Multiplicity of Israeli Issues: Coming Election,
Rakah Party's Role, Value of USSR Settlers
By MOSHE RON
Jewish News Special
Israeli Correspondent
TEL AVIV—The Israeli
press, radio and television
speculate on the proposal of
General Airel (Arik) Sharon
who left the army to enter
political life and to create a
national Liberal Bloc to corn-
pete in the Knesset elections
against Alignment Labor-
Mapam. ThiS bloc is to be
based on Gahal (Herut and
Liberals) and would be wid-
ened by the affiliation of the
Independent Liberals, the
Free Center and the State
List.
The leaders of the Free
Center are former Herut
leaders Shmuel Tamir and
Eliezer Shostak. The State
List was established four
years ago by Rafi members
under the leadership of Da-
vid Ben-Gurion. In the mean-
time, Ben-Gurion has retired
from political life and the
State List has split up. One
Knesset member, Meir Aviz-
ohar, joined the faction of the
Labor Party, another, Isser
Harel, became inactive and
only two Knesset members,
Yigal Horowitz and Zalman
Shoval, are continuing List
activities.
It is quite clear that Inde-
pendent Liberals, under the
leadership of Minister of
Tourism Moshe Kol and law-
yer Gideon Hausner, would
not join a right-wing bloc
with Herut. For many years
they have collaborated with
the Labor Party and would
not risk breaking this asso-
ciation.
The Free Center, which
split from Herut a few years
ago, now has two mandates
in the Knesset. The Free Cen-
ter and State List are inter-
ested in joining a broader
National Liberal Bloc. The
question now arises whether
Gahal, which bears a deep
grudge towards the Free Cen-
ter, would cooperate with it
and could accept its extreme
opposition platform.
If a united national bloc,
comprising also the two re-
ligious parties of Mafdal and
Agudat Israel, there could be
a serious political grouping
against Alignment Labor and
Mapam. But such a develop-
ment seems unlikely in Is-
rael. Therefore, labor lead-
ers are not too worried. On
the contrary, some of them
would welcome the formation
of a right-wing alignment.
One of the leaders of the
Labor Party, Moshe Carmel,
sees a positive political de-
velopment In Sharon's initia-
tive. •
The only development
which could bring about a
major political change would
be Moshe Dayan splitting
from the Labor Party and
joining the right-wing align-
ment. But it looks as if Golda
Meir and the labor leaders
will agree to an election
platform so that Moshe Day-
an will stay in the Labor
Alignment.
Herut leader Menahem Be-
gin has agreed to accept Arik
Sharon's proposal to estab-
lish a right-wing alignment
and even to make peace with
Shmuel Tamir.
It is clear, however, that
the formation of a right-wing
bloc will have to overcome
great difficulties.
Polls show a rise in the
prospects of the Free Center
for additional mandates and
its leader, Shmuel Tamir,
will certainly not agree to
only two safe mandates in
the new bloc. Israeli generals
are popular, but there is also
strong public opinion against
their entering political life in
order not to militarize the Is-
raeli regime.
Gahal leaders Simha Er-
lich, Dr. Yohanan Bader and
Chaim Landau have different
opinions about the prospects
of a new bloc. Erlich thinks
it might have a psycholog-
ical effect on voters and give
rise to the possibility of a
closer alternative. Dr. Bader
thinks such a bloc might
have a damaging effect and
only the union of right-wing
liberal parties, not an align-
ment, could bring about an
alternative. Landau thinks
that such a bloc might stand
a chance of changing the
regime in future.
Public opinion, in general,
is in favor of such a bloc be-
cause it thinks the large
numbers of small parties and
factions are unnecessary.
One success which Arik
Sharon has achieved with his
new plan is that Ezer Weiz-
man, who had already decid-
ed to withdraw from politi-
cal activity in Herut, has an-
nounced that after consider-
ing the chances of forming a
new united right bloc, he is
willing to take up full ac-
tivities again to promote
their development.
* * *
Israeli Communist Party
Rakah, which toes the Mos-
cow line, has published an
announcement repudiating
the charge that the Israeli
delegation to the Democratic
Youth Festival in East Berlin
was not allowed to take part
in the opening ceremony ow-
ing to the presence of the
guest of honor, Fatah leader
Yassir Arafat.
Rakah claims that the Is-
raeli delegation was received
with great honor and is tak-
ing part in all of the festival.
Rakah claims that the Israeli
delegation did not take part
in the opening ceremony be-
cause its 50 members ar-
rived late and it did not want
to break the Sabbath.
These explanations seem
unbelievable. First, since
when do Israeli Communists
observe the religious law?
Secondly, 25 Arab members
of the delegation, who are un-
der no obligation to observe
the Sabbath, could have ta-
ken part in the opening cere-
mony. It seems feasible that
Yassir Arafat had demanded
the exclusion of the Israeli
delegation from the 144 dele-
gations taking part in the
ceremony in order to save
him from having to salute
the Israeli flag.
It should be remembered
that Hitler, during the Sec-
ond World War, invited the
Jerusalem Mafti, Haj Amin
El-Husseini, as guest of hon-
or to Berlin. Now the East
Berlin authorities have invit-
ed Yassir Arafat, knowing
quite well that he was re-
sponsible for the acts of ter-
ror carried out by Palestin-
ian terrorists during the last
few years.
Rakah members pose as
"heroes" in Israel, where
they criticize the government
of being fascist, making pro-
fit out of laborers and sup-
pressing the Arabs, but even
in East Berlin they adopt a
compromising and collabor-
ating attitude and do not dare
to leave the festival in pro-
test against their exclusion
from the opening ceremony.
It cannot alter the fact that
afterwards organizers of the
festival tried to give them
satisfaction by letting them
take part in sporting events
and leting them speak on the
radio and TV. The fact re-
mains that because of the
presence of Yassir Arafat the
Israeli delegation was not
allowed to march in the open-
ing ceremony. Neither the
apologetic tone nor the expla-
nations of Rakah leaders in
Israel can deny this untoward
fact.
Acting Jewish Agency
Chairman Arye Dulzin be-
lieves that new immigrants
bring Israel more advantages
than the help which Israel
extends to them. He repudi-
ates the charge that new im-
migrants from the Soviet
Union receive maximum help
and that this imposes a
heavy burden on the economy
of the state.
Dulzin thinks this is spread
with the mischievous inten-
tion of damaging immigra-
tion and the state. The help
which new immigrants con-
tribute to Israel, he main-
tains, by far exceeds the help
extended to them. Had there
not been an immigration of
more than 30,000 workers in
1971 and 1972, Israel would
have been compelled to bring
workers from Cyprus, Greece
and Yugoslavia.' The employ-
ment of tens of thousands of
foreign workers would have
been a major problem for
Israel, he states.
Dulzin added that in 1971,
40 per cent of the immigrants
were intellectuals and pro-
fessional workers, and 43 per
cent of the immigrants during
the last year were academici-
ans, whom Israel urgently
needed. They all received
jobs quickly and the immiga-
tion turned out to be a bless-
ing to the economy and. socie-
ty of Israel.
Whenever Israel receives a
large number of immigrants,
world Jewry makes great
financial efforts to help them,
Dulzin says. The Jewish
Agency last year collected
over $4,000,000,000 from the
U.S. and $27,000,000 by selling
Bonds. Immigrants have
brought with them $300,000,-
000 during the last two years.
Dulzin said 53 per cent of
the expenses for higher edu-
cation in Israel are covered
by the, UJA, which also
covers 42 per cent of social
aid and 17 per cent of health
expenses. From the Jewish
Agency budget for 1973,
amounting to $470,000,000,
$120,000,000 was spent on
housing for new immigrants
as well as $80,000,000 for
other building purposes.
Dulzin says that the dollar
crisis in Europe has had
some negative influence on
the UJA and Bond drives.
This is the reason that the
Jewish Agency's debts have
risen by 20 per cent. At the
beginning of this year UJA
had accumulated $155,000,-
000. This debt rose during the
year by $30,000,000 and it is
to be hoped that it will be
possible to reduce this sum
during the second half of the
year. The U.S grant of $44,-
000,000 will be a great help.
Some 40,000 immigrants
from Russia are expected
each year, and 6,000 from the
US., Dulzin believes. There
will also be an increase in
immigration from South
America. One great problem
is that in Israel it is hard to
rent apartments — a fact
which hampers immigration
from western countries.
Dulzin favors the purchase
of a thousand apartments to
rent to new immigrants.
The number of Jews in
Israel must be doubled in
20 years, Dulzin says.
Musicians Plan
Live-In Center
in Jerusalem
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
,Five world - famous musi-
cians, expected to take up
temporary residence in Jeru-
salem and to work in quar-
ters in the picturesque sec-
tion of Yemin Moshe, an-
nounced activities for the
opening of Mishkenot Shaan-
anim — "the dwelling place
of tranquility" — a live-in
arts center.
Cellist Pablo Casals is the
dean of the group which in-
cludes violinist Isaac Stern,
pianist Eugene Istomin, cell-
ist Leonard Rose and con-
ductor - violinist Alexander
Schneider.
In their Yemin Moshe
quarters the musicians will
devote their mornings to a
"festival youth orchestra"
and their afternoons to
chamber music groups.
American building mag-
nate and United Jewish Ap-
peal leader William Levitt
dedicated the center Mon-
day. He donated $2,000,000
to the project.
Stern stressed that the
Mishkenot Shaananim Cen-
ter, a project of -the Jeru-
salem Foundation, will not
compete in any way with
existing music institutions.
The center will be part of
a complex including studios
for painters, sculptors, and
a retreat for artists.
12—Friday, August 17, 1973 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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Books on the Jews
Arno Press will publish 43
books on the Jewish people—
their history, religion and
literature—in November.
Jacob B. Agus, the advis-
ory editor for "The Jewish
People" collection, and an
editorial board made up of
Louis Jacobs, Jakob Petu-
chowski and Seymour Siegel,
have created a collection of
outstanding works on a wide
range of subjects: religion,
literature, philosophy, his-
tory and sociology.
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