THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, October 8, 1976 13
Sifrei Torah Buried Following Hebron Clash
(Continued from Page 1)
Jewish area in shambles,
ripping Sifrei Torah and
prayerbooks and smash-
ing and scattering the
furnishings. Those acts
followed what local Arabs
charged was the deliber-
ate desecration of the Ko-
ran, the Moslem holy
scriptures, by Jews from
the nearby Orthodox
township of Kiryat. Arba.
Jewish worshippers ar-
riving at the cave later
Sunday for prayers to
usher in Yom Kippur,
were greeted by the scene
of destruction. According
to eye-witnesses, they
were stunned and then
infuriated. One eye-
witness reported that a
fist-fight developed be-
tween two Jews and sev-
eral Arabs inside the
shrine when Jews discov-
ered that an altar cloth
had been torn.
Soldiers intervened to
keep the clash from
spreading. But tempers
were already running high
because of an incident the
previous day when Israeli
soldiers prevented Kiryat
need to calm tempers.
The Moslem leaders,
however, prepared a
memo condemning the
act which was broadcast
by radio throughout the
Arab world. Thus, accord-
ing to Jewish sources,
some sort of sanction was
given the Arab youths
who entered the cave the
following morning to de-
stroy Jewish religious ar-
tifacts.
The Moslem leadership
published a condemnation
of those acts.
But the grief and anger
of Orthodox Jews was
boundless, Israeli milit-
ary sources said the Arab
invasion of the cave and
desecration occurred too
quickly to have been pre:
vented.
Security sources re-
ported that more than 50
Arabs are being held in
custody on suspicion of
having participated in
the desecration.
The events in Hebron
over the Yom Kippur
weekend have brought
into sharp focus the long
smoldering problem of
Jewish-Arab relations on
the West Bank.
Carter Would 'Respond in Kind' If anything, they have
hardened opinions among
those Israelis who believe
to Future Arab Oil Embargo
the government must be
SAN FRANCISCO — fected in secrecy. Reply- scrupulously even-handed
Democratic Presidential ' ing to Carter's charges, and others who insist that
candidate Jimmy Carter Ford said that Carter Jewish rights are
said Wednesday that if contradicted himself paramount and that the
the Arab countries ever since he would "hold 'un- Arabs must be dealt with
initiated another oil em- publicized . talks with the harshly, in effect, "taught
bargo against the U.S., Mideast nations." Ford a lesson."
The wide gap between
he, as President, would said he submitted every
"respond" equally and in document of the Sinai II "hawks" and "doves" has
kind.
agreement, and averages serious political ramifica-
He said the embargo one meeting per month tions, especially with na-
Would be considered "an with responsible groups tional elections due to be
economic declaration of on current foreign policy held next year. The gov-
war" and he would not moves.
ernment has been walk-
ship participating na-
Carter was critical of ing a tightrope, firmly
tions anything.
what he called a reduction putting down Arab riot-
Asked about the Arab in arms to Israel. Fordre- ing on the West Bank
boycott against Ameri- sponded by saying that while at the same time,
can businesses dealing "we are dedicated to the restricting Jewish access
with Israel, Carter said survival of Israel" and to towns like Hebron
he would not permit the said that during his Presi- which contain shrines
United States to tolerate dency the U.S. has sold the holy to religious Jews and
such a boycott against Israelis more than $4 bill- Moslems alike.
American Jews.
The government's hope
ion in military hardware
Carter
called
the and has done a good job of is to avoid violence be-
boycott , of American helping "our good ally Is- tween Jews and Arabs.
businesses by Arab coun- rael. -
The recent failure of
tries "an absolute dis-
Criticized on the moral- the military authorities
grace - and said he "will do ity of his foreign policy to enforce their arrest of
everything I can as Presi- program,- Ford said "this Kiryat Arba's leader and
dent to stop the Arab administration will follow prime agitator, Rabbi
boycott of U.S. companies . ' a high moral principle in Moshe Levinger, who en-
dealing with Israel. He foreign policy, especially tered Hebron in direct
criticized President Ford in the Middle East. The violation of the Military
by saying that it was a Arabs and Israelis trust Government's orders, is
"disgrace that the Ford the U.S., and the U.S. will cited as a case in point.
Administration blocked have a comprehensive The continued presence
legislation" on the boycott leadership role'in moving of Gush Emunim squat-
issue.
toward a Mideast agree- ters at Kadum in the
President Ford re- m en t • •
heart of Arab populated
sponded by saying "I was
Samaria is another. The
the first President to
cabinet decided last May
Crisis
Threatens
order the executive
that the squatters would
branch to order action Israeli Phosphates
be removed to an alterna-
that no_ U.S. company
tive settlement site ap-
JERUSALEM (ZINS) proved by the govern-
should boycott firms deal-
—
A
crisis
threatens
Is-
ing with Jews and Israel."
ment. But so far, no
Ford said that this week rael's phosphate industry attempt has been made to
he signed into law a tax at the Dead Sea clue to implement that edict.
bill preventing U.S. com- diminished demand from
The Gush, supported by
panies complying with agricultural users, and religious and nationalist
also
because
of
stiffer
the Arab boycott from
elements, insist that the
taking tax deductions. He competition from Ameri- West Bank belongs to Is-
said he will announce to can producers.
rael by divine mandate and
Israel's largest cus- that Jews have the right to
the Department of Com-
tomer
for
phosphates
was
merce that it reveal the
settle anywhere in that
names of companies that the European market, territory and, especially,
comply with the boycott. which is now -being satu- to worship freely at Jewish
Carter was highly criti- rated with U.S: products shrines there. Although
cal of the Ford Administ- selling for considerably Kiryat Arba is a separate
ration's foreign policy lower prices.
township, its residents
have been demanding the
and said it "excluded the
Danger is next neighbor establishment of a perma-
American people and
to
security:
Congress - and it was ef-
nent Jewish presence in
Arba Jews from conduct-
ing Sabbath services at the
old Ohel Avraham
synagogue a few yards
from the Machpela Cave.
At about the same time,
rumors spread like
wildfire among Hebron
Arabs that Jews had torn
and trampled the Koran
in the Machpela Cave.
The Military Governor,
Gen. David Hagoel, vis-
ited the scene.
According to Military
Government sources, a
Koran was found on the
floor though not dam-
aged. Nevertheless, "the
sight was definitely pro-
vocative,", a military
source said. It was viewed
by Mayor Fahed
Kawassme of Hebron,
Sheikh Holmi - Al
Muhatassib, head of the
Moslem Council in
Jerusalem and Hassan
Tahbub, director of the
Waqf, the Moslem reli-
gious organization which
is the legal owner of the
cave.
The Jewish officers and
Moslem digintaries re-
portedly agreed on the
Arab Moslem Hebron.
They say they are
merely reclaiming Jewish
property destroyed by
Arab rioters in 1929 when
63 Hebron Jews were
massacred and the rest
driven out of town.
While for many Jews
their initial sense of bit-
terness, the Gush have
seized on the episode to
castigate the government
for alleged "appease-
ment" of the Arabs and to
demand "iron-fisted"
measures against the lat-
ter.
They are pressing their
demands for access to the
Ohel Avraham syna-
gogue and for total
Jewish control of the
Machpela Cave where
Jews and Moslems are
permitted to worship at
different times. The Gush
now insist that the cave
be closed to Moslem wor-
shippers until after the
Sukkot festival after
which the government
should review the entire
matter of dual prayer
rights.
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Honors Famous Jewish-American Patriots
BENJAMIN NONES 1757-1826
Major in the Continental Army
M
lived in
Bordeaux, France at the time the
American colonies were seething
against the repressive British.
"Liberty, independence, rights of man...cre-
ated equal..." these were heady words for the
idealistic Nones, heard from across the ocean.
He was deeply impressed and, influenced by
the example of young Lafayette who had out-
fitted his own ship in Bordeaux for sailing to
the aid of the revolutionaries. Nones followed
and soon after landing in America, found him-
self in uniform.
He fought in nearly all the battles of the Caro-
lina campaigns, including the sieges of Charles-
ton and Savannah. His behavior in action, his
bravery and gallant conduct were officially
recognized and in due course he was rewarded
with the rank of Major. ,k
Legend has it that Nones commanded a
battalion of 400 men, fancifully called the
AJOR BENJAMIN NONES
, A tradition in American-Jewish homes
for half a century
K CERTIFIED KOSHER
Good
to the
Last Drop*
1.1.41
111.411 .
CUMIRM FOOOS
"Hebrew Legion" either because of its leader
or its large number of Jewish enlistments.
Other legends have the major as serving on the
staffs of Generals Washington, Lafayette,
DeKalb and Pulaski.
After Yorktown and the end of war, Major
Nones settled in Philadelphia where.he became
active in masonry and Jewish communal
affairs. He served as president of Congregation
Mikvah Israel before and after the turn of the
19th century; and was official interpreter of
French and Spanish for the Board of Health
for the U.S. Government.
SEND FOR
EXCITING
BOOKLET
Honoring 1776
and Famous
cws in
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your Jewish heritage in America—the