Year of Many Tensions
•
ChallangeS to Leadersh in
Mark Setbacksfor Jewry

Murray Zuckoff, Jewish Telegraphic Agency editor, reviews the experiences of the past year and the
of 1976 for both Israel and American Jewry in a' year-end review published on Page 56.
Zuckoff describes the many international events that made 1975 a year to forget for Jewry, and points a
direct challange at Israeli and American Jewish leadership to change self-serving policies and status-quo
positions to fight the challanges presented over a broad spectrum of issues.
His position as editor of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency places Zuckoff in a unique position to review
the events affecting world Jewry. His excellent review of the setbacks of 1975 analyzes the policies of the
Arabs, Israelis the United States and Russia in affecting world Jewry in the international arena
and
especia lly at the United Nations.

,

Zuckoff's "Lessons of 1975 and Challanges of 1976" puts the past year in perspective, and challanges
and constructively criticizes Jewish leadership in the U.S. and Israel.
Article on Page 56.

Ubi bene
. ibi patria:

Israel's Plight
and Exile Threat

Editorial
Page 4

VOL. LXVIII, No. 18

THE JEWISH NEWS

A Weekly` Review

Commentary
t4ge 2

of Jewish Events

17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite .865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833

Arab Agenda:
Destruction for
Israel Challenges,
Defenders'
Vigilance

$10.00 Per Year; This Issue 30c

January 9, 1976

Anticipated U.S. Veto at UN Hits
Snag in Allon-Kissinger Meeting

Sephardi Chief Rabbi Yosef
Calls for Rabbinate. Election

JERUSALEM (JTA) — Sephardic Chief Rabbi Ovadia Yosef is call-
ing for the dissolution of the present Chief Rabbinate and Chief Rabbi-
nate Council to be followed by new elections for both bodies'. He made
the proposal in radio and television interviews, apparently in response
to a proposal by the director general of the Religious Affairs'Ministry to
abolish the traditional dual Chief Rabbinate in Israel and elect a single
Chief Rabbi to serve both the Sephardic and Ashkenazic communities.
Yosef and his Ashkenazic counterpart, Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren,
were elected in 1972 for five-year terms. The two have been feuding
constantly ever since and their public quarrels have hampered the func-
tions of the Chief Rabbinate.
The 10-member Chief Rabbinate Council has consistently sup-
ported Goren in his disputes with Yosef and the latter has boycotted
Council meetings, charging that the Council was packed with Gor-
en's men. Under law, the two Chief Rabbis serve as co-chairmen of
the Council.
Yosef is adamantly opposed to abolishing the dual Chief Rabbinate.
He said it would destroy a 400-year tradition and be a grave historical
error. He also accused Goren of creating discord between them.
Goren, who is recovering from a heart ailment, has made no com-
ment but sources close to him said that Yosef's remarks were "preju-
dicial to the honor of the Torah."
Were new elections to be held, Yosef is fairly certain to win the
Sephardic nomination since he enjoys the support of virtually all Se-
pha.rdic rabbis and religious lay leaders in the Sephardic community.
Goren's chances are less certain, observers say.
. The former Chief Chaplain of Israel's armed forces enjoyed great
popularity when he was elected Ashkenazic Chief Rabbi in 1972 but his
support has eroded since then.

Top sources in the Labor Party who backed Goren three years ago
now say privately they would not support him again. But Goren is still
strong among the younger elements of the National Religious Party.

An apparent negation of an anticipated U.S. veto of efforts to invalidate earlier United
Nations-decisions regarding Israel's sovereignty became evident in talks conducted in Washing-
ton Wednesday and Thursday by Israel Foreign -Minister Yigal Allon and Secretary of State
Henry A. Kissinger.
While a State Department spokesman had given assurances Monday that the U.S. would
veto any resolution that is not helpful to peace, Kissinger asserted Wednesday, after his initial
talks with Allon, that the U.S. would fight any effort to change Security Council Resolutions 242
and 338, but he would not promise a U.S. veto.

The Israel Cabinet demanded Sunday that the U.S. veto any changes in the two resolu-
tions. The State Department said that the U.S. Ambassadors to Syria, Jordan, Egypt and
Israel would participate in talks in Washington this week dealing with Monday's Security
Council debate on the Middle East.

The Israeli Cabinet said again that Israel would not participate in the Security Council
debate if. the Palestine Liberation Organization is invited to attend. A Cabinet statement warned
the Council, the .United States and the world that Israel would "oppose and would not acquiesce
in" any changes in Resolutions 242 and 338.
The statement, drafted by Premier Yitzhak Rabin and approved unanimously by the Cabi-
, net, recalled the "memorandum of agreement"
signed by the U.S. and Israel in September as part
of the Sinai settlement package, and expressed its
"belief that the U.S. government would implement
in practice those understandings reached in the
memorandum — and would oppose any Security
Council resolution that contravenes those under-
MEXICO CITY — President Luis Echev-
standings."

Mexico Did Not

A sk Forgiveness

erria Alvarez says he would "rather die"
than ask forgiveness for Mexico's anti-Zion-
ist vote in the United Nations.

He said no one could confuse a cour-
teous explanation of the Mexican vote sup-
porting a United Nations resolution con-
. demning Zionism with an appeal for
forgiveness.

"Any Mexican would rather die than ask
forgiveness, starting with the President of
the Republic," Echeverria said at the closing
(Continued on Page 6)

Almogi

The main fear among top policymakers in
Israel is that the Arab-initiated debate could re-
sult in even greater isolation of Israel and in a
rift between Israel and the United States.

Foreign Minister Yigal Allon, in Washington
this week for talks with Secretary of State Henry
A. Kissinger, was instructed by the cabinet Sun-
day to ascertain as precisely as possible what can
be expected from the U.S. at the Security Council.
Paradoxically, the worst fear is the Arabs will not
be extremist but moderate. Their moderation could
tempt the U.S. into supporting a new Council reso-

(Continued on Page 16)

Beats Dulzin in WZO Election

JERUSALEM (JTA) — The Zionist General Council Tuesday night elected Haifa Mayor Yosef Almogi
the new chairman of the World Zionist Organization Executive by a vote of 67-42. All 110 members of the
Council cast ballots, one of them a blank. Almogi's victory, though not a
landslide, was by a considerably greater margin than expected by his
opponent, acting WZO Chairman Leon Dulzin. Dulzin, who had predicted
a close vote, has agreed to resign as acting chairman of the Jewish
Agency Executive when the Agency Assembly convenes in Jerusalem this
summer and that post will automatically go to Almogi.
Sources close. to Dulzin said he still intends to be a candidate for
the WZO and Jewish Agency chairmanships when the next World
Zionist Congress convenes at the end of the year.
Almogi and Dulzin embraced after the results were announced and
pledged cooperation. Almogi's victory was assured when the Zionist Con-
gress court rejected a motion by Dulzin's supporters to postpone the vote
until the Jewish Akehcy Assembly meeting six months from now.
. The court, headed by Israeli Supreme Court Justice Moshe Landau,
said there was no justification for postponement because the WZO con-
stitution states specifically that the election of a new chairman must be
(Continued -oh' Page 8)
YOSEF ALIVIOGI

