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Misconceptions About Palestinians, H istoric Truths
Analyzed by Prof. Eugene V. Rostow . . .
Growing Danger of Terrorism, Demand for Action
Purely Commentary
Terrorisni
Palestinians: Truth Negates Fictions
The Mounting Danger to Mankind
So much is being spouted about Palestinians, misrepresentations and historic
distortions are assuming such vast proportions, that a real challenge is presented to
Israel and world Jewry to make true facts understandable. Many are being misled by
the propaganda that is marked by many slurs on Israel and -world Jewry. The presenta-
tion of the basic truths on this subject is beginning to mark one of the most serious
duties devolving upon responsible Jewish spokesmen.
Renewed waves of terror, evidence of mounting build-ups of threats to Israel's
'population, discovery of explosives in most unimaginable places, especially where
there usually are large assemblages of people, all point to dangers that must add to
the seriousness of insecurities • and the need for increased alertness to the animosities.
Terrorism has become a world problem, and to Israel's dismay the embattled
Jewish state is the major target of enemies who have only one objective: the state's
destruction, regardless of the risks involved and the innocents under threat of death.
The developing dangers from terrorists were emphasized in two recent exposes
— a warning article by Jack Anderson and Ides Whitten and an excoriating editorial
in the Detroit Free Press. The two are of such great importance to the world com-
munities, because they show the dangers from many quarters, that they merit these
quotations :
the Uganda situation before the UN's Hu-
REIGN OF TERROR MUST BE ENDED man Rights Commission. Too many people
have thus far thought Gen. Amin just a
Free Press Editorial
buffoon. By all indications, however, he is
In recent years, the barbaric reign of a mass murderer rather than a clown.
death and terror conducted in the African
nation of Uganda by its despotic dictator,
EASY ACCESS TO TERRORISTS,
Gen. Idi Amin, has been- virtually un-
HIJACKERS: 8 AIRPORTS
matched around the world.
LACK SECURITY
One estimate ascribes 90,000 political
Anderson-Whitten Expose
murders to Gen. Amin and his regime
during the last three years. If true, and
WASHINGTON — The U.S. government
there is not much reason to doubt the
has found grossly inadequate security at
figure, that is a *wave of genocide that in
eight -major foreign airports from which
proportion rivals the Nazi attempts to
terrorists may fly for hijacking and bomb-
destroy the Jewish people during the rein ing attacks in America.
of Adolph Hitler.
The eight "most vulnerable" airports
Finding out precisely what is going on were turned up by a secret Federal Avia-
tion Administration survey which was ob-
in Uganda is difficult, because Gen. Amin
tained by Rep. John Murphy, D-N.Y.
keeps the country under his iron hand and
firm control.
As sponsor of a new anti-hijacking law,
Recent events in Uganda may be of Murphy pointed out the results to Trans-
more than just passing interest to many portation Secretary Claude Brinegar with
Michigan residents because a Michigan a request that he order suspension of U.S.
air traffic to the eight countries unless
native, Nicholas Stroh of Detroit, died
they tighten security.
mysteriously there in 1971 while attempt-
ing to find out what was happening.
The U.S. government sleuths-, working
undercover, named the eight airports as
Writing in the New York- Times re- Beirut, New Delhi, Bangkok, Brussels,
cently, Hal Sheets, a fellow at the Carne- Rome, Buenos Aires, Copenhagen and Lon-
gie Endowment for International Peace,
don. Here are the highlights of the FAA
says that Mr. Stroh, who was part of.the
findingi:
brewery family of the same name,- and his
• Beirut: "Arab terrorists continue to use
companion, Robert Siedle, were "brutally_
murdered and their bodies burned" by Lebanon as a haVen for murderers, hijack-
ers and terrorists . . . The Lebanese gov-
Ugandan Army officers under Gen. Amin's
ernment affords them freedom of move-.
command.
ment (and) diplomatic immunity."
The two men were at the time investi-
• I;ondon (Heathrow): "The English are
gating reports of mass executions. Mr.
very bullheaded and have refused to insti-
Sheets says witnesses to their deaths have
tute proper security measures." The in-
quoted their last words as being, "You vestigators found unlocked security doors,
may kill us, but someday you'll answer unarmed guards and inadequate airport
for this."
fencing.
• New Delhi: "Very poor screening. No
So far; Gen. Amin, like other uncon-
officers around parked aircraft."
trolled dictators in history before him,
• Bangkok_: "Security is poor to non-
has had to answer to no one. The extent
existent . . . There are unscreened passen-
of the violence in Uganda is matched only
by the nature of the atrocities. Mr. Sheets gers in the ramp areas when . . . flights
are boarding." The FAA—praises Pan Am
writes as follows:
and TWA for doing well under these in-
"According to witnesses, the methods
credible conditions.
used in the killings match the horror of
• Brussels: "Security Is very poor 'and
the numbers. There are reports that entire spotty.
This is dangerous in view of the
villages were slain by machine gun and fact that Brussels airport has been the focal
that the bodies were fed to crocodiles in point of terrorist movement of weapons."
the Nile River or carried to mass graves
• Rome: "After the Dec. 17, 1973, com-
in the bush. Some victims hpve been made
to kill each other with hammers or to con- mando-style fire bombing of a Pan Am
sume their own flesh until they have bled flight in which 32 persons were killed, the
Rome airport security improvement was
to death . . ." -
only temporary."
It would seem time for the United
• Buenos Aires: "Government security
States, in some official way, to begin to
lend its support to efforts designed to find people do search, but they only search
when they feel like it."
out what has happened in Uganda, and
somehow swing the weight of world opinton . • Copenhagen: "Security is almost non-
existent. It is the most lax in the world ...
against such barbarism.
Guards at the access points pass anyone
The Soviet Union and some Arab na- with any type of I.D."
tions supply Amin with the arms he needs
The FAA survey was conducted during
to continue his reign of terror. United June, July and early this month. Airports
States companies buy about 38 per cent showing the most improvement were in
of the country's exports, including $100,- Hong Kong and West Germany. Overall,
000,000 in coffee a year.
the report said, "the greatest danger lies
At the very least, the U.S. could sup- in Mideast air terminals," except for Israel
where security is good.
• port efforts in the United Nations to place
What's to be done about it? How to solve the problem? Who can counteract the
menacing hatreds and insanities? Are there powers strong enough to stem the tide
of inhuman bestialities?
Had there been a genuinely effective international force, if mankind could point
to a firm and unprejudiced United Nations, there might be some hope for a solution.
But the UN refused to act. Russia, the Arab bloc and their allies are obstacles, and
the solution is so far removed that the situation emerges as approaching hopelessness.
There isn't even much of a chance of revolt against the inanities of a world organization_
that is failing in its objectives.
• By Philipp l
That is why a statement by Prof. Eugene V. Rostow of the Yale University Law
School is of vast importance.
Writing to Commentary magazine, to correct an error of his - own in an 62 -
article, Prof. Rostow stated:
My attention has been _ the territory of Palestine. the Mandate as origin,ally
directed to an important What is now known as Jor- drawn — territories which
mistake in my article. Re- dan would be the Palestin- remained part of the Man-
viewing the history of the ian Arab state, and Israel date and under its author-
Palestine Mandate, I re- the Palestinian Jeivish state. ity, until 1946 or 1948 in the
peated a corn•mon error in From the point of view of case of what was then
saying that Transjordan international law, Turkish Transjordan, and until 1948
was "separated from the sovereignty for these terri: for what has now become
Mandate administration in tories would pass to the new Israel. The term "Palestin-
ian" therefbre means any
1922." This is not the case. states via the Mandate.
This policy is reflected in resident of the territory
The fact is critical in an-
swering the question, "What the persistent pattern of originally included in the
is Palestine?" -and "Who usage and of international Mandate, whether Moslem,
are the Palestinians?," decision since the Mandate Jewish, or. Christian.
which have become crucial was instituted. All that hap-
This is the import of Se-
issues in the quest for peace pened in 1922 was that the curity Council Resolution
Jewish-homeland provisions 242, -which is now the com-
in the Middle East.
The word "Palestine," of of the Mandate were de- pulsory basis for the peace
Roman origin, has for cen- clared inapplicable in what negotiations. The resolution
turies been -used in vague League of Nations docu- does not contemplate or re-
and ambiguous ways. The ments describe as "the quire a .second Palestinian
word itself refers 'to the transjordan province of Arab state, distinct. from
Philistines. Until- the Man- Palestine." Many aspects Jordan. Instead it requires
date, it never had a clear of government in Trans- the states which are the
geographical definition. In jordan continued to be con- parties to the conflict to
the 19th Century, Russian ducted -by-the British as the agree on just treatment for
claims. to or in "Palestine" Mandatory power. Citizens the refugees.
were among the causes of of the area carried Palestin-
In short, Jordan and Israel
ian passports issued by the
the Crimean War.
The diplomacy of peace- Mandate administration un- are the successor states to
making for the Middle East til the late 40's when the the Ottoman Empire-within
the territories of the origi-
must start with the defini- Mandate was terminated.
There is a good deal of nal Mandate. The Security
tion of Palestine contained
in the Mandate. There is no political pressure at the Council's decisions require
other. The _Mandate includ- moment to use the words and authorize Jordan and
ed what are now Istael and "Palestine" and "Palestin- Israel, and no one else,
Jordan, together . with the ian" as if they referred define secure and
areas in dispute between only to the Arab inhabitants nized boundaries betty.-._
them: the West Bank and of Israel, the West Bank, them, and, on that basis,
and the Gaza Strip. There is make peace. If special ar-
the GazaStrip.
From the beginning, it no justification for this rangements for the auton-
was always British policy, practice, whose manifest omy of the West Bank are
and the policy reflected in purpose, politically, is to to be made, it is for Jordan
the correspondence between destroy both Israel and Jor- to do so, within the parts
Weizmann and Faisal, that dan. Legally and historical- of the area which are ulti-
a Jewish state and an Arab 1y, the term "Palestine" mately returned to its au-
state should emerge within refers to the territories of thority_
Introductory to a campaign to protect the Jewish position and to assure Israel's
security, the Rostow -statement is of major importance in tackling the serious so-called
Palestinian issue.
This must be viewed as only a beginning. The insistence upon truth must be firm.
There must be no slowing of the process to define the Middle East situation properly,
_ truthfully, protective of the small Jewish state as it faces the dangers posed by the 20
Arab states. To slumber while the fire is raging would be criminal.
k
.
Ben-Gurion U. Research Centers in S. America
BEERSHEBA — The Re-
search and Development Au-
thority of Ben-Gurion Uni-
versity of the Negev, in co-
operation with the depart-
ment of international cooper-
ation of the foreign office
and the Volcani Institute, will
establish arid zone research
institutes in Chile, the Ar-
gentine and Peru.
Contracts for the establish-
ment of these institutes have
recently been signed between
the United Nations and the
three South American coun-
tries. Ben-Gurion University
of the Negev -and the desert
research institute—now being
established at Sde Boker-
will advise, coordinate and
cooperate with the three
countries in the implementa-
tion of the plans for the re-
search institutes.
One institute will be estab-
lished in the Great Atacama
Desert in Chile, which is
among the most arid deserts
in the world. Rain falls there
only once in 20 years. The
institute in Peru will be es-
tablished in an area contig-
uous to the Atacama deserts
and the Argentine Institute
will be erected in the desert
in the north of that country.
The acting director of the
research and development
authority of Ben-Gurion Uni-
versity of the Negev, .Joel
Schechter, visited these areas
twice`'—once accompanied by
Drs. Danny Shimshi and
Yoash Va'adia. In 1973,
Schechter toured the area in
the company of the director
of the Volcani Institute, Haim
Tzaban.
. Researchers from Ben-
Gurion University of the Ne-
gev will shortly visit these
2—Friday, Sept. 20, 1974
institutes to render the,-
vice and guidance.
thereafter their counterparts
from the South American
countries will come to Israel
for specialized study k
In the main, research.
these institutes will concen-
trate on the proper use and
collection of water and scien-
tific methods of irrigation.
Ben-Gurion University of
the Negev is Israel's _young.
est university and the tour`
try's only regional institute
for higher education. Located
in Beersheba and given ur.i-
versity status in 1969, it has
a primary role and responsi-
bility for the economic and
scientific development of the
Negev, the desert region
constituting almost 60 per
cent of Israel's land area.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS