Friday, February 18, 1977

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

By Philip

Israel Under Scrutiny with a Mounting of Negatives Which
Fail to Depict the Morality of a People With the Same Prob-
lems and Blunders That Affect Mankind Everywhere

All the concerns here outlined are finding their
Crucial Day on Israel's Calendar:
echoes in the Israeli political campaign now raging as
Rabin's Fate in Mapai Decisions
seriously as did the Ford-Carter contest in the U. S.
only four months ago. There is bitterness, name-
Israel is being judged — and tested.
For that matter, who isn't? In a world in transi- calling, accusation—and out of it must come a demand
tion, is there a single people that doesn't have its trials for an end to corruption and frauds and for genuine
and tribulations, its political contests and controver- striving to solve the economic ills. In a land whose
sies, its economic difficulties? military and defensive burdens are so great the solu-
Some 'even have corruption and fraud. It took the tions to economic ills will not come easily. But the
United States three generations to be rid of Tammany approach is not without seriousness and devotion.
Hall manipulations. We are doing better and there is
So, come next Wednesday, the Israeli political con-
hope that the Nixonism that has plagued the land will flict may assume a new dimension. On Feb. 23 the
dominant Labor Party will decide on its preferences.
not be repeated — not too soon, at least.
Now Israel is under scrutiny. There were fraudu- If Rabin is placed again at the head of the Labor ticket,
lent acts, and they may affect the future of Yitzhak it will mean that he will be forming another coalition
Rabin in his political aspirations. There was corrup- government. There isn't even the craziest of vis-
tion and the country is shocked out of its wits. There is ionaries who believes that any of the political parties
anger and resentment, and when people complain can attain a majority and rule on its own.
there will surely be emendations and the government
The May 17 election is certain to see many
will be more cautious. There is violence, and a student changes, the arrival on the government scene of
of sociology must judge Israel with amazement that Yigael Yadin who is conceded anywhere from eightto a
there isn't more of it in a society of some affluence and dozen Knesset seats. Labor is foreseen as losing some
much poverty, with the Sephardic majority suffering seats. There is growing admiration for Menahem Be-
many ills. There is prostitution and its extent is being gin, but no one grants him a triumph other than reten-
exaggerated — for the simple reason that there has tion of an important role as perhaps again the second
been a measure of immorality in the Holy Land in numberically powerful party in the Israel parliament.
ancient times and from earliest times in modern his-
Except for the help that must come from Diaspora
tory. Henrietta Szold conducted campaigns against
missionaries and prostitution in the 1920s and 1930s. Jewry to assure continuity in Israel's economic and
This is both a bill of complain as well as a defense educational functions, the political struggle is Israel's.
— and one does not have to risk being charged with It may, however, affect relationships with the outside
whitewashing while asserting that a nation actually world - and Israel's friends, watching the political
in a state of war is able to resist the many difficulties. struggles, are hopeful that the wholesomeness that
always rescues Israel from travail will succeed again.
The point is that Israel is a normal people, perhaps
too normal under existing conditions, and her difficul- Diaspora Jewry: Should It
ties are being tackled with courage by the people as a Exert Influence Within Israel?
national unity. There are economic problems and they
While Israel's problems are Israel's business,
are serious and distressing. One must hope for solu-
tions and strive for improvement. Go into the villages, there now is a new trend, demanding that World
to the countryside of Israel, and the people's determi- Jewry, as a factor in Israel's purposes, should have a
nation, acceptance of burdens, their will to live, is ad- say in Israel's internal activities. What is meant, of
mirable. course, is that American Jews should not be aloof, that
There are yordim, thousands have left the land their spokesmen should have a role in Israel's func-
and more are craving to go into more fruitful oppor- tions, that especially with regard to the expenditure of
tunities. This is indeed, cause for concern. In a philanthropic dollars American Jews should ask for an
partnership like Israel's with the Diaspora there must accounting and for the right to supervise.
There is a bit of history to recount on this score.
be constant planning to overcome the pressures and
the obstacles. It is to be hoped that time will solve Soon after the rebirth of the modern state of Israel,
some 28 years ago, there was a disruption in the ranks
many if not most of the problems.

Slomovitz

of the leading party in American Zionism, the Zionist
Organization of America. Men like Louis Lipsky, Ezra
Shapiro, Judge Louis Levinthal and others who res-
igned from the organization and formed a League for
Israel. Their action was based on the charge that ZOA
was invading Israel's internal affairs and was involv-
ing itself in politics. The dissidents wanted complete
abstention from American invasion of Israel's ac-
tivities.
There is not doubt that there was justice in the
political factor of their protest. Now the view is that
American Jews are wrongfully evading the responsbil-
ity of taking a deep interest in Israel's internal func-
tions. There are many Israelis who say that those who
provide the means to support the elderly in Israel, to
supervise immigration — whatever is left of it, to fi-
nance the universities and to assist in other functions
must also have supervisory rights over those ac-
tivities.
Is the Jewish Agency shirking its duties ir
regard? This is something that must be solved t;
When Leon Dulzin was defeated for the chairmanship
of the Jewish Agency and the dominant leadership of
the Zionist movement by Yosef Almogi, there was
serious concern-about the attitude of the American
leadership.
They haven't stopped talking about it in Israel
that it was Labor Party domination and that a tried
public servant — Leon Dulzin — was sacrificed un-
necessarily. Max Fisher and Charlotte Jacobson de-
fended their preference. They still have much to exp=
lain for having accepted domination for the ruling Is-
rael party without, as claimed, taking into considera-
tion the proven ability of a man who had already held
that office as aPro tem of officials for more than a year
and in other capacities for some years.
This commentator believed that the Jewish
Agency leadership had erred in the Almogi-Dulzin
contest, but that's water over the dam. What about the
future? Will American Jews be fully represented in
Israel in matters involving the social services and the
educational processes towards which some American
dollars are devoted? Prof. William Haber plays a role in
the administering of funds for universities and this
may be one of the steps in the direction of a true
partnership between Diaspora and Israel. But it can't
stop there. Those who demand that a stronger Ameri-
can Jewish voice be heard in the conduct of the non-
political aspects of Israel's life have a meritorious
case. It should not be ignored..

Diseased Pine Forest Near Jerusalem al -s Uprooted, Replanted
as University and JNF Scientists Seek Causes for the Malady

JERUSALEM — Deci-
mated by a still-unknown
malady, the Sha'ar Hagai
forest — gateway to
Jerusalem for the past
half century — has begun
to be uprooted in order to
be planted anew.

This likelihood, how-
affected in some measure. ever, is sharply disputed
Worst hit were the 125 by the country's, leading
acres which have been expert on the matsucoc-
levelled downhill from cus, Dr. Yosef Halperin,
Shoresh on the north side entomologist at the Gov-
ernment's Institute for
of the road.
Forest Research at
The only tree affected Ilanot.
by
the
malady
is
the
According to the
Meanwhile, the JNF
Jerusalem Post, a total of _ Jerusalem pine, but this
125 acres of trees were tree constitutes 80 per has decided to act even if
is no final agree-
leveled in the past few cent of the Sha'ar Nagai there
on the cause of the
months, leaving thi3 Forest. The new plant- ment
familiar hills flanking the ings will include other malady.
"There is an interim
Tel Aviv-Jerusalem kinds of pine, but not the
conclusion that the only
highway barer than most Jerusalem pine.
Israelis have ever seen
The malady was first tree affected is the
them. The tract is being noted in 1972 when JNF Jerusalem pine," says
replanted with the onset foresters spotted pines Mordecai Ben-Porat, de-
of the winter rains.
drying out from the bot- puty director of the JNF
tom upwards. (When a forestry division. "It's bet-
The area levelled con- diseased pine dies nor- ter to act on the basis of
stitutes one-eighth of the mally, the dessication this partial information
forest which stretches for process usually proceeds than to sit back and do no-
two and a half miles from the crown down- thing."
alongside the highway. wards.)
The JNF began the
Jewish. National Fund
clearing
operation a few
An inter-disciplinary months ago,
forestry officials said that
cutting down
the cut-and-replant oper- committee of scientists 1,500 tons of Jerusalem
was
set
up
by
the
JNF
—
ation will be extended to
pine opposite Shoresh.
other parts of the forest if which is responsible for
The new section of
the malady continues to the country's forests — to
investigate the mystery.
forest, designed by a
spread.
landscape architect, will
The committee, headed be more varied and in-
So far, there is no sign of
its abating. Of the forest's by Prof. Avraham Fahn of teresting than the one it
the Hebrew University, replaces. It too will con-
has investigated 12 possi- sist principally
principally of conif-
ble causes including soil ers.
is what people
Trees grow upward: so and water deficiencies, are accustomed to seeing
as they drive up Sha'ar
should men. Trees, with fungus and air pollution.
Hagai," says Ben-Porat.
their green leaves and
The one possibility seen
But it will be multi-
tenderly tinted blossoms, as likely by some of the
seek the light: so should experts was the effect of textured. There will be
an insect known as mat- three different kinds of
men.
sucoccus which was found pine — Stone, Canary Is-
4none, > 1.
land and
—Blau, "The Wonderof Life"
on the dying trees
.

2,000 acres, 62.5 have been

which
tree,
Judas
them affected by the cedars.
There will also be some changes color with the
Sha'ar Hagai malady) —
as well as cypress and non-conifers such as the seasons.
,m-r=nr la

TREES

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Slope in foreground overlooking Sha'ar Hagai road has been cleared
of Jerusalem pine preparatory to replanting. Cypress trees downslope
were
which = killed
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