Rabbi Gordon Reports on West Bank Trip

BY RABBI
of peace in the Middle East. all males over 21 who are
JAMES I. GORDON
He looked toward the one-to- taxpayers (property owners)
The vast territory east of one relationship of Arab and are eligible and the mayor's
the Jordan River, formally Jew that has already proven pride that the jail had had
Transjordan, is one of the itself 'to be beneficial and no occupants for months. The
in-limbo problems facing a hoped for the day that his mayor voiced the opinion of
brethren would cease to be his people that Jordan had
final peace settlement.
Hebrew University sponsors exploited by their own always neglected the West
Bank area and looked for the
a monthly seminar-field trip leaders.
We learned that even , time when they could become
for rabbis on sabbatical. Re-
cently our topic concerned though the West Bank is an indpendent state.
itself with the problems of the ruled by an Israeli military
We heard an address by
occupied areas — specifically governor, Jordanian law is Mohammed Abu Shilbaya, au-
still in effect as far as civil thor of "No Peace Without a
the West Bank.
Our guide and lecturer was and criminal procedure for Free Palestinian State." Abu
Dr. Gideon Weigert, an ex- the entire territory. While Shilbaya has now written
pert in Arab-Israel relations Israeli rule is a fact, the three books on the political
and a most sensitive and con- streets do not reflect Israeli situation since 1967 and, like
scientious devotee of peaceful presence but rather a thriv- the men we met in Ramallah
I and Deir Dubois, is an ad-
co-existence. The bridges ing Arab community.
At Deir Dubois, a town i vocate of a free and inde-
over the Jordan River are
open. Agriculture and indus- of 6,000 inhabitants nestled ' pendent Palestinian state no
in the Samarian Hills, we longer associated with the
4 ry has developed. Hundreds
lcles bring tens of were received by Mayor Hashemite Kingdom of Jor-
—ands of Arab workers Ranan. While he was born dan. The author was born
,eyond the "green line" to and raised in this commun- and raised in the Israeli city
work inside Israel. Tens of ity, he is also a graduate of Petah Tikva where his fam-
thousands of Arabs from of the University of Penn- ily owned a beautiful home
Arab countries come for hol- sylvania and spent a total and citrus orchards. In the
idays and visit relatives in of seven years in the United war of 1948, at the insistence
States. He spoke a flawless of their Arab brethren, they
- the West Bank.
The horrendous and horrid English and described his chose to leave and come live
villages near Nablus (She- community m akin g great in Ramallah until the even-
hem) have virtually emptied strides since the military tual return to Palestine. To-
out as employment for those occupation. While his city day he is once again under
people developed and enabled had always depended on agri- Israel rule but no longer
them to move to finer and culture, he was now able, wants to be a refugee. He
better Ruing conditions. For through his overseas contacts, blames Arab petty rivalry in
20 years these people wal- to attract foreign capital, and general, and Jordan indiffer-
lowed in stinking, poverty- a new textile factory would ence, in particular, to the
pocked hell-holes; today Is- soon be opening in the first plight of the Arabs on the
raeli experts have helped phase of community growth. West Bank. The time has
them to develop agriculture, We were surprised to learn come, he feels, for a new
that free compulsory educa- state — a settlement between
health and social services.
Two nations live in Israel tion was provided through Israel and Palstinians. How
today. Each one quite dif- high school — something Israel could deal with a non-
ferent from the other. Yet, which does not as yet exist existent leadership was some-
what vague to him. But just
the possibility of a true har- in Israel.
monious relationship is not
In our discussion, we heard as concern for the "Jewish
far-fetched. To quote Dr. of democratic elections — problem" in the first half of
the 20th Century created
Weigert, "If o n e believes
a Zionist movement that led
that there are inhabitants on
to the eventual declaration
the West Bank who wish to Interest in Nazism
of statehood, so, too, concern
dance the "hora," sing Ha-
for the plight of Arabs who
tikva or wave Israeli flags Up in U.S.: Brandt
- -out of pure joy over the fact
WASHINGTON (JTA) — are victims of their own
that they live under Israeli Chancellor Willy Brandt in- power-hungry brethren should
occupation, he will be bitterly dicated that there is more help them create a newly
/ disappointed. On the other interest in Nazism at present federated Palestinian state
hand, if a picture emerges in the U.S. than in West Ger- on the West Bank.
of a population in workshops many.
For the most part, the in-
and factories, in fertile fields
The West German leader habitants on the West Bank
and humming shops, in corn- who arrived here for talks north of Jerusalem were Mos-
_panies and cooperatives — with President Nixon, spoke lem and are, by and large,
the majority of whom have and answered questions at a proponents of an independent
one desire, the peaceful de- National Press Club luncheon Arab state loosely federated
velopment and further ex- at which he was the guest with Israel but no longer tied
pansion of thir own activities, of honor.
to Amman and Jordan. South
to give their children the
of Jerusalem, the majority
Asked to evaluate the new
best of education and health,
were Christian Arabs and our
wave of interest in Hitler
to increase their income and
meeting with the mayor of
which seems to be burgeon-
let their own initiative create
Beit Jallah indicated that
ing in his country, Brandt
new projects or enlarge exist-
these communities were sat-
remarked that if he wanted
ing ones, then eventually the
isfied with the status quo.
to watch movies on television
peaceful, political solution
The so-called "status quo"
portraying Nazis, he would
will be found."
means Israeli rule which has
have to come to the U.S.
Ramallah, a city of beau-
been instrumental in helping
"This is true as well as far them develop and expand in-
tiful homes and resort hotels,
a busy industrial area at the as certain books and maga- dustrialization of the area.
outskirts and an equally busy zines are concerned," he
What the Arabs couldn't do
market area with luscious said, adding that he didn't for their own brothers in 20
think
there
was
any
serious
produce within, was our first
years, Israel has done in five
stop. We met in the court tendency in his country that years. It is far from com-
house and heard an address could be identified with pletely solved but better jobs
by the chief justice of the Nazism.
the housing have enabled Is-
Brandt observed that an ex- rael to bulldoze many of
West__Bank Supreme Court
n AV `emir, Nihad Jarallah. treme right-wing group in those eyesore settlements on
His .:intention was the Arabs West Germany polled some- the shaky armistice borders.
and Jews can, and in fact. thing like 0.6 per cent of the It appeared quite conclu-
do, live together on good vote in the last elections. He sively to us that neither the
terms. He said the Big Pow- said that while West Ger- Moslem nor the Christian
ers and the power struggle in many has its internal prob- Arab of the West Bank really
the Arab League itself is lems, they are "certainly not want to be part of Jordan
responsible for the absence those of the past."
again.

Congregation Irnai Moshe
Town Hall Series

recognition of day schools as
a key component in the over-
all area of Jewish education
is reflected in a report is-
sued by the Council of Jew-
ish Federations and Welfare
Funds (CJF), showing a 23
per cent increase in federa-
tion allocations to day schools
during the 1970-72 period.
The report said day schools
received more than a quarter
of total federation allocations
to Jewish education in 1971-
72.
Based on data provided by
the American Association for
Jewish Education, the report
covers 36 federations — al-
most half of the federations
in the U.S. and Canada which
provide funds to day schools
— and encompasses large
communities with Jewish
populations of more than
40,000, large intermediate
communities with 15,000 to
39,9999 Jewish populations,
and intermediate sized com-
munities with less than 15,-
000 Jewish population.
For the 10 large cities cov-
ered — Bosto n, Chicago,
Cleveland, Detroit, Essex
County, N.J., Los Angeles,
M i a m i, Philadelphia, St.
Louis and San Francisco —
federation support of day
schools increased 22 per cent
during the survey period,
rising from $1,101,000 to $1,-
345,000.

Arabs Seek Air
Boycott of Israel

two volumes, will be pub-
lished this year.
The compendia, appearing
in English, German, French
and Spanish, are the next
step in what has come to be
an international scholarly
effort involving Christian and
Jewish authorities on the sub-
ject working together to
reach the source of their
To be published this spring common origins and desti-
by the Foundation Compen- nies.
dia Rerum ludaicarum Ad
Novum Testamentum, of Am- Tree Memorial Set
sterdam, Holland, the com-
pendia are designed as an for Jewish Brigade
historical work on the rela-
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
tions between Judaism and Thirty-five thousand trees
Christianity, based on the will be planted in a forest
history of Judaism in the on the slopes of the Ayelon
first and second centuries, Valley near Latrun in mem-
the origin, of Christianity ory of the 35,000-member vol-
within Judaism, the rupture unteer Jewish Brigade from
between the two, and their Israel which fought in the
subsequent co-existence.
Allied Forces during World
The Foundation's work on War II, the Jewish National
this subject /was begun in Fund announced.
1967 and resulted, in 1969, in
The site of the forest,
the publication of "Studies which will be dedicated May
on the Jewish Background of 21, is not far from the camp
the New Testament" (Van where the brigade was head-
Gorcum and Co., N.V.) in quartered.
Assen, Holland. Contributing
to this work, besides Prof.
With Plough in Hand
Safrai, are such eminent
On the day that the plough
European scholars as 0. is once more in the firm hand
Michel of Tuebingen, R. le of the Jewish farmer, the
Deaut of Rome, M. de Jonge Jewish question will be
of Leyden and J. van Goud- solved. —Theodor Herzl, at
oever of Duisburg.
the conclusion of the First
Section One, consisting of Zioist Congress (1897).

Reserve the Date

LONDON (ZINS) — The
Congress of Arab Transport
Workers, meeting in Cairo,
adopted a resolution calling
on the world's airlines to boy-
cott Israeli air space and
airports.
According to the report,
the international airlines will
be given a deadline for an-
nouncing their compliance
with the boycott.
Those who fail to go along
will be barred from Arab
airports and Arab air space.
A second resolution demands
the expulsion of Israel from
IATA (the International Air
Transport Association).

Inner Integration
Israel must integrate with-
in itself — spiritually and
culturally, Jewish history. If
Israel cuts itself off from
Jewish history, it will no
longer he Israel. — Nahum
Goldmann.

JERUSALEM -- A major
work, totaling 12 volumes, is
being prepared on the Jew-
ish background of the New
Testament and early Chris-
tianity. Extensively involved
in the preparation of this
work are Hebrew University
scholars, Profs. Shmuel Saf-
rai and Menahem Stern
among others. -

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GAMES NIGHT

THURSDAY, MAY 24TH — 8 P.M.

Doors Open 7:30 P.M.

CONG. BNA1 DAVID
SOCIAL HALL

Southfield at 9Y2 Mile

General Hayim Herzog

Noted Israeli Commentator

in honor of the

25th Anniversary of the
STATE OF ISRAEL
is proud to present

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, May 11, 1973-25
23 Pct. Rise
in Federation
12 Volumes Compiled on Jewish
Day School Aid Background of New Testament
NEW YORK — Growing

Adults
52.50

TUES. EVE. 7:45 P.M. MAY 22
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