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March 04, 1977 - Image 2

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1977-03-04

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

"

2 - -friday, March 4, 1977

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

Israel's Tourism a Fascinating Aspect of a Great Partnership
With the Diaspora . . . U.S. on Short End of Tourist Par-
ticipation . . . Ford Foundation's Linkage With Israel

The Dramatic Story of Tourism as Israel's Major Income Item
For decades, Israel's major agricultural product was citrus fruit and com-
mencing with the pioneering efforts for a return to the soil the Jews of Palestine
established a lucrative export of citrus fruits. The Jaffa Orange became world
famous and the income was good.

Conditions changed with the times. The competition with Spain and Florida
was great and the citrus glory beg-an to vanish.

Now, many of the Israeli citrus growers have turned to the avocado and to
pecans. Peanuts have become an important agricultural product, together with
cotton.

Citrus now is the third leading Israel industry. Major income for Israel now is
from tourism. Export of diamonds is second and citrus follows.
The immense growth of the tourist trade has become a matter for interna-
tional study, with many nations attempting to emulate Israel. But Israeli tourism
has a special appeal. The land attracts Christian and Jew, and Moslems have been
drawn to Israel in recent years to visit with relatives. Israel's magnanimity has
permitted some 120,000 Arabs to visit Israel yearly. One would imagine that this
would establish a friendly link between Jew and Moslem. It's difficult to get this to
work when hatied in Arab countries stands in the way.
Indeed, the love for Israel in Jewish ranks, the religious interest among
Christians and related factors have contributed towards the establishment of a
great tourist industry in the Jewish state.
The romance of Israel tourism is defined in interesting facts which have been
summarized as follows: -
With 795,000 tourist arrivals, 1976 was year. The number of cruise visitors was

Israel's best tourist year, surpassing by up six percent, reaching 64,000 in 1976.
28 percent the 620,000 that visited the The number of visitors that entered Is-
country in 1975 and nine percent ahead rael from Jordan was 50,000, up 35 per-
of the previous peak year, 1972, when the
cent from 1975.
number of tourists was 727,000.
The average stay of tourists visiting
Some 670,000 visitors arrived by air, Israel for less than three months was 16
an increase of 32 percent over 1975: Out days, a slight decrease from 17 days in
of these, 36,350 traveled on charter 1975. The average bed occupancy rate in
flights, making up 5 percent of the total 1976 was 53 percent, compared with 44
air passenger volume. The charter traf- percent in 1975, an increase of 20 per-
fic to Israel expanded notably in the last cent. The improvement manifested itself
three months of the year as a result of mainly in four and five star hotels and in
changes in the Israel Government's avia- holiday villages. In spite of the higher
tion policy.
occupancy, the hotels' profit margins
Some 11,000 visitors reached Israel by have not improved because of increased
sea, up 16 percent over the previous expenses, specifically in the wage sector.

The deep interest in the development of Israel's economy and the protection
of that nation's role as a secure homeland justifies concern in the major exports
which are so vital for a people's existence. It is thus additionally worth indicating
that while the income from tourism for Israel was $235 million, that of exporting
diamonds was $140 million with the citrus industry and agricultural products
having produced $120 million.
These facts serve as guides for action byisrael's friends and as an inspiration
for a continuing tourism which must be expanded with the years.
A fact not to be ignored is that tourism from the United States, at 235,000, is
not very high compared with the total. This provides an added obligation on the
part of American Jews to give added impetus to the major industry which is so
vital for Israel. Not only the income but the fact that Americans go to Israel and
share the family interest with the people of the embattled state is of such great
significance in a partnership that has a famislial sanctity.

By Philip
Slomovitz

The Ford Foundation Role in Progressive Israel
Traditional Jewish hopes and Zionist aspirations for a redeemed Eretz Israel
were based primarily on the spiritual and the cultural. The Arab antagonism had
turned the great romance of redemption into the military sphere. It is contrary to
Jewry's programming for wholesome and progressive statehood that Israel be-
came a battleground.
Nevertheless, the chief aim and the major tasks are geared for creativity.
There is much to attest to it. American aid for Israel is evidence of acceptance of
the tasks pursued by a modern state where deserts continue to be transformed
into blooming areas and scientific achievement is the high mark of the growth of
universities and of cultural institutions.
Non-Jews have recognized the positive role of the redeemed state of Israel.
The Ford Foundation, as an example of such services, continues to encourage and
to support creative Jewish tasks in Israel. In . the latest issue of Ford Foundation
Letter, just issued, appears this interesting report:

Measured by generally accepted
criteria for scholarly research, Israel is a
"developed country," many of those
scholars work at levels comparable to
those of their colleagues in Europe and
North America. This quality has been
achieved in some measure, through sup-
port for research provided by the Israel
Foundations Trustees (IFT).
Founded in 1953, the IFT for many
years gave priority to work in the natural
sciences, much of it related to agricul-
tural and industrial needs of the new
country. In 1972, IFT switched its em-
phasis almost entirely to support of the
social sciences, concerning on such sub-
jects as pluralism, development of
human resources, and problems of ur-
banization and modernization.
Since 1953, Foundation assistance to
IFT has totaled some $6 million. A recent
supplemental two-year grant of $300,000
will enable IFT to continue its program
of research awards, many of which have
assisted the country's best younger so-
cial scientists.
In addition,-the Foundation set aside

$200,000 over the next two years for sup-
port of Israeli research and related
tivities aimed at contributing
worldwide knowledge of education and
learning, particularly research aimed at
improving the status of disadvantaged
groups and enhancing intergroup rela-
tions in a multi-ethnic society.
Israel offers an almost unique poten-
tial for educational research, since it
combines able researchers with an ac-
cessible national laboratory for study
and experimentation. Israel's broad
ethnic mix and its small population make
national studies manageable.
Important work is already under way
that examines the effects of ethnic integ-
ration in the schools and the influence of
various patterns of family life on educa-
tional achievement.

Awards to Israeli scholars for educa-
tional research and related activities
with significance for other countries will
be made with the advice of an interna-
tional panel of experts. IFT will adminis-
ter the awards.

The present-day Fords are consistent in their friendship for Israel. Henry
Ford II is a regular contributor to the Allied Jewish Campaign. His mother, the
late Mrs. Edsel Ford, who passed away several months ago, supported the UJA
and the Detroit Allied Jewish Campaign financially. Their acts have negated the
unfriendliness of an earlier Ford.
The effectiveness of the Ford Foundation statement quoted here lies in an
affirmation of the positiveness of a people's labors. While the news of the Middle
East keeps being laden with war threat's and the hoped-for paths for peace are
strewn with thorns, the people of Israel are carrying on a battle for life with
emphasis on productivity that must eventually benefit the entire Middle East
and should give satisfaction to Israel's friends that they are not laboring in vain
by supporting the great democracy of that part of the world. Surely, what the
Ford Foundation reports must prove a boon for all philanthropic efforts for Israel.
Nothing functions half way. Therefore, that which is benefited from introductory
gifts must be enhanced by ever growing backing and mounting financial assis-
tance.

Administration-Congress Consensus Seen on Boycott Proposals

(Continued from Page I.)

Carter Administration's
commitment to discour-
age compliance with the
boycott by U.S. com-
panies, according . to Will
Maslow, general counsel
of the AJCongress.
The new SEC position
has a direct effect on the
Stockholder Project of
the American Jewish
Congress, which this year
is placing resolutions be-
fore 43 firms requesting
disclosure of company
policy on the Arab
boycott.
The uniform resolu-
tions being submitted for
shareholder votes this
year state that the Arab
boycott against Israel
"results in unfair dis-
crimination against cer-
tain American com-
panies" and reflects
"anti-Jewish prejudice."
They also call on man-
agement to report to
shareholders on the steps
being taken to prevent
discrimination against
Jewish employees or
suppliers that results
from business dealings
with "any Arab interest."

Last year 16 companies
obtained letters from the
SEC division of corpora-

tion finance that they corned as an encouraging
would not face action by indication of progFess in'
the SEC if they declined to' the fight against the Arab
submit anti-boycott pro- boycott." But Naomi
posals to - a shareholder Levine, executive director
vote. of the AJCongress,
These "no-action" let- criticized a warnings by a
ters were based on a staff Saudi Arabian spokesman
finding that the corn- that the new policy could
panies in question did not be scrapped if there were
do enough buS'iness with stringent new American
Arab countries to make anti-boycott legislation.

The report of the drop-
ping of the requirement
was published by the
Journal of Commerce in
New York based on in-
formation that the U.S.-
Arab Chamber of Com-
merce, Inc. of New York
was circularizing its
members to that effect.
A negative certificate
of origin is a document
the issue "significant" — "The abandonment of filed by American
and therefore required the negative certificate of suppliers at the request
for submission under origin augurs well for of Arab .customers attest-
SEC rules. quick passage of -a strong ing that the goods are not
A resolution sponsored and effective anti-boycott of Israeli origin and do
by the AJCongress call- law which, among other not contain components
ing on the Hewlett- things, would prohibit the made in Israel.
Packard Corporation to use of suchcertificates,"
Zeev Sher, Israel's
reveal its policy on the Mrs. Levine said, adding, economic minister to the
Arab boycott garnered "If the Arab states no U.S., speaking at the open-
1.7 million votes at the longer require negative
ing session of the 11th an-
company's annual certificates, why should nual economic conference
shareholder meeting last_ they object if the law pro- of Histadrut Founda-
week in Santa Clara, hibits them?"
tion in Miami Beach, said
Calif.
Arnold Forster, gen-
the boycott has made
The vote represented eral counsel of the Anti- that
it
difficult
for Israel to find
nearly eight percent of Defamation League of
the total votes cast, well Bnai Brith, cautioned markets outside of the
U.S. and the European
over the 3 percent needed that the move by the
Market coun-
for the resolution to be Arab states may signify Common
re-introduced next year. an effort on their part to tries. "That is why all of
A report that all Arab try to soften Congres- you must promote the sale
states except Iraq have sional opposition to the of goods made in Israel,"
dropped requirements for boycott and to try to con- he told some 1,500 persons
so-called "negative cer- wince Congressmen to attending the conference.
Sher said the economic
tificates of origin" for hold off on voting in favor
in Israel is still
goods imported from the of anti-boycott legisla- situation
bad even though Israel
United States was wel- ,tion.
reduced its foreign ex-

change debt by $500 mil-
lion last year. He said the
Israeli Pou
nd has been
devalued by 110 percent
since 1974, the cost of
goods and services have
risen by more than 200
percent, the inflation rate
was 38 percent last year
and investments in the
economy have fallen, par-
ticularly in housing.
The three-day confer-
ence marked the $45 Mil-
lion milestone for the Is-
rael Histadrut Founda-
tion, which helps support
the vast network of
health, education and
welfare programs of the
Histadrut in Israel.
Meanwhile, Canadian
Minister of External Af-
fairs Don Jamieson says
his government is "not
proposing to go the legis-
lative route" to deal with
the effect of the Arab
boycott on Canadian
companies that refuse to
abide by Arab demands.

Jamieson, who affirmed
that "we have been quite
categorical in our denun-
ciation of the boycott,"
noted that the Canadian
policy adopted last Oc-
tober "denies governmen-
tal assistance of any kind"
to a company that is corn-

plying with the boycott.

He said it was too early
to see the effect of his
government's policy but
added that Canada will
"keep monitoring" trade
with the Arab countries
and "consulting" with the
United States about the
boycott.
One of the witnesses
opposing the boycott at
the Senate hearings was
McGill University law
professor Irwin Cotler of
Canada who presented to
the subcommittee re-
commendations for a
"common front" amo
countries hit by
boycott and urged Ca
dian laws to buttress that
country's policy.
•He called for an inter-
national "protective
shield" for business and
industry in all countries
affected by the Arab
movement to disrupt'free
international trade.
Vance, however, tes-
tified that the U.S.
"ought to stick to its own
business" and not try to
enlist other countries
against the boycott.
He -said, "That would
cause trouble" in the
Arab world.

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