Israel Information Service Challenged; Correspondent Urges More Firm Actions By CHARLES J. LEVIN "This is our country." "The Jews don't belong here." "The Zionists stole our homes and our lands." "The Jews are a foreign ele- 7nent imposed on us by force. - "Palestine is Arab and it be- longs to the Arab nation." "We're not responsible for Hitter. Why should we pay the Christian debt to the Jews?" "The Jews have no right to Palestine," "We have lived here for hun- drens of years. Before the Zion- ists came we were at peace with the Jews." "A million homeless Arabs cry out for justice." (Often this ante is raised to 2,000,000, or even 3,000,000.) These statements substan- tially make up the Arab line of propaganda. It hasn't changed in the 25 years of Israel's statehood. Why should it? It has done the job so well in the arena of Public opinion that sympathy for the "plight" of the "Pal- estinians" has survived three major aggressive wars against Israel, countless thou- sands of "incidents" and THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 22—Friday, April 27, 1973 IWTO a*= r JEWELRY Trholesale Diamonds 5 RemountinE, Jeurin & Watch Repair-a, SUITE 364 ADVANCE BLDG. 23077 Greenfield at 9 Mile (313) 557-1860 Thic ilest TO You • HAL GORDON . 111 FOR Oft ISill‘N BIG BANDS OR SMALL COMBOS 642-5520 FACIAL HAIR PERMANENTLY REMOVED tyebrows— Neckline—Arms— Legs Recommended by Physicians FREE CONSULTATION SHIRLEY PERSIPi Registered Electrologist ADVANCE BUILDING 23077 GREENFIELD 'Room 260 Nr. Northland & Providence Mospotal PHONE 557 - 1108 15 Years Downtown Continental Watch and Jewelry Shop Featuring • WILLIE WOO • Alexis Kirk High Fashion Designer Jewelry and Watches as seen in Glamour, Vogue, Etc. Watch S6 Auction May 5-12 Watch Repairing on Premises • 210 S. Woodward, Birm. 9:30 - 6 642 - 0423 Master Charge & BankAmericard "Menora Singles" presents a Singles Party & Dance May 6th — 8:30 p.m. At ALVAROS, 1824 W. 14 Mile Rd. betw. Coolidge & Crooks Dress Casual & Refreshments Tickets available at door $2.75 For Info Call - 557-5447, 255-0727 hundreds of unspeakable ter ror acts. Why should it when the Israel Information Service has given the Arabs an un- contested field of operation? By a clever and unremit- ting development of the "Big Lie" technique so well nour- ished by the Germans and the Russians (and often enough by the British in the past), the "Big Lie" has hardened into acceptable ele- ments of the "truth," as for example: Israel's guilt for the "refugees;" the Security Council's Resolution 242 as the basis of peace with the Arabs; the image of Israel as a paranoiac aggressor, etc. When was the last time or the first, that Israel has mounted an all-out campaign to drive home to world opin- ion one basic and unassail- able fact: the historic right of the Jewish people to its ancient home and, as a corol- lary, its need of it? It may sound rather bi zarre to go back to basics 25 years after the creation of Israel, but these are bi- zarre times. The non-Jewish world has great difficulty in accustoming itself to the con- cept of a Jewish state de- fending its land and its peo- ple against its enemies — and winning. That's the rub. The outside world feels more comfortable in offering sym- pathy and condolences after a program or a slaughter. Israel has spoiled things, so to speak. Possibly Israel thinks that the fait accompli of Israel's being is enough. No need to constantly justify it. This is understandable, but after every military victory the cry that its position is mor- ally and historically unten- able has gone up. Even When American newspapers and magazines deplore examples of barbaric Arab terror — Munich or Lydda—and more recently, Khartoum, there is usually a footnote about al- leged Arab grievances. For example, the Los An- geles Times, which has been viciously critical in its edi- torial comment on defense actions which the Israel De- fense Forces has found it necessary to take in recent weeks, had this to say after the Khartoum murders of the American diplomat — premeditated acts carried through with almost insane fury: ". . . The world acknowled- ges the injustices suffered by so many in Palestine. The world knows of those denied their homes and land, and a generation after them born to know only the impoverish- ment and helplessness of the refugee camps. The world can understand the frustra- tions that have been multi- plied in the last six years in the wake of another war and another Arab defeat . . ." There was no word that "another war and another Arab defeat" was the result of Arab aggression, or that the refugee problem began with "another war and an- other Arab defeat" in 1948. Suppose the Arabs had won in 1948 or 1956 or 1967? The Times would have been be- reft of its righteous indig- nation. The Israel Information Service seems reluctant to go to the mat with the Arabs on their highly vulnerable attacks against Israel in the propaganda war. Is it un- dignified to set the record straight and to state and re- state, a thousand times if necessary, our historic right to Israel and the Arab lack of it? I think not. The psy- chology and training of the Israel Defense Forces: take the initiative, hit hard and keep hitting, is sadly lack- ing in Israel's approach to propaganda basics. Demol- ish the nonsensical Arab claims and you undercut the ground on which their entire position is based — even the terrorists. It is not so im- portant that these be con- vinced, they are beyond rea- son, but it is vital that the truth of the Israeli position and the falsity of' the Arab pretensions be make clearly known to the world at large. Maurice Samuel in his im- portant "Light of Israel" saw this clearly. He wrote: ". . . The Jewish people has never come to terms with the de- struction of the Jewish state . • . it has never seen the exile as anything other than a provisional condition." For him he saw no "statute of limitations" with regard to the Jewish claim on Israel. Dignified silence by Israel has cost it much ground in world opinion. Since the en- tire raison d'etre of Israel is based on its historic right to Palestine, it is difficult to understand why this has not also been the mainstay of all information efforts. The skill is there, the re- sources are not lacking. Why the timidity? Why can't the truth be as stubbornly ad- vanced as the falsehood? With the best case in the world, why the weakest pre- sentation? This is the main front — the antidote to the "refugees" clamor as well. Israel has fared just as badly in supplementary sit- uations. The handling of the Libyan plan affair was a calamity. Israel had a sound case, although a difficult one, as the world wedded hind- sight to blindness to casti- gate Israel. You take a truth- ful line and stick to it. Un- til you are sure where you are going, you play for time until you are ready. Silence here is golden. There was a heavy body of evidence to involve both the pilot and the Cairo controllers. An analy- sis of the navigational sys- tem of the downed plane by a Boeing expert would have helped. The quality of the caskets of the victims is also within the province of pub- lic relations control. To be sure, the Israel In- formation Service has prob- ably had a long series of successes, but it is the fail- ures that stand out. The craft of public relations is too of- ten generally invoked as a cover-up. Israel has no need for this. Her information specialists should function as openers-up. Last year, 1,225 outstand- ing Michigan high school graduates who entered the University of Michigan were honored as Regents-Alumni Scholars for "their superior academic achievement and potential contribution." Hasidic Jews Protest to NY Police After Assault NEW YORK (JTA) — Some 1,000 hasidic Jews stormed the police station in Borough Park, Brooklyn, to ask for more police protec- tion after two hasidim were beaten "for kicks" by two assailants wielding two-by- fours. The victims, wearing tra- ditional hasidic garb, were identified as David Denbit- zer, 38, and Herschel Moss- berg, 22, both residents in the hasidic community in Borough Park. Taken to Maimonides Hospital after the attack, Denbitzer was said to be in fair condition and Mossberg was treated for cuts and bruises -and re- leased. Police reported that the two hasidim were attacked "for kicks" by Joseph Vel- lecco, 22, and Joseph Ali, 22, both of Brooklyn. They were booked for possession of dangerous weapons and felonious assault. The police seized the two thugs after one of their vic- tims noted the license plate on the car in which the as- sailants fled. Both hasidim were left lying on the side- walk. The protest at the police Farm Workers Union station came as word of the Has Freedom Seder attack swept like wildfire NEW YORK (JTA) — As Jews observed their second night of Passover April 17, , two leaders of Reform Aida- ism conducted a "freedom" seder for members of Cesar Chavez's United Farm Work- ers Union at St. Gregory's Church in Manhattan. Albert Vorspan, New York director of social action of the Union of American He- brew Congregations, and Rabbi Daniel Syme, as- sistant director of the UAHC's youth division, con- ducted the seder service in Hebrew and English, and a minister translated the Eng- lish into Spanish for mem- bers of the union. More than 100 people, most of them union members, par- ticipated in singing Hebrew and freedom songs and songs in Spanish. Meanwhile, Representative Ogden R. Reid of New York asked 2,000 guests at the 41st annual Histadrut third seder "Why is this year different from all other years?" and answered that "as Passover celebrates the exodus of Jews from Egypt, so we are seeing in our own days a new exodus of Jews from the Soviet Union. "Yet, many are there who still want to leave and can- not, and I say that we must not rest until Russian Jews have the right to leave the country and go to Israel," he said. The former United States ambassador to Israel hailed the Jewish state on its 25th anniversary, declaring that Israel "must' have the neces- sary materials to defend her- self." Drug Terms Classified In Israel some drugs have seven different names. Quite a problem for the neighbor- hood druggist and the doctor. What to do? Shaarey Zedek Hospital in Jerusalem got an idea. It has compiled the first computerized prescrip- tion index in the country. The index establishes standards for the use of all the many drugs available here. It lists indication s, counterindi- cations and standard dosag- es for all entries, classified according to diseases. through the hasidic com- munity arousing fear, re- sentment and anger. The demonstration began peacefully but at one point, according to police, some of the protestors attempted to push through police barri- cades to get at the assail- ants inside the station. Police pushed back the crowd and four policemen were slightly injured. They were treated at Maimonides Hospital and released. It's Nice • To Deal With Joe Slatkin's DEXTER CHEVROLET 20811 W. 8 Mile between Southfield a Telegraph 534-1400 Our Promise To You: BETTER SERVICE! Planning a meeting? Planning to escape? Aiwriott.:Lu rn cituter% Ann Arbor The place to hold your next meeting or convention. ❑ Accommodatet from 10 to 400. • Win Schuler's restaurant—a dining tradition! LUxurious rooms with color TV, AM/FM radio. - El Indoor/outdoor pool, sauna & whirlpool. Escape with us ! 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