Spiro Agnew
and Jewish
Friends
•
Magna Carta
in an Era of
THE JEWISH NEWS
Bigotries
A Weekly Review
Commentary
Page 2
VOL. LXIX, No. 14
of Jewish Events
17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
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Ellis Island
Memories
•
Tests of Time
in Tackling
Crises
Editorials
Page 4
June 11, 1976
Israelis Monitoring USSR Fleet
guild-Up in Mediterranean Ocean
our-Year Wait for Visa
Ending for Vitali Rubin
MOSCOW — Vitali Rubin, Soviet dissident and a specialist in an-
cient Chinese philosophy, said that he has been granted permission to
emigrate to Israel after a wait of more than four years.
Rubin is the most prominent Jewish activist to receive an exit visa
since Aleksandr Lunts, a mathematician, was allowed to leave last Feb-
ruary. Many others, however, remain barred from departing, including
Aleksandr Learner and Viktor Brailovsky, both mathematicians, and
Benjamin Levich, a physical chemist who is a member of the Academy
of Sciences.
Rubin and his wife, Inessa, a teacher of German, received no ex-
planation for the sudden decision to let them go. They were told to leave
within two weeks, Rubin said, and officials have cut through some red
tape to speed their departure.
In 1974, Rubin and Vladimir Galatsky
went on a junger strike for 11 days to drama-
tize their plight. At the University of Michi-
gan, 20 of 23 specialists in Chinese studies
sent letters on his behalf to Michigan con-
gressmen and Russian leaders. A communi-
ty-wide petition campaign was also mounted
in Ann Arbor, led by Profs. Rhoads Murphey
and Frank Shulman.
Rubin speculated that the authorities now
consider him an increased liability since he
joined eight other dissidents three weeks ago in
a group to monitor Soviet compliance with the
Helsinki declaration's provision on human rights. VITALI RUBIN
He is one of Moscow's sharpest critics of the Soviet Union.
In 1971, as a senior researcher at the Institute of Oriental Studies,
Rubin wrote a brook, "Ideology and Culture in Ancient China."
The main point was an analysis of totalitarian ideology in ancient
China, and Rubin believes Soviet intellectuals saw in this a mirror of
present Soviet practices. The book was denounced as anti-Marxist.
- More than 1,300 Asian scholars from throughout the world peti-
tioned the Soviet Academy of Sciences in his behalf.
Since then the Rubins have been living on contributions from
abroad and earnings from odd jobs. Mrs. Rubin has some private stu-
dents of German, and Rubin has done some translating and writing for
other scholars.
They plan to live in Israel where he has been offered a teaching post
at Hebrew University, but they also hope to spend some time in the
United States. Columbia University has invited him to lecture, and Har-
vard's East Asian Research Center has asked him to participate in a
conference in August, he said.
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Israeli circles are keeping a careful watch on the build-up of Soviet naval
strength in the Eastern Mediterranean. While the Russians normally deploy about 40-50 units
in the region, recent reinforcements have increased the number to 75 vessels, approaching the
size of the fleet on the eve of the Yom Kippur War when Moscow apparently had advance intellig-
ence of the impending Egyptian-Syrian attack on Israel.
Israeli sources expect additional Soviet naval units to join the Mediterranean fleet from the
Black Sea, bringing the total to about 90 combat ships and auxiliaries. More significant is the
arrival of the Russian missile cruiser Uchakov in Eastern Mediterranean waters with the Soviet
Chief of Staff, Gen. Victor Kulakov aboard. His presence means that local Soviet commanders
can make spot decisions without referring back to Moscow for orders, Israeli circles say.
The beefing up of Soviet naval strength is seen as a warning against any unwarranted
intervention in the Lebanese conflict, Reserve Adm. Abraham Botzer, former commander
of the Israeli Navy, said Botzer said the possibility of Soviet intervention was small. Al-
though the Russian navy could land token units in Lebanon, it does not have the equipment
for a full-scale military operation there, he said.
Moreover, he said, the U.S. Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean is more than a match for the
Soviet navy in the region, even with the addition of the newly-built aircraft carrier Kiev which
has greatly increased the Russians' fire power. Botzer said the Sixth Fleet, deployed around the
aircraft carrier Saratoga, constitutes a counter-force that will limit Soviet actions to muscle-
flexing.
Former Israeli Defense
Minister Moshe Dayan
expressed the view that
the Syrian invasion of Le-
banon poses no threat to
Israel.
Dayan said that Israe 1
WASHINGTON (JTA) — The Securities and Exchange Commis-
should
not consider inter
sion has acknowledged that the securities laws require American corpo-
vening in Lebanon unless
rations to disclose whether they are complying with the Arab boycott
Syrian actions posed a di-
of Israel. This was stated in a letter from SEC chairman Roderick M.
rect threat to its security
Hills to Rep. Bella S. Abzug (D-NY) who had requested "the opinion of
or unless the Lebanese
the Commission as to the conditions under which participation by a
corporation in an economic boycott must be reported to the SEC and to
Christian community spe-
the public."
cifically asked Israel for
Hills said in his letter that companies participating in such boy-
help and offered to make
cott must disclose their participation in any instance where it has a
peace with Israel.
material adverse effect upon corporate "income, assets (including
Since neither of those
good will) or profits." The securities laws disclosure requirement
contingencies
is imminent,
also applies to any boycott participation that would be "of import-
Dayan said, he saw no
ance to investors."
need for Israeli interven-
A recent study by a House subcommittee revealed that over 90 per-
tion in an internal Le-
cent of the 637 corporations reporting to the Department of Commerce
banese dispute.
on boycott participation had complied with boycott demands from Arab
countries.
Dayan was responding
Several Christian denominations have advised American business
to reporters' questions at a
meeting in Jerusalem.
(Continued on Page 5)
SEC Admits Anti-Boycott
Rules Exist in Regulations
Observations in South Africa . . . From a Reporter's Notebook
Historic Editorial Mission Views Hopes for Justice
By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
(Copyright 1976, JTA, Inc.)
JOHANNESBURG,
Sou*rica — With gov-
ern 1 agencies and par-
liamentary spokesmen of
two great nations cooperat-
ing actively, if semi-offi-
cially, in a Jewish editorial
mission, the tour that was
arranged by Pan-American
Airways for 14 American-
Jewish editors to South Af-
rica, by way of Brazil, is
assuming significant pro-
portions. While the occasion
began with emphasis on the
inaugural Pan-Am flight
from New York to Jo-
hannesburg via Rio de Ja-
neiro, the special concern
shown in this visit by the
Jewish communities of
Brazil and the Jewish Board
of Deputies of South Africa
lent historic importance to
the 10-day conferences that
ensued.
As in Brazil, where the
concerns are over the
threats from extremists,
where only the right and
left but not the moderate
centrists cause worries,
South African Jewry had its
anxieties. It was during the
Nazi era that dangers were
confronted. It was then that
Gustav Saron, a practicing.
attorney, became the execu-
sued by the S. A. Jewish community, through the as a means for the aban-
Live director of the South
African Jewish Board of Board of Deputies for pres- Jewish Board of Deputies, donment of the repellant
entation to every member of and SATUR, the official "apartheid" menace the
Deputies.
the specially designated edi- government tourist bureau, American editors found an
Gustav Saron is S.A. Je-
torial mission to that coun- played roles of significance insistence to be heard on
wry's chief and most dedi-
try.
in fulfilling the visit pro- the part of the dominant as
cated historian.. He contin-
Saron entertains a mea- grammatically. It was ap- well as opposition parties
ues his labors as an
historian in his retirement sure of confidence . in pro- parent that the Jewish corn- and members of the cabi-
from the directorial job in gressive improvements in munity desired a strong link net who are involved in all
which he was succeeded _ the South African situation. with American Jewry and phases of interracial social
He shares concerns, judging that South Africa desires research and experimenta-
two years ago by Denis
them on the long-range the friendliest ties with the tion.
Diamond and a revised
scale of developing condi- United States. In the latter
history of South African
The proposal for auton-
formula is included a desire omy for the five black
Jewry is now being pre- tions.
Government representa- of understanding of the states, with an aim at assur-
pared by Saron.
A specially designed, il- tives made official gestures problems that make South ing unity in the country, is
lustrated volume, written for active participation in Africa racially suspect.
somewhat entangled in the
by Saron, depicting the sta- + assuring proper dialogues
That is why, in the con- fact that there are 32 lan-
with
the
visiting
editors.
tus of the South African
sideration of the "separate guages — not dialects but
Jewish community, was is- The South Africa Jewish development" proposals
(Continued on Page 56)