Mazey Counters Charges by Arab Workers on UAW's Policy Toward Israel
UAW Secretary Treasurer
Emil Mazey, criticized by
Arabs for purchasing Israel
Bonds went on the offensive
in the December issue of
Solidarity, the union news-
paper.
"American workers of
Arab descent ought to ex-
pend their energies helping
their compatriots get rid of
the feudal and totalitarian
overlords who are ruling
those lands with an iron
hand," he said. He was re-
ferring to those UAW mem-
bers of Arab descent who
were persuaded to leave their
nbs at an automobile plant
join a picket line outside
–obo Hall the night Bnai
Brith honored Leonard Wood-
cock.
"It was, of course, their
right to picket. But a worker
in any of the Arab countries
who would do likewise would
soon find himself in jail,"
said.
"For example, statistics
bond of $785,000, which will
mature in 1986. These bond reported by Israel's minister
purchases were reported to of economics to the U.S. show
the UAW membership every that in 1972 alone, Israel
year in the union's regular Bond proceeds were used to
financial reports. purchase a total of $27,000,-
000 worth of U.S.-made agri-
"The money from these cultural implements and
bonds is not used by Israel equipment, motor vehicles,
for any military purposes, vehicle engines and parts,
directly or indirectly. It is non-vehicle motors and civil-
used for the construction of ian aircraft engines."
UAW has not purchased any hospitals, schools, public
agricultural proj- THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Israel Bonds since 1967. We housing,
ects, roads, harbors, electric
did buy Israel development power and the like.
Friday, Dec. 14, 1973-9
bonds from 1956 to 1966 as
"Moreover, more than one-
part of our investment port-
folio. The interest rate on half of' the proceeds of Is-
those bonds was 5 1/2 per cent, raeli bonds purchased in the
a very good rate of return U.S. is used to buy goods
at that time. In February from the U.S., including
1967, we converted these many products made by
bonds, which had varying UAW members or members
maturity dates, into a current of other U.S. unions.
cent years to escape perse- age family income of Arabs this situation. Small wonder
in Israel is practically iden- then that one can find mem-
cution.
bers of the U.S. Communist
"This by the way, should tical with that of Jews."
Mazey defended the pur- Party — who still slavishly
have made it easier for those
follow Soviet policy — agitat-
countries to absorb the 700,- chase of Israel Bonds by the ing among union members of
UAW
"because
Israel
is
the
000 Palestinian refugees —
Arab descent in an effort to
something they refused to only country in the Middle alienate them from their non-
do, preferring politics to hu- East with a free and demo- Arab union brothers and sis-
manitarianism," Mazey said. cratic labor movement and ters."
with a freely-elected Labor
"Histadrut, the I s r a- e I i Party government."
Mazey explained that "The
Labor Federation, accepts
Arab workers on an equal
membership basis. Histadrut
has more than 50,000 Arab
members. Wherever Histad-
rut is the recognized bar-
gaining agent, working con-
ditions, wages and social
benefits are the same for all
workers, and this includes
Arab workers in East Jeru-
salem and the west bank of
the Jordan River. The aver-
He said the UAW would
support the working people
of any Arab country in a
struggle for the right to elect
their own government and
union leaders, and for the
right to strike.
"The Soviet Union," Mazey
pointed out, "is the only
country that benefits from
turmoil in the Middle East.
It is the real imperialist in
One of the claims made by
the protesters, Mazey said,
was that Arab workers are
discriminated against in Is.
rael. He countered: "Those
of us who have visited the
area know that this is not
true. But it is true that 650,-
000 Jewish citizens of Arab
countries fled to Israel in re-
U.S. Jews 'Too
Passitive' on
Political Front
TEL AVIV (ZINS) — Dr.
Herzl Rosenblum, publisher
and editor of the afternoon
daily Yediot Ahronot has
sharply criticized the Ameri-
can Jewish community for
its "passivity" in the politi-
cal struggle for Israel's
future.
Conceding that the Ameri-
can Jewish community is the
only ally upon whom Israel
can count, and who will
neither betray nor disappoint
the state of Israel, the editor
asks why American Jews are
not doing more for Israel on
the political front in these
critical days.
Dr. Rosenblum recognizes
that American Jews have
declared their "solidarity"
with Israel and have \been
extremely generous with cash
contributions, but there is a
noticeable lack of activity on
the political front on which
so much depends.
Commenting on the diffi-
culties foreseen in the Kissin-
ger peace proposals, Rosen-
blum writes, "If this silence
on the part of the American
Jews is their own prefer-
ence, then I call it myopic.
lIowever, if the reason for
their relative passivity stems
from us, and if we are the
ones who have throttled the
American Jews. then this is
a crime which borders on
treason."
Kissinger last month told
Mohammed Heykal, editor
of the Cairo paper Al Ahram,
that it might take six months
to a year for concrete re-
sults from the forthcoming
Arab-Israeli negotiations, ac-
cording to the New York
Times.
(Kissinger reportedly stress-
ed that the United States
was pledged to protect Is-
rael's security, but said that
"we do not believe that our
special ties with Israel arc
irreconcilable with the ties
of friendship which we wish
to maintain and strengthen
with you.")
GEULA GILL
Israel's Singing Star
at the Israel Bond Maccabee Chanukah Festival
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 22 — 8:00 P.M. — SHAAREY ZEDEK
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