46 Friday, March 28, 1975

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

.

Legitimacy of Israel . Is New Anti-Semitism

NEW YORK, (JTA) — not agree with some Jews no possibility of Jewish
Shlomo Avineri, dean of the in Israel and the Diaspora communal life because the
Hebrew University's faculty who accuse non-Jews who Holocaust has shattered the
of social sciences, declared criticize Israel as being 2,000-year-old, Diaspora
here that those who ques- anti-Semites and Jews
tion the legitimacy of the who criticize Israel as suf-
state of Israel are the new fering from "self-hatred."
anti-Semites because they But he stressed the
were in effect also question- "single most important in-
ing the legitimacy of the gredient to Jewish self 7iden-
NEW YORK — A former
tity" in the Diaspora today
Jewish people.
is identification with Israel, major league catcher, Moe
His remarks came during and that "denying the Jew Berg, played a big role in
a discussion on post-Holo- his right to determine his the rush for the atomic
caust anti-Jewishness at the own Jewish identity" was bomb between the U.S. and
"International Scholars denying him his right to ex- Germany during World
Conference on the Holo- ist. War II.
The atomic bombs that
caust — a Generation
However, Richard L.
Rubenstein, professor of were constructed for Naga-
After."
The conference at the religion at Florida State saki and Hiroshima were
at a pace based on
Caregie Endowment for In- University, said the legiti- produced
reports by Berg, who, as the
macy
of
Israel
is
not
based
ternational Peace, in which
some 40 scholars from on the acceptance of Jews nation's foremost atomic
North America, Europe and as such but whether the spy, established Germany
Israel participated and State of Israel has the mil- to be two years behind
which was sponsored by the itary and political power America in the race for the
ultimate weapon.
Institute of Contemporary to maintain its existence.
The disclosure of Berg's
Rubenstein
said
that
as
a
Jewry of the Hebrew Uni-
versity and the United Jew- result of the Holocaust, critical involvement in the
ish Appeal, drew wide- Jews can only strive for atomic bomb race, based on
power by going to Israel. He government documents
spread attention.
Avineri, who is a visit- said there is no possibility which were classified secret
ing profesior at Cornell of Jews having power in the for 30 years, is contained in
University, said he does Diaspora. He said there is a biography, "Moe Berg:
" Athlete, Scholar, Spy",
written by newspapermen
Foundations
irrigation projects of the Louis Kaufman and Tom
"As we have drained the
world, giving life and suste- Sewell, published by Little,
swamps of Jezreel and
nance to hundreds of thou- Brown.
Emek Hefer, so we shall ir-
The documents outlin-
sands. . . . We have built on
rigate the wastes of the
ing the catcher's espio-
our
own
foundations,
and
Negev; as we have harnessed
we have created our own ab- nage missions were dupli-
the waters of the Jordan, so
secret
a
of
cates
sorptive capacity."
we shall turn the Jordan
government report which
—Chaim
Weizmann
Valley into one of the great

Holocaust Torah Presented

agreement that by submit-
ting to the authority of the
state, Jewish existence will
be guaranteed.

Ballplayer Had A Secret:
Germany's Atomic Plans

asked the War Depart-
ment to bestow the Medal
of Merit on Berg — the
highest honor given civil-
ians during wartime. The
medal was awarded but
Berg rejected it.
The documents were
found in Moe Berg's attic se-
creted in a book on French
literature. Nearby were his
White Sox, Red Sox, Wash-
ington and Cleveland base-
ball uniforms, the clubs he
played for during a 17-year
major league career.
The documents were de-
classified for the authors by
the federal government.
Berg, one of the first Jew-
ish players in the major
leagues, died in 1972. He
steadfastly declined to dis-
cuss his role during World
War II. The secret govern-
ment report said he risked
his life "many times".
Berg was also a govern-
ment agent during his play-
ing days and, while with an
American League All-Star
team took motion pictures
of Tokyo, which were used
during American bomber
raids during the war.

Gerald S. Colburn, left, UJA cash chairman, -
Samuel H. Abramson, head of UJA cash collection
partment, are shown with the Torah brought to Israe y
members of 1975 cash mission. The Torah was hidden in
Europe throughout the Holocaust after the synagogue in
which it had been housed was destroyed on Kristall
Nacht. It will be presented to the Diaspora Yeshiva in
Jerusalem.

PLO Gains World Status

tite conference of oil produc-
ing, oil consuming and un-
derdeveloped countries
VIENNA — The Pales-
without oil resources. The -
tine Liberation Organiza-
participation of developing
tion made it again in inter-
countries as an independent
national circles when it was
bloc in the proposed energy
invited, and accepted the
and raw material confer-
invitation to participate in a
ence meant a power shift to
United Nations conference
those countries who voted
in Vienna. The invitation to
for Arafat in the UN Gen-
the PLO by the UN Secre-
eral Assembly.
tariat which extended invi-
When India agreed on a
tations to all "national liber-
permanent PLO office in
ation" organizations to take
New Delhi, the PLO repre-
part in a conference discuss-
sentatives were granted of-
ing diplomatic privileges
ficial diplomatic immunity
was in line with the recent
for the first time. Tokyo
UN decision to allow "lib-
was next to open a PLO of-
eration movements" to at-
fice. Austrian Chancellor
tend international confer-
Bruno Kreisky's next fact-
ences.
finding mission to Arab
The significance of the
countries will include indi-
PLO participation in the
rect contacts between the
conference in Vienna, which
Socialist International's del-
got underway Feb. 4, is that
egation and PLO represent-
it demonstrates the willing-
atives, political sources said.
ness of Western countries to
Another move by the
accept its claim to represent
PLO to achieve an image
3.2 million Palestinian Ar-
of respectability was its
abs. Austrian authorities
rejection of two airplane
granted Zehdi Terzi, the
hijackings and the impris-
PLO delegate, "functional
onment of extremist guer-
immunity" although Aus-
rillas in a prison near
tria has no ties with the
Damascus.
PLO.
Israeli politicians regard
The reevaluation of the
the PLO as a terrorist or-
PLO was lead off by the
ganization. They have rei-
Soviet Union, where PLC
terated this position several
chief Yasir Arafat was
times. The continuing ma-
granted statesmanlike hon-
neuvers of the PLO for rec-
ors last year. But the Soviet
ognition as a "respectable
bloc could not have reached
organization" may be suc-
its goal without the consent
cessful in most parts of the
of the Third World coun-
world. But the PLO has to
tires and the Western indus-
prove this attitude through
trialized nations.
deeds and not through
The decision of the
words.
United Nations General
The Communist bloc's at-
Assembly last November
titude would not have been
to grant observer status to
sufficient for the PLO's
- 4p,
oill
the so-called liberation
flight of fancy without
movements recognized by
Western approval. as
the Arab League and the
underlined when thArgal
Organization of African
Conference rejected the par-
Unity (OAU) was made ticipation of a Vietcong re
possible by the under-
resentative, already in
developed countries: fear
Vienna. But the PLO dele-
for their oil supplies from
gate was admitted to the
Arab countries.
conference even though h
The West European gov-
was a day late.
ernments, facing the conse-
quences of increased oil Arab Nationalism
prices on their balance of
,"A great opportunity
payments, dropped away
awaits the Arab people—to
from the U.S. proposed soli-
rebuild their countries, to
darity of oil consuming na-
bring happiness and pros-
tions. The recycling of
perity to the oppressed fel-
petro-dollars was looked laheen. This will be the acid
upon as essential to counter- test of Arab nationalism.
act the dangers of a new Pride in a glorious past is of
Student excavators, under the direction of Hebrew University Professor Binyamin Mazar, are shown searching through debris
economic depression.
value only if it serves as a
at the southern wall of the Temple Mount. The archeological excavations are being sponsored by the Israel Exploration Society
The French government, spur to the hard task of re-
and the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem in conjunction with the Israet Academy of Sciences and criticized for its pro-Arab
building a happier future."
Humanities. The vast time span from the destruction of the Second Temple down to the Arab conquest is well represented at the
attitude, proposed a tripar-
—Chaim Weizmann .
site by numerous structural remains and finds.

Archeology Students Dig Up Old City Artifacts .
dor-

4

BY PETER FRIEDLINGER

(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)