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April 05, 1974 - Image 2

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1974-04-05

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

e

a of
totus

xperiences

This is how Beirut daily news-
paper Al-Hawadeth viewed Dr.
Henry A. Kissinger: Upper inscrip-
tion on tablet reads: "Protocols of
Elders of Zion." Below is the Ara-
bic: "From Each Place a Story."

Sadat and Kissinger meet with a
kiss and an embrace.

. . . and Dayan and Kiisinger,
shake hands and smile during the
same week of Middle East com-
radeships.

Passover, denoting freedom, steeped in highly idealized hopes,-
is threatened with new directions in this age of insecurity. Now
optimism confronts a challenge and the festival is marred by cyn-
icism stemming from the shaky intensities that embroil mankind.
Detente has become an ugly term. Expressions for peace seem to
be uttered stammeringly with tongue in cheek. Statesmen are
viewed with distrust, as if they were speaking through both sides
of the mouth.
For Jews, the, present is not an era of optimism. Once again,
evidence is projected that anti-Semitism is on the rise. The nastiest
forms of prejudice are emerging in the spread of discredited
forgeries.
Israel is in danger, and the menacing situations unavoidedly
affect Jews everywhere. Spokesmen for American Jewry are
shuttling from New lork to Washington for conferences that all
too often develop into growing suspicions of the attitudes of diplo-
mats. Instead of being comforted, they often learn about political
motives that testify to selfishness more than to serious and sincere
approches to amity. The scars that have risen like pestiferous
sores on the American political scene frequently threaten the roles
of American Jewry. Because our Chief of State has adhered to a
friendly attitude to Israel, in pursuance.,of traditional American
policies in the Middle East, a divisiveness has been introduced
inexcusably into the thinking of many Americans. As if all Jews
were obliged, because of defense of Israel which is obligatory
upon all who have a sense of fairness, to repay (sic!) politically
with mass enrollment in the President's political party! Because
the 'head of the State Department is a Jew, new issues have been
raised, with suspicions and accusations assuming shocking pro-
portions.
This Passover there is justification for serious consideration
of the transpiring events involving Israel, because, inevitably, they
draw all of Jewry into the qualMs that erupt as a result of the
speculations. Most urgent in such analyses is the role of the U.S.
State Department.
Anyone who conducts the foreign affairs of this country must
be viewed as a person who is entirely concerned with the needs
of the nation, with the policies of our government. The policy of
the United States in the Middle East is for peace based on the
security of all the peoples in that 'part of the world. This applies
to Arabs as well as to Jews. When the very life of an entire people
is involved, a duty devolves upon the nations of the world to pre-
vent genocide, to avoid a holocaust, to strive for peace by reject-
ing threats to destroy an entire nation. That's the issue on the
agenda. Therefore, Machiavellian aspersions must be abominated.
At the same time, there is need to be on guard lest anything
approaching the detestable in diplomacy should raise an ugly head.
All evidences of the detestable must be confronted with a measure
of courage, regardless of who may be affected, or how it may
emerge.
*
*
If freedom is not,to be transformed into license, men and
events must be judged honorably. In the process, vigilance must
be jealously safeguarded. Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger's
activities need to be watched' and results of his actions awaited
patienity before he is judged fully. Already there have been many
aspersions. Fears of Machiavellism; charges that he has unduly
threatened Israelis, suspicions that he is bending backward be-
cause of his Jewishness—many regrettable notes have been sound-
ed about him.
The honorable approach is one of caution, benefit of doubt,
marking time to know what is really happening, what's on his
mind and how he tackles the serious issues resulting from the
most responsible role assigned to him as the chief spokesman

for this nation.
White treating him with the respect due him as the respon-
sible representative of the United States, allowing that he will not
disgrace his Jewish legacies, it is necessary to keep' an eye on
those who have opened their arms to him while affirming con-
stantly that the 'animosities toward Israel have not ended.
The Syrian situation is unfortunate enough. Instead of treat-
ing the cease fire as an approach to negotiations for an end to
warfare tha is costly to both nations, Syria keeps up a constant

barrage on Israel, and the losses are deplorable. Murdering inno-
cent women, treating the surviving 4,500 Syrian Jews as hostages,
Syria is pursuing cruel tactics comparable in modern history only
to Hitlerism.
More serious, however, are the echoes from Cairo and from
other Arabs capitals. Dr. Kissinger has expressed love for the
Egyptian people; Egyptian President Anwar el-Sadat has responded
with affection. While the two representatives of nations seeking
accord in the Middle East were exchanging such remarkable
amenities, the Beirut daily newspaper Al-Hawadeth portrayed Dr.
Kissinger as a Jew carrying the message of the outrageour.-1
contained in the Protocols of the Elders of, Zion. Appearing
newspaper published in what is perhaps the freest of all Arab
countries—Lebanon—that shocking portrayal does not add to hope-
fulness for the coming of better days in the Middle East. The
Beirut newspaper creates concern. Do the contrasting photographs,
Sadat kissing Kissinger, Dayan handshaking and smiling with
Kissinger, absolve the indignities that stem from an Arab country?
On the eve of his departure for Moscow with Dr. Kissinger as
one of the American, correspondents who accompanied the secre-
tary of state to the not-too-successful mission to the Kremlin last
week, Bernard Gwertzman of the New York Times wrote a half-
page article in which he analyzed Jewish reactions to Kissinger:
The lengthy article was entitled "Kissinger and the Question of
'.`Policy Bias.' " The very approach was an indication of doubts
that lurk in the mind of many people. Does it augur well for the
future of Israel, the peace of the Middle East and of the world?
The emerging conditions spell increasing tension and aggravated
doubts.
Last week, Rabbi Israel Miller, as president of the Conference
of Presidents of American Jewish Orgonizations, found it necessary
to comment on the Kissinger role by stating: "We have no com-
plaints, for the time being, against Kissinger. That does not mean
that we are going to follow him blindly." This explains very little.
It is a confrontation that could be applied to any and all diplomats
who are involved in Middle Eastern affairs. But it does not re-
lieve the tension.

Talk about detente! One of the national magazines - several
years ago carried a cartoon that showed representatives of leading
nations gathered in the delegates' lounge 'of the United Nations,
slapping each other on the -back, smiling, drinking, having fun, until
one of them turned to the group and said: "Now, let's get back
to the General Assembly and cut each other's throats!" Oh, UN,
oh detente, what crimes are being committed in your names!
Judge, therefore the Kissinger-Gromyko fraternal photo on this
page according to the news that emerges from the Kremlin!
*
*
That is how the issues arise in our time. They are deplorably
oppressive. They are cause for agonized feelings that arise at
this time. They challenge the basic ideals of libertarianism, and
they demand caution over accusations that Kissinger's role as a
Jew _matches experiences in recent history, those involving other
Jews: Bruno Kreisky (now absolved by Golda Meir), Sir Herbert
Samuel as first British high commissioner of Palestine, Leon
Trotsky in Communist Russia, Walter Rathenau in the era of
Germany's Weimar Republic.
Dr. Kissinger has gained the respect, admiration and confi-
dence of Golda Meir, Abba Eban, Moshe Dayan and others in
Israel and in this country. Until proven otherwise, they are
shared by their fellow Jews. Without denying the impregnability
that goes with the Passover message, Jews accept these affecta-
tions. History will judge the secretary of state. Meanwhile, time
as a factor admonishes Jewry: hope for good tidings springs eternal
in the heart of every Jew. In such a spirit, Passover remains
equated with freedom.

The Front Page Illuminations

Two of the Jewish festivals traditionally inspired artists to illumi-
nate scriptural texts and the prayer books.
The Megila has been a source of inspiration on
Purim, and the illuminated Hagadot for Passover
have multiplied into a vast library.
The reproductions on Page One of this isse,
The Jewish News are from two Hagadot: the
Lakhma and the Ma Nishtana are from the Koren
Hagada of the Jerusalem Tenach Publishing House.
The "V'higadta le-vinha" is from the Hagada pub-
lished by Shmuel Boneh of Shikmon Publishing
House of Haifa.
Both of these Hagadot were published in Israel.
The "Ho Lakhma" is appropriate for our time.
The seder commences with it and it represents an
invitation to all who are hungry to come and to
share in the Passover meal.
It is followed by the traditional Ma Nishtana,
the youngest member of the family posing the ques-
tion why this night of Passover is different from all
other nights.
Then there is the third selection from the Haga-
da—the one that admonishes the elders to teach
their children the meaning of the festival under ob-
servance, so that they may learn the true values
of the freedoms that were introduced with the re-
bellion of the enslaved Jews against the Egyptians
. . . and Secretary of State Kissinger with Andrei Gromyko, exchanging
who held them in bondage.
toasts, apparently applauding the detente that has become such a mysterious
enigma in U.S.-USSR relations.
2—Friday, April S, 1974 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

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