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Serio us American Duty to Prevent 'Cave-In'
of American Policies of Friendship With Israel .. .
Appeal to Congress to Prevent Another M.E. War
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Purely Commentary
Russian Attitude Tantamount to War With Israel;
How Will U. S React to Aim to Destroy Jewish State?
Israel is at war with Russia: this becomes apparent from the latest round of
talks the American spokesman, Secretary of State Henry A. Kissinger, conducted with
Arab leaders, the Israelis and the Syrians, and primarily with USSR Foreign Secretary
Andrei Gromyko.
Had it not been for the Soviet Union, there might not have been an October war.
Were it not for Russia, Syria might not have had more weapons today than she had
prior to the Yom Kippur War — even after losing nearly all of her armaments to the
Israelis in that war.
Now the big question is whether the United States will "cave-in" and will make
too many concessions to Israel's enemies, thus encouraging efforts to destroy Israel.
"Cave-in" is the term the New York Times used in its rebuke to the American
delegate at the United Nations for having voted for another outrageous resolution
condemning the Jewish state while ignoring the massacre at Kiryat Shemona.
Is our government caving in? Did the U.S. representative, UN Ambassador John
A. Scali, vote in condemnation of Israel on orders from Secretary of State Kissinger?
If there is a "cave-in" at the UN, does it presage further recessions on the
human front, with renewed threats to the very existence of an entire nation?
An appeal, in the form of a paid advertisement in Sunday's New York Times,
in the form of AN OPEN LETTER TO THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, must
now be transformed into an appeal to the American people not to abandon the tra-
ditional policy of this Republic in defense of a friendly nation whose life is at stake.
The appeal was from the National Committee on American Foreign Policy. It
is signed by Prof. Hans J. Morgenthau, the committee chairman, and four vice-chair-
men of the committee, the eminent Jewish leader, Ira Hirschmann, and three noted
Christian humanitarians, Profs. A. Roy Eckardt, Franklin H. Littell and John P. Roche.
It is a deeply moving, heartrending appeal, which declares in part:
The United States has radically changed its Middle East policy.
At the United Nations on April 25 the United States. Representative, acing on
orders from the secretary of state, voted to condemn Israel for a retaliatory act
in response to a massacre of Israelis, mainly women and children, by Arab
terrorists operating from a Lebanese sanctuary.
France, Britain, Austria and Australia attempted to present a "balanced"
censure, mentioning the brutal and unprovoked attack on Kiryat Shemona. On
instructions from the State Department, this "balance" was eliminated in order
to curry favor with the Arabs.
The illusion that detente has replaced the cold war is true in the Middle
East only insofar as it helped to produce the hot war of October 1973.
The pursuit of a one-sided detente has not lessened tensions—it has increased
them. The war on the Syrian front continues with its tragic loss of life. Meanwhile,
the risk of a full fledged war threatens the existence of Israel.
We call upon Congress to reassert its support of Israel's survival. It must
reestablish the cornerstone of United States policy that solutions to problems of
small governments would not be imposed upon them by big powers.
The immorality of UN actions is no longer a legend. It has become the policy
of 'an international - organization degraded by the same influences that now encourage
another war in the Middle East. A letter published in the New York Times (under the
heading "Of Jews and Humanity," by Harry Lowey) is cause for serious consideration.
It stated:
Two completely unrelated current news events seem to have a common
denominator after all:
There was the DeFunis case before the United States Supreme Court, an out-
growth of clear discrimination by the University of Washington against the Jewish
law student DeFunis. By a majority vote, the Supreme Court declined to rule on it.
And there was the Security Council of the United Nations taking up the
massacre of 18 men, women and children in Israel's Kiryat Shemona, per-
petrated by Arab terrorists and followed by Israel's retaliatory raid into Lebanon
Choosing Heads of Agencies:
Commendability of Contests,
Unnecessary Divisiveness
How fortunate, when a Jewish community enjoys con-
tests for public offices! When citizens indicate an interest
in the movements they are aligned with, and they express
the desire for leadership, it must serve the benefiting
causes. Is it possible that such a quest for public offices
should be marked by dedication with an avoidance of
divisiveness?
This community is witnessing an interesting develop-
ment. One of the major agencies is about to select a new
president. The nominating committee happened to propose
a man who also is active in a parent movement and who
served as chairman of a highly successful Allied Jewish
Campaign. A contender arose, expressing a desire for
the same presidency,- with an appeal that is reminiscent
of earlier squabbles over an exaggerated issue of power
control.
Many will recall the years when the community was,
to a degree, divided on the question of Jewish Welfare
Federation-Jewish Community Council "democratic ruler-
ship" in this city. Apparently the issues had been re-
solved, because the demands for democratization have
not been heard in many years, for obvious reasons:
Federation has selected officers in the same fashion as
Council; Federation has fulfilled a great responsibility
to Israel; Federation has cooperated with Council in
human and inter-racial programs; Council has received
fullest Federation support for all its departmental activi-
ties; Federation makes available the means for projects
in defense of Soviet Jewry; the cultural aspects in the
Council programs have been backed to the fullest by
Federation; the comradeship between Federation and
Council has been wholesome. If these factors in com-
munal unity are not stated here factually, then some
one has failed to speak up. Had there been objections to
the policies pursued here for the last 15 to 20 years, the
protesters would have acted. There had even been a pro-
2 Friday, May 10, 1974
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THEH DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
By Philip
Slomovitz
(the terrorists' home base). In its course, Israel destroyed property and took
prisoners but took pains to prevent loss of life. By a majority vote, the Security
Council singled out Israel for condemnation without mentioning the Arabs' slaughter
of Israeli civilians (and the United States Ambassador to the United Nations re-
frained from using his veto power).
The common denominator between these two instances?
The 19th Century Italian Jesuit priest and astronomer Angelo Secchi
expressed it succinctly: "When we are occupied with humanity, we forget the Jews,
and when we are occupied with the Jews, we forget humanity."
A most respected American columnist and news commentator, William S. White,
also saw through the shocking spectacle that took place at the UN under pressti -
from the USSR. He had this to say in a recent syndicated column:
As is so often the case with Kissinger diplomacy, very few people know just
what is being said — and promised — and to whom. We are putting our trust in a
secretary of state to a degree never before seen.
Moreover, some other quite troubling questions are rising. When the United
States votes along with its ancient enemies in the UN, including the Soviet Union,
for a resolution condemning the Israelis for their reprisal attack on Lebanese
villages, without even mentioning Lebanon had sheltered Communist-armed guerillas
who had first murdered 18 Israelis in a border village, is it not quite time for
some questions?
This grossly unjust and one-sided action, to which we have given our sanction,
does not — so it is said — mean the United States has abandoned Israel. Instead,
it is justified as necessary to win moderate Arab support for our general peace
efforts in the Mideast.
Maybe so. But I for one don't like the smell of this business, granting, as I
do, that the entire Mideast affair is extremely complicated.
Let's don't be too clever here. Let's don't allow the smallest whiff of the
stench of appeasement to go out to the world.
And if, in behalf of higher necessities, we are really going to let the Israelis
down, let's tell them so and take the responsibility without flinching.
Will Anwar Sadat's "Dear Henry" be able to respond to this without flinching?
Is it conceivable that American public opinion will tolerate attempts to destroy
Israel? Will the American people respond to the indecencies at the United Nations,
the intrigues in Cairo and Damascus under domination from the Kremlin, with the
same resentment that characterizes the feelings of a nation dedicated to justice on
earth?
Prof. Morgenthau's gloomy view is negated in the report of the authoritative
Institute, of Strategic Studies, which envisions a break in the Mideast log-jam and
better chances for peace than ever after the tragic October War.
Nevertheless, it is urgent and vital that Jews and their friends—the few who
are left on the international scene—should be on guard lest the hatreds against Israel
and Jewry develop into even greater calamities.
It is especially vital that the American-Israeli friendship should not be harmed in
any form whatever.
Those who warn of gloom may well prove to be the guardians of decency to
assure an end to war and the beginning of good relations without which mankind is
doomed. After all, without vision people perish, and even those whose outlook is
pessimistic contribute to caution that the jeremiads should not prevail.
The time is here for action. Prof. Morgenthau and his associates have undertaken
to arouse congressional feelings for justice. The entire nation must be asked to join
the National Committee on American Foreign Policy to prevent our sinking into an
abyss of destruction and inhumanity.
It becomes a duty of all Jews to back up this effort, fearlessly and courageously.
Without action we will be condoning destruction.
Two tasks lie ahead for Jewry: political, in the form undertaken by the Morgenthau
committee; material, with fortified generosity that sends forth a message to our kins-
men in Israel — through United Jewish Appeal and Israel Bonds — that their hands
will be upheld in the struggle for life. Let there be no slumbering in a time of crisis!
•
posal for a Federation-Council merger and its rejection
did not signify rifts but preferences.
Now comes a conflict for a presidency, and a con-
tender raises an issue of ideological differences that had
not been heard in nearly two decades. Is a new rift de-
veloping here? Are we being confronted with a revival of
ideological differences that had really not been voiced
and therefore may be nonexistent?
It is the threat of divisiveness that should be avoided,
and the challenger of the nominating committee's choice
for the Council presidency will be held responsible for an
appeal, for votes based on the suggestion to Council dele-
gates that "you elect Council leadership which is not
involved in top-level Federation structure, thus maintain-
ing the independence of the two community agencies."
Two errors are inherent in this appeal for votes. In
the first place, the nominee who is labeled as being part
of the "top-level Federation structure" is not a stranger
to Council. Also, is the independence of Council threatened
by the selection of a responsible and highly respected
nominee of a highly respected official Council committee?
But there is a more serious issue involved. If the
nominee is to be opposed not on merits but because he
is "top level" in Federation, then he is being proposed
for punishment because he was a successful fund-raiser
who rose to great heights in leadership during a serious
crisis in Jewish life. He does not have to be re-warded
for communal efforts: all of us are striving for Jewry's
protection and advancement. If the opponent is more
meritorious, the voters will know how to judge the con-
test. But specifically to indicate that "top-level" Federa-
tion leadership is an argument to defeat one such attainer
of glory in our community means penalization for services
rendered. This would be inexcusable.
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Noteworthy Pierrot Anniversaries
Detroiters benefited. immensely during the past four
decades from the valuable cultural programs provided
by World Adventure Series. Its guiding genius, George
F. Pierrot, rose to a high role here, earning the corn-
munity's appreciation for his labors. On the occasion of
the 40th anniversary of these travelogue-adventure series,
this commentator had occasion to reminisce about
Pierrot's interest in many spheres that related to our own
immediate community. Therefore, he sent to Pierrot this
message of appreciation:
Dear George:
How does one greet a friend, a colleague, a con-
frere — one from whose wisdom I have benefited,
with whom I have worked for some 40 years?
The occasion for a greeting is the .40th anniversary
of the World Adventure Series, the 25th year of the
George Pierrot television shows, an uninterrupted
record of immense services to our community.
For me it is much more.
You are among the inspired personalities
shared with me, with friends like Jim Devlin,
in the Society of the Occident and the Orient — a
miniature United Nations that cemented good will
among some 30 groups of journalists with a variety of
nationality backgrounds.
When the Zionist idea was a dream, you were
among the noble Christians who gave courage to the
strivings for an end to Jewish homelessness in a
period of ghastly experiences during the Nazi era of
terror.
You were the man who brought to our community
the fascinating programs by Julien Bryan and others
who explained the status of a nation in the making
through the programs dealing with the land of Israel.
This is saying only a little bit also about personal
affectionate relationships.
I salute you as a good friend with whom it is a
pleasure to work for the good of America and man-
kind.
A city and its environs that benefits, as all of us
Detroiters have, from the Pierrot programs, owes a debt
of gratitude to the architect of the cultural idea and to
his associates. It developed from the vision of a com-
munity's needs and it grew into an indestructible facet.
The devotion that created it earned the encomia it re-
ceives.