2 Friday, March 28, 1975
THE DETRO[T JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
Unlimited Tongue-in-Cheek
Distortions of M. E. Status
Unlimited is the designation application to the distor-
tions propagated by Israel's enemies in their treatment of
the Middle East situation.
Tongue in cheek, the anti-Israel progagandist shame-
lessly pursues the policy of spreading the lie so often that,
as Hitler viewed the truth, the longer the lie is spread the
more certain its acceptance as truth.
An example was evidenced in Chicago. An Arab pur-
sued the tactic of accusing Israel of cruelties, of refusing to
let him visit his sick relatives. He wrote it to the Chicago
Tribune and it necessitated a reply. The Chicago Tribune
then published the following letter from Israel Consul Yaa-
cov Keinan:
With reference to Dan Tucker's article of Feb.
16, I wish to correct an erroneous impression which
may have been created by the description of the dif-
ficulties a West Bank Arab is supposed to encounter
when wishing to visit his home area, now under Is-
raeli military administration.
According to Mr. Tucker's friend, he could not
visit Ramallah, as a visitor's visa would take four to
six weeks to obtain through the Israel Consulate,
even though there was an emergency situation
which demanded his presence in Ramallah , within
days or hours. The following case, which occurred
recently, will illustrate how regulations actually
work.
A Mr. M. S. applied to the Israel Consulate in
Chicago for a visitor's visa (on his Jordanian pass-
port) in order to visit his critically sick father in
Israel-controlled R,amallah. Such visas, which have
to be approved by the Israeli authorities, do as a rule
take four to six weeks to arrive, and in most part are
granted with no difficulty. In view of the urgency of
the situation, Mr. S. was told that the consulate
could telegraph for visa approval (at his expense)
and within 48 hours the visa was approved. -
Mr. S., who is known to the consulate as a vehe-
ment and hostile Arab propagandist, could have left
for Israel immediately. He chose not to travel be-
cause of difficulties concerning renewal of his U. S.
reentry permit, and not due to any obstacles put in
his way by the Israeli authorities—to whom, inci-
dentally, he did not even reimburse the telegraphic
costs.
More illustrative of the destructive propaganda affect-
ing the Middle East analyses is the manner in which legisla-
tors are often "taken in" by propaganda. An example is the
role of South Dakota's U. S.-Senator James Abourezk. Him-
self of Lebanese descent, it is not surprising that he ex-
presses a pro-Arab attitude. But the acclaim he gave Yasir
Arafat, without taking into consideration the terrorist's an-
ti-American as well as anti-Jewish stance, and the accusa-
tion he made against fellow-Senators that they had yielded
to Jewish pressures, required refutation. Abourezk had
expressed his charges in an Op-Ed New York Times article
and his position has been challenged in a letter to the Times
by a colleague, Wyoming's U. S. Senator Gale McGee, who
wrote:
Contrary to Senator Abourezk's claim in his
Jan. 26 Op-Ed piece, I want to emphasize that the 71
Senators who urged continued support of Israel and
resistance to the Palestinian Organization's terror-
ism were indeed reflecting the majority opinion of
their constituents.
Broadly based polls continue to show that
Americans support the continued strong commit-
.
An Unfortunate Situation in a Libertarian Sphere, With
Many Liberals Misled by Fiction Which Has Also Misled the
Humanitarian Quakers in Their Newly Published Volume
ment of the U.S. to the security and independence of The Quaker Lobby: Israel Gets Evil Grading
Israel by ratios greater than 5 to 1. The letter to
Four years ago, a statement on the Middle East issued
President Ford was not a "cavalier" endorsement
by the Quakers (American Friends Service Committee) was
"for anything Israel wishes to do." The letter was a
interpreted as damaging to Israel.
sober reiteration of the long-standing -American in-
A debate that ensued over that statement was not re-
sistence that peace can only come to the Middle East
solved in comformity with Jewish views repudiating that
when there is mutual accommodation and recogni-
stand.
tion — not precipitate Israeli withdrawal without
It is reaffirmed in "Uphill Peace — Impact on Con-
•
direct negotiation or lasting guarantees.
gress" by E. Raymond Wilson, executive secretary of the
The so-called "moderate" Arafat and the
Friends Committee on National Legislation,
PLO do not agree with Senator Abourezk that a
West Bank and Gaza state is a "fall-back negotia-
In this volume, issued by Friends United Press,
tion position." The Palestine National Council, for
views on Israel are reiterated by the author. They a
example, pledged on June 8, 1974, that such a state
couched in skepticism. One might read from them a view
will be a "fighting authority" which "will struggle
that Israel's rebirth raised questions of realism. One might
against . . . recognition, conciliation (and) secure
infer that Israel is a dangerous element in her sphere.
borders" with any Jewish state in Israel and the
The attitude is not a friendly one. The reader who in-
present pro-American government in Jordan. In ad-
sists
on historic realism rightfully asks why a movement
dition, during the 29th General Assembly of the
purportedly dedicated to peace does not recognize the cur-
United Nations several of my colleagues and I had
rent conditions affecting a state with nearly 4,000,000 citi-
the opportunity to meet with representatives of the
zens more than half a million of them Christians and Mos-
PLO in New York to discuss these issues. If there
lem, more than 3,000,000 Jews, is not accorded status of
was one point which came across very strong and
unquestioned existence.
very clear, it was the fact that the PLO does not
An impressive introduction to the volume by
accept the proposal that Israel must exist as an in-
U.S. Senator- Mark 0. Hatfield of Oregon outlines the
dependent state in the Middle East.
humanism of the Quakers, their aspirations for a better so-
It should be apparent to all that the 71 Senators
ciety, the elimination of want, the raising of the standards
who joined in the letter sought to promote both
of the less fortunate in society. Senator Hatfield does not
America's national interests and the cause of peace
touch upon the Middle East problems. But he has not been
in the Middle East.
in the ranks of those who have ever given comfort to the
Thus Senator McGee has helped redeem the honor and
Israelis struggling for very existence. Is it possible that the
the dignity of the U.S. Senate.
ideas propagated by the Friends Committee on National
But the arrogance and shameless fashion pursued in
Legislation have influenced him on this subject?
spreading untruths continues to be a factor in anti-Israel
tactics. An incident indicating the extent to which Jordan-
A note addressed to book reviewers by the Quaker pub-
ian officials will sink to spread the lie is traceable to the
lishers-asserts:
defense of UNESCO's recent anti-Israel resolution which
was condemned with near unanimity by intellectuals in — "Does public opinion have any influence on Congress
many nations but was defended by Yehudi Menuhin. It was - and the decisions of government? This book tells of 30 years
of Quaker lobbying by the first full-time religious lobby and
a most regrettable occurrence because Yehudi had not fol-
until two years ago the only registered religious legislative
lowed the violent role of his father Moshe who is one of the
committee.
three or four most violent opponents of Zionism and Israel.
"Included are interviews with Truman, Eisenhower,
Yehudi was rebuked by the distinguished musician, Arthur
Stevenson, John F. Kennedy, Nixon, Humphrey, McGovern,
Rubinstein.
Eleanor Roosevelt, General Hershey and many members of
-
But Yehudi stuck to his guns and had a partner in his
Congress. Legislative activities and committee testimonies
rebuke to Rubinstein in Jordanian Ambassador to the UN
are recorded on world hunger, universal military training,
Abdul Hamid Sharaf. That a responsible official like Sharaf
should have asserted, also in a letter to the N. Y. Times, that military conscription, general disarmament, civil liberties
including wiretapping, civil rights for Blacks, Japanese-
his country had not barred Jews from the Western Wall and
from the Jewish Holy Places in Jerusalem is one of the most Americans, Alaskan natives and American Indians. It re-
counts the 20 year struggle against the Vietnam War,
amazing attempts to pull wool over the eyes even of the
the Bay of Pigs invasion and other U.S. military adventures
most gullible. Jordan had destroyed the synagogues in Jeru-
aboard.
salem when Hussein's government controlled the ancient
Old City. Sharaf claims only Zionists were barred from Je-
"This is the first full-fledged account of the role of a
rusalem. Such an untruth must have made his own asso-
nongovernmental organization, in cooperation with many
ciates laugh with glee that a great newspaper should have
other voluntary agencies, in exercising their responsibility
given him a platform for the lie.
for sharing in the process of decision making in Congress,
These are the tactics to be confronted by the defenders
through hundreds of interviews per year, more than 150 dif-
of truth.
ferent witnesses before legislative committees, issuing
One doesn't have to be pro-Israel to resent the type of
yearly voting records and a regular newsletter, as well as
lying resorted to by the would-be destroyers of Israel. What
other means of influencing governmental decisions in the
the enemies of the Jewish state fail to take into account is
direction of peace, justice and freedom."
that Israel has no alternative to life. Confronted by Abour-
Under the impact of such a formula, it is evident that
ezk, Yehudi, Sharaf, what should be the Israeli attitude?
an attitude of suspicion in dealing with Israel, of indiffer-
That people and state will die and submit to the canard that
ence towards the status of the Jewish state, can be very
only Zionists are being resented by Arabs and their co-
destructive.
horts? How and when will the spreaders of stupid lies real-
The Quaker book revives concern over the Quaker posi-
ize, at last, that there is no alternative to life? That's why
Israel is indestructible.
tion on Israel. It is not friendly.
.
Former Detroiter Serves
Jerusalem Marks Baby Boom
three families in Jackson-
ville.
Rabbi Kesner said that
A total of 33 Jewish fami- Wallace, which has 10 Jew-
lies is the largest of the five ish families, is the only set-
tiny Jewish settlements in tlement among the five
North Carolina served by a without a synagogue build-
rabbi who drives his car ing. The 33 Jewish families
50,000 miles a year to per- of Myrtle Beach, made up
form his rabbinical func- mostly of retired senior citi-
tions.
zens, were the rabbi's most
Rabbi Reuben Kesner, active congregation, full of
who says he believes he is ideas and energy.
Born in Worcester, Mass.
the only circuit riding rabbi
in the United States, has his and ordained at Tifereth
headquarters in Whiteville, Israel Rabbinical Seminary
N.C. He implements the of America in Brooklyn, the
Circuit Riding Rabbi Pro- 49-year-old rabbi reported
ject initiated in 1954 by the that the rabbinate had been
North Carolina Association the "logical result" of his
of Jewish Men. He also youthful activities and
serves Jewish families in young adult education,
Lumberton, which is 31 starting as a teenage cantor
miles from Whiteville; Myr- at a Worcester synagogue.
He said the late Rabbi
tle Beach, 60 miles south;
Wallace, 68 miles away, and Morris Adler of Detroit
By BEN GALLOB
(Copyright 1975, JTA., Inc.)
Quintuplets, triplets, sets of twins and single births are fill-
ing up the maternity ward in Hadassah Hospital in Jerusalem.
According to one doctor here, Israel is facing a baby boom be-
cause of the signing of the separation-of-forces one year ago
which brought the reservists home.
By Philip
Slomovitz
P.riek4fi4.0irtiVANIMP•weireavetailtattememe
as 'Circuit Riding Rabbi'
urged him to enter the rab-
binate while he was study-
ing at Wayne State Uni-
versity for a social work
degree. Rabbi Adler ar-
ranged for the young stu-
dent to conduct services in
the small towns around
Detroit and subsequently,
he reported, he "welcomed
the opportunity in 1964 to
join the circuit-riding
rabbi project."
The automobile appears
.to have an indispensable
role in the maintenance of
Jewish life in Rabbi Kes-
ner's dispersed congrega-
tions, apart from his own
use of a car. The eight Jew-
ish families who built a syn-
agogue in Whiteville are
joined in Jewish programs
by five families living within
a radius of 25 miles of
Whiteville.
-upfg,0110womp,InsoL
solassomt.r..mfoy.,!"letvt....
.., .
When one congregati
has planned a special p'
gram which would be be
ficial for all of the Jewish
children in the circuit area,
such as a children's model
seder, Rabbi Kesner drives
them to the site of the seder.
Rabbi Kesner said he
could direct Passover, Suc-
cot and Shavuot services in
only one town at a time, "so,
annually, we rotate. Those
who can manage, join with
me wherever the services
are held."
He reported that when a
Bar or Bat Mitzva takes
place, "almost the entire cir-
cuit rejoices together," and
most of the circuit Jews
"turn out for a Bris and a
Pidyon Haben, weddings,
confirmations, funerals and
unveilings."