2 Friday, February 27, 1976 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary President Ford and the American Church-State Separation Principle President Gerald R. Ford is a challenging person. He abides by his set views. He disa- grees with the Supreme Court and says so bluntly. He is at odds with Congress and has become a target for opponents who consider him the "Veto President." As an incumbent it'll be hard to beat him, and if he is re-elected there will be many controversies as legacies from the current disagreements with the legislative body. If he is re-elected and retains his view on the traditional Separation Principle, he will face a battle not only with Congress but with the American traditionalists who know the sanctity of separating church from state and who insist that the Separation ideal must be retained and respected. While campaigning in New Hampshire, President Ford stated, at a press conference in Durham, that he favored a constitutional amendment to permit the reading of prayers in the public schools. He emphasized that he disagreed with the decision of the Supreme Court "which precluded the right to have prayers in the schools." Perhaps it was good politics to assert such a view in New Hampshire, although it is doubtful that a progressive state would suc- cumb to fundamentalism and a return to the medieval idea of risking a link of church with state and the danger of church even- tually dominating state. It is unbelievable that a constitutional amendment abandoning the Separation The President's Religious Fervor and the Threat to the Principle of Separation of Church and State . . . Ka- hane's 'Martyrdom' . . . USSR-Arab Barbarians ideal could get through any committee or sub-committee in either the House of Repre- sentatives or the Senate. It is well, however, to know the President's views. Perhaps the wisdom of his advisory staff will lead him away from an idea he may not have studied fully. He can benefit from James Madison and Thomas Jefferson whose determination to prevent infusion of European bigotries into the American sphere led to the Separa- tion Principle and the high ideal eliminating danger from fanaticism and bigotries. There was occasion in this column to criti- cize President Ford's predecessor on a simi- lar issue. Richard M. Nixon had introduced prayer meetings in the White House. He, too, failed to learn the historic lesson from Madison, Jefferson and the early American idealists who knew the danger of state- church mergers. The problem posed by Pres- ident Ford, and the one experienced during his predecessor's White House rule, provide an interesting subject for Bicentennial dis- cussion and a great principle to emphasize and adhere to. Abrasive Kahane Aids Enemy in `Martyr' Role Rabbi Meir Kahane must have aspired to martyrdom in his insistence on going to the Brussels Conference on Soviet Jewry. He was denied admission to the first such con- ference five years ago, was ousted and ar- rested then and he risked similar experience at the sessions last week. He could have held a rump session near the Brussels assembly hall, but he must have preferred a repeat performance in search for martyrdom, even temporarily. The result was expectable. He made the headlines. The purpose of the conference was lost in the journalistic quest for sensational- ism. Kahane was the subject, not the plight of Russian Jewry, in newspaper headlines. Therefore, he had earned a role to the lik- ing of the Soviet Union. The Kremlin should have paid his expenses to Brussels, in appre- ciation of the glory he brought its rulers by having diverted emphasis from the Russian persecutions to limelight for himself. It could hardly be expected that Rabbi Ka- hane would be cooperative and yield to disci- pline in a matter so urgent as protection of Jewish lives and the rights of Jewish com- munities. He does things his way and there is no hope for cooperation with the commu- nity on a democratic basis. Perhaps there was a blunder on the part of the Brussels conference leadership in not having given him a seat as an observer. All he could do is shout, and that would hardly be a new experience in dealing with a disrup- ter of the peace in the Jewish community and an advocate of violence. The pity is that there is a Kahane for whom one must plead free speech, since he himself abuses it. To the many cancerous ex- periences in Jewish life has been added a Ka- hane and he, who abuses others, becomes a victim of being denied a platform for his abrasiveness. By Philip Slomovitz Renewed Anti-Semitic Trends: Venomous Plays in France, Streicher Image in Mexico Since there is nothing new under the sun, it is not surprising that anti-Semitic mani- festations should be evidenced anew, even in countries viewed as modern and democratic. Anti-Semitic stage productions in France are not new to liberals and to Jews who have experienced anti-Dreyfusard outbursts in the early years of this century and the pro- Arab actions that were DeGaulle-encour- aged. But the bigotries were not always over- whelming and there remains suff nt French decency to give assurance tha„ the hatred of Jews is limited. France is, after all, the land of liberte, egalite, fraternite. There is hope that the anti-Semites will never predominate there. More distressing is the Mexican situation. The boycott of travel southward has ended. Israel has not interrupted good relations with Mexico, just as she has continued diplo- matic friendships with France and all other countries whose yieldings to the Kremlin and the Third World have been so harmful in the United Nations. But that a Mexican newspaper should have copied from Streich- er's Stuermer .by portraying Jews viciously in cartoons is cause for concern and outrage. It is doubtful whether Mexicans generally will condone such a revival of Hitlerism. Revival of hatreds is deplorable, but the decent citizens of the world always end with apologies for bigotries. Better days are far off, but the human factors need never be judged as having vanished. Jewish Collaborators With Diabolical Russians and Arab Genocide Planners Renewed threats to Israel and to Jewry emanate from two sources already regis- tered among the hatemongers who are set upon harming Jewry and detroying Israel. From the Soviet Union come diabolical reports that seem aimed at continuing the war against Israel. Arab extremists, the terrorists who are undermining the peace in the Middle East, are bent upon increasing genocidal threats to Jews and Israel. The USSR and the PLO represent the evil partnership that menaces the Jews in their libertarian struggle. Jewish Cohorts in Diabolical Russian Anti-Zionist Campaign sia other than to reject and resent her pro-Arab policies Yet, about 150,000 Jews have migrated from the which, in conjunction with the Third Workd, have led to the Soviet Union in recent years. The Soviet census lists abominations that have degraded the world organization. something over two million citizens . as ethnic Jews. Russia has her cohorts in the diabolical game of ma- Why an attitude like the Russian? Golda Meir explained it (Jewish nationality is listed in the citizen's internal ligning Zionism as if it were her bitterest enemy. From No- realistically, in her Brussels speech, when she said that passport). The actual total is over three million, per- vosti, via the USSR embassy in Washington, come the re- there is hatred for Jews because they refuse to disappear. haps four. But many have assimilated or prefer to leases resulting from the aggravation suffered by the Soviet conceal their true identity because of the discrimi- Now the Choral Synagogue rabbi and a few of the Union from the criticisms leveled in Brussels. nations — inability to enter the foreign services, the henchmen are parties to the campaigrkof hate. It is so easy higher cadres of the party, the upper echelons of the It isn't a bit surprising that the chief spokesman for to understand why there is submission in an authoritarian army and other elite posts, including academic ones. the anti-Zionists in the Kremlin was a Jew. A Novosti arti- • state to the dictates of the rulers and how some among the cle entitled "Soviet Jews Denounce Zionist Gathering in less-free will speak the minds of the tyrants who make But anti-Semitism is talked about in the real Brussels," was bylined "Rabbi Yakov Fishman of the Mos- them unfree. Russia, is understood by the small handfuls of Jews cow Choral Synagogue." It contained the accumulated offi- still able to attend the dwindling number of syn- The struggle for justice is not an easy one. The road to cial Russian antagonisms that are heard so often from agogues. freedom for Russian Jews is made more difficult by their USSR delegates in the UN and in the vast anti-Jewish prop- fellow Jews who bow to the whip of the bear trainers. But This is tragic to the Nth degree. It is one of the most aganda circulated to the people of Russia, Russia's attacks the voice of world Jewry has not been silenced. Some will be deplorable results of the promise of better days in post- on Israel and incidentally on world Jewry. misled by the handful of cowered Russians who are tools in Czarist Russia turning into a mirage. In Czarist days there Many of the Russian contentions, in the effort to prove the anti-Zionist, anti-Israel, anti-Jewish campaign. The was worldwide public opinion against the Black Hundreds. that the USSR is the chief opponent of anti-Semitism in the voice of the free world must, as it will, respond with honor. Today they are the Red Minions to which the civilized world world, are based on untruths. Certainly, Russia was the The dignity of humanism and libertarianism will not be de- submits and pays homage. Any wonder that the Jewish first nation in the world to outlaw anti-Semitism. Such pro- graded by bigotry and tyranny. struggle and the dissidents' plight in the Soviet Union is so cedures were not necessary in the United States where grave? * * * equal rights are the normality rather than a condition re- * * * quiring legislation to provide justice for a segment of the population. But, while Russia is on the record opposing an- Truth About Kremlin Anti-Semitism PLO States Its Case for Utter ti-Semitism, it is a legalized distortion. The legacies from Would that the outlawing of anti-Semitism were ad- Destruction of Israel Czarism have never been abaondoned. The anti-Semitic hered to by the USSR! But the fact is that it is a rule on When the deluded among newsmen and columnists Russian trend is appalling. The spirit of the Black paper, not a heartfelt observance of a human principle. speak of moderation in Arab ranks they should be ad ihio ,. -4 Hundreds of Czarist pogromism is in evidence. The moment Harrison E. Salisbury, the New York Times expert on to read the text of a statement made in Beirut last w a Russian Jew applies for a visa to go to Israel, or to be reunited with relatives in the U.S., he is an object for police Russian affairs whose knowledge is based on many years in Yassir Arafat's right hand man in the PLO, Salah Kha ef, suspicions, he loses his job, and his children are tainted in his newspaper's service as Russian correspondent, certainly who is known as Abu Iyad. In a speech he delivered on Feb. is objective. In his analysis of the Russian situation in last 16, the PLO leader referred to the "high price" his group is the schools. Sunday's New York Times Week in Review section, he ex- asked to pay, namely the recognition of Israel, in exchange The Russian Jews have jobs, their youth are assured an posed the Russian role and stated: for a Palestinian state on the West Bank, and he declared: education. But bitter pills have to be swallowed and the dis- sidents are often sent to mental institutions as punishment "There is something the world must know. Let us all The taboo on talk of chauvinism at the 25th for criticizing the oppressive regime. Party Congress will extend to its close relative, anti- die, let us all be killed, let us all be assassinated, but we will Semitism. As Russian officials have long insisted: not recognize Israel." But Rabbi Fishman is angry, and he has associates in "There is no anti-Semitism in Russia. There is a law This is supplementary to the reiterated threats to de- the Russian Jewish ranks. A group of Jews, listed by against it." stroy Israel. names, joined in a condemnation of the Brussels conference and presented their declaration to the Belgian diplomats in Any wonder that there is resistance, that belts are But, in the other Russia, the real Russia, anti- Moscow. Semitism is chronic. Russia was the traditional tightened to assure security for Israel, that Arab "moder- home of the hateful prejudice. Many of Hitler's anti- ation" is suspect? This hatred for Zionists and for Jews, for Israel and for Any wonder that there can be no question of making Semitic fables were drawn from Russian sources. the Jewish state's settlers and defenders, is difficult to corn- Today anti-Semitism is encouraged by official pro- concessions that equate with suicide? Jews reject suicidal prehend. Russia was second to the U.S. in recognizing Israel planning. For Israel it is unacceptable. The battleground pagandists. They slightly cloak their pamphlets, and in establishing diplomatic relations with her. Andrei directing them against "Zionists." Every effort of calls for added strength to Israel. and lovers of liberty will Gromyko's address in the UN endorsing the Zionist ideal was among the most powerful in the 1947 discussions which Soviet Jews to leave the country is attacked as a remain grateful to the single provider of military hardware for Israel — the United States. led to the creation of the state of Israel. No one harms Rus- special sort of treason. e