1
DeFunis 'Non-Decis ion' May Lead to New Consensus
(Continued from Page 1)
Several speakers at the
session generally agreed that
although the U.S. Supreme
Court had "mooted" the issue
in the controversial DeFunis
case, the court's action had
opened the way for "a new
consensus" on affirmative
action guidelines that 'could
b""' avoid preferential quotas
ease strained relations
lx,ween the Jewish and
black communities brought
on by their differences over
the use of affirmative action.
(Marco DeFunis, a Jew, had
charged that he was refused
admission to the University
of Washington Law School al-
though his test score was
higher than that of others—
members of selected minor-
ity groups—who were admit-
ted to the law school.)
"The surest path toward
overcoming the consequences
of past discrimination is to
be found in the expansion of
opportunities, rather than in
competition for scarce ones,"
the NJCRAC declaration
said.
This view was stressed in
an address by Benjamin R.
Epstein, national director of
the Anti-Defamation League
of Bnai Brith, who said the
ADL and other national Jew-
ish agencies were ready to
join with black and Chicano
groups in supporting affirma-
tive action programs "that
can push the disadvantaged
ahead without pushing some-
one else aside."
Epstein dismissed as "sen-
timental nostalgia" calls for
a revival of the liberal coali-
tion of labor, ethnic, Jewish
and black civil rights groups
that successfully fought the
civil rights campaigns of the
1960s.
"It was possible then for
the coalition members to
identify common goals," he
said. "It is much harder for
us to do so today. And if it
means sacrificing Jewish in-
terests merely to achieve
coalition, it - isn't worth the
price."
Jewish community rela-
tions policies that can serve
as a "depolarizing force" on
public issues which otherwise
"harden into extremist posi-
tions" was advocated by Earl
Raab, executive director of
the Jewish Community Re-
lations Council of San Fran-
cisco.
Raab cited the harsh racial
divisions over busing as a
"disturbing example of con-
ing public attitudes mired
ymbolic positions."
He proposed that Jewish
community relations groups
"adopt a strategy of search-
ing out alternatives" that
will reduce ethnic and racial
frictions.
"Busing is an educational
mechanism, not an educa-
tional objective," he said.
"Getting both sides together
in support of genuine educa-
tional objectives becomes a
meaningful alternative for
those in the community who
are aggrieved, disadvantaged
and vulnerable."
In a policy statement on in-
terreligious relationships, the
NJCRAC agencies urged that
"irreconcilable" differences
between the Catholic Church
and most of the Jewish com-
munity not be allowed to
impede constructive dialogue
between the two groups.
It noted that Jewish com-
plaints of Christian "insen-
sitivity" to Jewish concerns
are matched by strong Chris-
tian feelings of Jewish indif-
ference to issues on which
Christian place a high pri-
ority.
"Differences and conflicts
notwithstanding, there are
causes that Jews and Chris-
tians have in common that
should be pursued coopera
tively," the delegates de-
clared.
On abortion, one of more
than a score of public issues
on which policy "guidelines"
were adopted, the NJCRAC
agencies opposed proposals
for a constitutional "right to
live" amendment, maintain-
ing that abortion in the early
weeks of pregnancy is a mat-
ter for each woman's own
religious and ethical convic-
tions and not to be regulated
by law.
The Union of Orthodox
Jewish Congregations of
America dissented, as it did
from another majority view
on a policy statement oppos-
ing parochiaid and other
forms of public funding for
parochial schools.
Isaiah M. Minkoff, execu-
tive vice chairman of the
NJCRAC since the beginnings
of that coordinating body 30
years ago, surprised many
of the delegates with the
announcement that he would
close his long tenure at next
year's assembly.
ISAIAH MINKOFF
enrolled.
The Russian-born executive
—he arrived in this country
at age 21 after escaping
Communist tormentors — is
one of the most widely re-
spected "professionals" in
Jewish life.
Among the series of resolu-
tions issued by the NJCRAC
was an appeal to the White
House to intervene on behalf
of Jewish militants rounded
up and jailed by Soviet au-
thorities in advance of Presi-
dent Nixon's visit to Moscow.
The appeal was announced
by Stanley H. Lowell of New
York, chairman of the Na-
tional Conference on Soviet
Jewry, and was delivered in
Washington to presidential
counselor Leonard Garment.
It urged that President Nixon
make "direct representa-
tions" to Communist Party
Chairman Leonid Brezhnev
to end the Effrests "since they
are so obviously linked to
your visit."
In a policy statement,
NJCRAC members also re-
affirmed support of the Jack-
son Amendment to the pend-
ing East-West trade agree-
ment.
At a Sunday morning ses-
sion, Israel Minister of
formation Moshe Arad de-
fended the retaliatory air
strikes at Palestinian terror-
ist camps as "absolutely
essential" to the security of
Israeli border settlers and to
future negotiations with Arab
governments.
Arad substituted for Israel
Ambassador to the U.S.
Simha Dinitz, who, accord-
ing to the official explana-
tion, was detained in Wash-
ington by the arrival of De-
fense Minister Shimon Peres.
(However, news reports on
a party held at the Nelson
Rockefeller estate in Pocan-
tico Hills, N.Y., had Dinitz
"staying up until almost 4
a.m. Sunday matching wits"
with Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger, in whose honor
the Rockefellers tendered a
party Saturday night.)
Arad told the plenary dele-
gates that failure of Israel
to react to terrorists infiltrat-
ing from Lebanon would in-
spire Arab images of a "par-
alyzed Israel" and weaken
chances for successful peace
negotiations.
He added that the intent
of the terrorists was to "tor-
pedo any continuing political
or diplomatic dialogue" be-
tween Israel and its neigh-
bors.
Arad said that Israel's
"misgivings" over the U.S.
Minkoff, now 73, began his
career in Jewish communal
service in 1936 as executive
secretary of the Jewish Labor
Committee. Five years later
he was named professional
head of the General Jewish
Council, forerunner of the
NJCRAC.
The NJCRAC began with
four national organizations
and 14 local community rela-
tions councils as its affiliates.
Under Minkoff's administra-
tive leadership, 83 more com-
munity councils and five
other national groups were T,HE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
decision to furnish Egypt
with nuclear technology were
overshadowed by its own
"keen desire" for a nuclear
plant to help meet the coun-
try's expanding e n e r g y
needs. He said the nuclear
power station which Mr.
Nixon promised to build in
Israel would be used only
for peaceful purposes.
With the possible restora-
tion of the Sinai wells to
Egypt, Israel becomes totally
dependent on imported oil
and without additional power
stations "can be short of
energy by the end of this
decade," Arad declared.
He said that the "new re-
lationships" between the
United States and Arab coun-
tries "does not mean giving
up the special relationship"
between the United States
and Israel.
The U.S. government, he
said, "definitely shares the
view that a strong Israel,
capable of defending itself,"
is necessary to maintain
American influence in the
Middle East. The pro-Western
regimes of Jordan and Leb-
anon have remained in power
because of if," he said.
Bnai Brith President David
M. Blumberg said the Nixon
administration's diplomatic
initiatives "have helped to
ease a generation of futile
intransigence"- in the Middle
East. President Nixon's Mid-
dle East tour "reinforced the
momentum toward a still dif-
ficult and still distant peace
settlement," Blumberg said.
But another speaker, Dr.
Marver H. Bernstein, presi-
dent of Brandeis University,
was somewhat critical of Is-
rael's "very. heavy depend-
ence" on the United States,
a reliance, he said, that "may
render Israel incapable of re-
sisting strong American pres-
sures to make concessions to
the Arab states or to the
Palestinians."
Dr. Bernstein, a specialist
in foreign affairs, described
the new American-Egyptian
accord as "a dramatic sign
that the balance of power
between Israel and the Arabs
is changing inexorably in
favor of the Arabs."
He proposed that Diaspora
communities seek to win
friends for Israel other than
the United States to strength-°
en Israel's political alterna-
tives.
A "danger" in the Ameri-
can objective of accelerating
Egypt's economic develop-
ment to inculcate "a spirit
of moderation" in its politi-
cal leadership "may be over-
ly optimistic expectations by
the Ara bs, especially con- gate reform "can injure the
cerning a complete Israeli
pullback and a very heavy
U.S. commitment" of eco-
nomic aid to Egypt, he said.
Dr. Bernstein said that Is-
rael may also have to "re-
assess conventional wisdom"
opposing a Palestinian state
on the West Bank linked to
the Gaza Strip.
University of Michigan pro-
fessor of philosophy Carl
Cohen took a long-term view
of Watergate as "having
some positive effects" toward
a healthier American democ-
racy.
But Dr. Cohen, who teaches
philosophy, also warned
against "incautious zealots"
whose efforts at post-Water-
process they're rushing to
strengthen."
He said the Watergate rev-
elations had "helped and
hurt" the need of Americans
"to look with both trust and
distrust on their govern-
ment."
Prof. Cohen said that
Watergate had already stimu-
lated greater citizen partici-
pation in governmental af-
fairs and "its lessons will
live with us for at least a
generation."-
But there is danger, he
said, in attempts to redress a
"too powerful executive"
with reforms that could strip
a President's power to lead
the nation.
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