48 Friday, July 18, 1975
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Israel's Political Scene
Boris Smolar's
Moshe Dayan: Waiting in the Wings
For A Change in Public Opinion?
By DAVID LANDAU
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
Some weeks ago, Knesseter
Moshe Dayan celebrated his
60th birthday. A group of
his friends in the Knesset
arranged a small party.
Dayan -seemed moved by the
gesture, but he asked his
friends to refrain from
praising him.
, They agreed. But when
the assembled company
raised their glasses in a
toast, one of them told
Dayan: "We want you to
know that you have more
friends than you believe."
This remark reflected
Dayan's own feeling - that he
- had been abandoned by
most of his friends and sup-
porters when he left the goy:
ernmerg a year earlier.
By chance, the birthday
party took place during the
week that marked Yitzhak
Rabin's first year in the
Premiership. It vas, of
course, the establishment of
the Rabin Cabinet which
brought about -Dayan's re-
placement after seven years
at the Defense Ministry.
A year later, Dayan is a
passive Knesseter. He at-
tends the House regularly,
but does not sit on any of
its committees. He busies _
himself with writing his
autobiography and giving
lectures in Israel and
abroad.
Despite these calm and
tranquil occupations, which
could create an impression
of near-indifference to cur-
rent politics, Dayan in fact
continues to follow the pol-
itical situation keenly and
closely.
He expresses his ideas
willingly and is still.a most
popular subject of news-
men's attentions. _When he
speaks, the whole country
still listens. The political
community is constantly
referring to him, to his po-
tential moves and to his
ideas.
A Year after leaving of-
fice, Dayan is a bitter man,
and still, as always, a hu-
man enigma and an in-
tensely political animal.
Some observers believe
that Dayan still com-
mands the latent power to
bring down the Rabin
Cabinet. Dayan could still
call - on his ex-Rafi col-
leagues to back him
against the government's
policy.
reporter — spoke at length
of his feelings after the Yom
Kippur War and of his polit-
ical future. He seemed to
confirm what his friends
had beeri saying.
Dayan believes that the
"change of guard" of the
nation's leadership level is
a positive process which
will not now change its
course. He defined himself
as belonging to the pre-
vious generation which
left the key posts in the na-
tional administration
making way for a new gen-
eration.
At the same time, he
emphasized his ongoing in-
terest in politics. He said he
does not yet know whether
he Nv i 1 I be a candidate in the
next Knesset elections.
"I don't know if I want it,"
In that case Rabin might
lose his majority in the he said. "I don't-know if the
Knesset. But on several oc- party wants me; I don't
casions during the past know if I could recommend
year, Dayan'S suppotrters the voters to support the
have - made it clear that he party's platform or its lead-
has no intention of doing ership," Day-an added an-
this.
other unknown factor: "I
Dayan's devotees main- don't know when the next
tained that he was quite sat- election will take place."
isfied with his new occupa-
While the last sentence
tions and that he realized seems innocent enough, pol-
that he had lost much of the itical observers believe it has
popularity he had had be- a profound significance.
fore the war. They also They claim that Dayan's
claimed that Dayan would emphasis of the uncertainty
not want to challenge Ra- of the date of the next elec-
bin's premiership on per- tion may indicate some-
thing of his true political
sonal grounds. Dayan, they
said, would continue to ex- . ambitions. (Under the law,
press his political ideas but elections must take place ev-
had no intention of return- ery four years; the next
ing to active political leader- must he before 1977.)
ship.
Dayan believes those
Recently, Dayan — in commentators who say
what seemed to be a frank that external pressures
and candid interview to this may cause a political crisis
in Israel, causing the Ra-
bin government to resign.
In the confusion, and the
bitter internal disputes
that may occur in such cir-
cumstances, Dayan may_
try to regain his popular-
ity and seek to play once
more an important role in
guiding the nation.
Although during the last
year Dayan has, on the
whole, not been active in
politics, he demonstratively
signed the Likud petition
against returning the West
Bank to "foreign control."
Dayan's supporters -claim
that this move clearly ex-
pressed his intention to
raise his voice against any
possibility of ceding Judaea
and Samaria.
His political rivals claim
that he does not in fact care
so much about the future of
the West Bank, but is adopt-
ing this sensitive and con-
troversial issue in order to
promote his political ambi-
tions.
Both sides — Dayan's
supporters as well as his ri-
vals — believe that he has
by no means come to accept,
as yet, his personal drop in
public esteem as an irrever-
sible fact.
Dayan confirmed that he
cannot accept the-present
verdict of the public regard-
ing the role he played in the
Yom Kippur War: "I have
been mistreated," he said.
"I have been treated with
injustice. People do not
know what really happened
in the war. The role I played
was wrongly described in
many publications. I feel
deeply aggrieved."
A Bicentennial Feature
Remembering Moses Michael Hays
(Editor's Note: During
the American Bicenten-
nial year, The Jewish
News will periodically
publish articles recon-
structing Jewish, histori-
cal facts. The following . is
re-printed from "Jewish
Currents.")
supported the Revolution-
ary War, but would not
sign because "I am an_Is-
raelite and am not allowed
the liberty of a vote, or
voice in common with the
rest of the voters though
consistent with the Consti-
tution, and the other Co-
lonies."
Like most of the some 1,-
000 Jews in the re-belling .
He won his point about
colonies, Moses Mit.ha7e1 the loyalty oath and there-
Bays was inspired by the after his patriotism was
Declaration of Independ- unquestioned. -
ence assertion that "All men
Born in New York of Ash--
are created equal."
kenazic parentage that had
- Negroes were not in- come from Holland, Hays
cluded, and even the state- began his working life as a
ment condemning the slave watchmaker. In 1766 he
trade had been stricken married Rachel Myers, who
from the Declaration to bore him five daughters and
please the South Carolina two sons between 1767 and
and Georgia delegations and 1779.
the New England slave t•ad-
In 1769, Hays was admit-
e•s, Jews among them. But ted as a freeman in New
did "equally" include Jews? York, but moved to Newport
In Newport, R.I., Moses the, same year.
Michael Hays asked for an • In New York he had been
answer July 11, 1776.
active in the than prog•es-
Called up before a Corn- si•e -organization of the
mittee of the State Assem- Masons, having been ap-
bly for refusing to sign a pointed in 1768 Deputy In-
loyalty oath, Hays de- spector General of Masonry
ciared he was a patriotic, for North America; in 1769
King David's Lodge (w_hich
removed to Newport in
1780). In 1768, Hays was
also president of Shearith
Israel in New York.
In Newport he first be-
came a shopkeeper, and
then built ships, in part-
nership with Myer Polock,
that took part in the China
trade. When the British
occupied Newport in 1779,
Hays moved to Boston,
where he became wealthy
in the maritime insurance
business.
In' July, 1784, he was a
founder of the Massachu-
setts Bank and its first de-
positor ($14,500). In Boston
he associated with revolu-
tionaries like Elias Boudi-
not ( 1740-18211, Joseph
Warren (1741-1775), and
Paul Revere (1735-1818) —
\\hen Hays was Grand Mas-
ter of the Lodge of Masons
in Massachusetts in 1791,
Revere was his Deputy
Grand Master.
Hays was close enough
with Col—John Glover, head
of the Fishermen's Brigade,
1 1
spondence_ as "My dear
Moses."
- When Hays died in 1805,
he left a large estate valued
at $82,000, including prop-
erty he owned in Rhcale Is-
land. Boston and Georgia.
'Between You
... and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1975, JTA, Inc.)
JEWISH CAMPS: The camping season started this
year in an atmosphere which may not permit as many Jew-
ish parents to send their children to summer camps as in
previous years. Sending a child to camp for several weeks is
expensive. Under the present economic circumstances many
parents will ponder the question whether they can afford
such expenditure; especially if they have two or three,::
children.
Nevertheless, there will be tens of thousands of young-
sters in Jewish camps this summer. Approximately 25,000
children will be in the 70 camps affiliated with the National
Jewish Welfare Board; they include resident and day
camps. Many more thousands will spend at least two weeks
in the wide net of summer camps maintained by Jewish
educational, religious and ideological organizations in var-
ious parts of the country.
Started by Jewish philanthropic and educational
groups some 50 years ago, Jewish camping has expanded
during the years and is today "big business."
" - But it was only about 15 years-ago that leaders of the
American Jewish community began to realize that Jewish
camping can serve as a creative contribution to the cause of
Jewish survival. Jewish federations, Jewish eenters and a
variety of Jewish philanthropic organizations were financ-
ing scores of camps but considered them merely as places
providing city children with fresh air, sunshine and recrea-
tion. The possibility that the camps could be used as an
instrument to supplement formal Jewish education was not
thought of, except by the Workmen's Circle and other-Yid-
dishist cultural groups which were among the first to estab-
lish summer camps for children of their school systems.
The realization that camps could contribute much to
the cause of Jewish identity — and counteract the vast ero-
sion in this field — came during the last decade or so, when
the experiences of several ideological and denominational
groups provided proof of the educational productivity of the
camps.
* * *
FAMILY CAMPS: Today, there is no question anymore
that the camps constitute a major instrument in supple-
menting formal Jewish education. It is well recognized that
a short time in the camp imbues the child with more Jewish
spirit than months in his week-end Jewish school in the
city.
In the recent years, camps became also popular with
adults. Programs on - Jewish living and learning are now
being developed in evergrowing numbers in various camps.
Jewish communal organizations and synagogues are
also introducing family camp programs involving the total
family group in learning and understanding Jewish cus-
toms and values. The opportunity for families to come to-
gether for several days-at camp offers many opportunities
for enhanced family -life and for developing a more solid
Jewish atmosphere at home. A number of Jewish organiza-
tions are now in the process of establishing year-round
camp facilities for family groups.
The United Jewish Appeal and Jewish federations are
now using camps for their young leadership training pro-
grams,. usually given during week-ends. Jewish communal
groups now use them for week-end retreats of their boards
of directors.
* * *
LINKS TO ISRAEL: The Jewish camps, in addition to
strengthening Jewish feelings, are serving as a link between
Jewish youngsters in this country and Israel.
Approximately 65 young Israelis have arrived this
month in the United States to serve in Jewish summer
camps. They will work primarily as instructors, teaching
Hebrew conversation. group singing, _and folk dancing.
MOSES HAYS
Among- his bequests Nv e r e
"22 Hebrew books."
In an obituary, the
"Boston Centinel" wrote,
"He walked 'abroad fearing
no man, but lovin g all
. . Fie was Nv ithout guile,
detesting hypocrisy as he
despised meanness! Take
him for all in all, he was
Paving the way in bringing Israeli instructors to camps
in this country was Dr. Shlomo Bardin, the founder and
executive head of the Brandeis Camp Institute in California
which is highly lauded by many top Jewish educators and
communal workers. Dr. Bardin, who has been in the Jewish
camping- field for more than 35 years, is laying great im-
portance on group singing, folk dancing, and the extensive
use of the creative arts in camp because they create an emo-
tional impact on the campers and involve them directly in
the activity.
Dr. Bardin developed the Brandeis Camp Institute into
a model institution of Jewish education and relaxation for
youngsters and a place of Jewish learning and relaxation
for adults. His week-end adult programs are filled each
year with about 250 men and women coming to the camp
regularly. As to the youngsters, most of whom come to the
camp with no Jewish education at all, a survey established
that about 70 percent of them leay.- the camp more Jewishly
identified; many of them later become interested in Jewish