7

•

•

•
r -

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r

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1 (1

n'IR 1 n

O'F -TP

"t

pl

11 0

Recapturing Our Heritage . . .
With a Knowlege of Hebrew

First came the prayers—they were in Hebrew
and they called for a knowledge of the ancient
tongue. Then came Israel and the language of the
Bible and of prayers became the medium of ex-
pression and the language of a sovereign nation.
Studies of Hebrew have become very popular.
Our high schools are introducing them. There are
special classes in Hebrew at the Jewish Center.

The 13-week program "To Israel With Hebrew" spon-
sored by the Zionist Organization of Detroit inspired
many thousands of viewers on the Channel 56 television
program on Tuesday evenings. This series concludes
with the program next Tuesday, and already there are
requests for its repetition and for the introduction of
additional Hebrew programs.
For those desiring to learn Hebrew, there are record-
ings—a group of three 12-inch long playing records, with
a manual to assist the student, issued by Dover Publica-
tions. Groups using these recordings are thereby assisted
by specialized guidance in pursuing Hebrew studies.
(Detailed story on Page 8)
The Jewish News will continue to encourage Hebrew
studies with the publication of frequent Hebrew columns
with accompanying translations.

52—Friday, August 11, 1972

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS