2 Friday, March 25, 1977 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary The Outrage in Nation's Capital is a Test Case for Media and a Challenge to Fact-Finding and Fearless Expose of Anti-Semitism...Threat of Retribution Not the Jewish Way By Philip Slomovitz The Media and the Horror That Was Visited Upon the Bnai Brith Building in Washington Horrors were complemented with puzzles in the aftermath of the outrage that was perpetrated in Washington, primarily in the Bnai Brith International Headquarters. At the outset, a major issue was made of the media. In an attempt to hush up most of the occurrences, on the premise that the criminals were not to be kept advised on what was planned to end their barbaric exploit, there were demands upon newspapers, radio, and television not to publicize terrorist actions or hijackings while they were in prog- ress. To the credit of the press-radio-tv it should be said that any proposal to introduce cen- sorship was rejected. Hiding facts does not end crime. Interestingly, however, while censorship was rejected, the truth about the siege of the Bnai Brith Building did not become known until two or three days after the hostages were freed and the Bnai Brith headquarters were photographed. Is it possible that the media did not know that a major motivation in the crime was anti-Semitism? There was only a smattering of reporting about blacks turned Moslem who were singling out Jews among the hostages for special treatment. The beasts who took control of the Bnai Brith Building had good lessons in terrorism and Jews were their special targets. Why wasn't it generally known? Why was Rabbi Stanley Rabinowitz, who gave the sermon at the services at Temple Adas Israel in Washington, where the freed hostages met on the Sabbath morning after they were freed, the only courageous man to speak out very firmly in condemnation of the criminals and the crime? Should it be overlooked that the culprits were blacks turned Moselm? Why are blacks the major advocates of anti-Semitism today? Isn't the Jew among the most devoted sup- porters of civil rights and justice for the underprivileged? Why aren't more of the black leaders speaking out against the shocking demonstrations of bigotry in their own ranks? All Americans, Jews in particular, have many reasons to be grateful to the leaders of the black community for frequest declarations in support of justice and decency and against bias even when it occurs among their own people. Is it too much to expect that it must be more outspoken, that it should be more demonstrative, that especially in an instance like the pogrom in the Bnai Brith Building the blacks should have been heard in repudiation of every vestige of anti-Semitism by those who stemmed from their midst and often assumed to speak for all of them? There is another twist to the Hanafi Moslem story. Now there is jubilation because three Arab envoys had "pleaded for the lives of Jews" at the Bnai Brith Building. Does anyone merit special thanks for acting against terrorism? Wasn't there a special obliga- tion upon the Arabs because the Operation Terrorism in Washington was in the name of Mohammed by Blacks turned Moslem? Whatever is said. whatever was done, the duty_ of fair-minded people is not to glorify terrorism, and the obligation of all decent peo. is to fight terrorism. Of course the efforts of the three Moslem ambassadors merits appreciation. They might have refused to intercede. They did act regardless of the composition of the many scores who were held as hostages. the majority of whom were Jews. But the human factor must be rated as primary in the judgment of the issue. And if the Moslems will apply their impartiality on a religious basis in the rescue effort in Washington to the national aspects that make the Israel issue a cause for bitterness and animosities, then there will he cause for rejoicing. Whatever the grievances and the aggravations over the failure to recognize the magni- tude of the crime and the extent of anti-Semitism that motivated it. only the deluded and the irresponsible will speak for retribution. In the search for justice. for an under- standing by the American people that the bigotries perpetrated against Jews can react also against all decent citizens. the aim is for the law to he just and to do the retali- ating. The Jewish Defense League leader Meir Kahane and his associates certainly are acting as a small group of vigilantes who do not speak for even a fraction of American Jewry. What had occurred was more than a puzzle : it was a shocking experience and a source of deep regret that the worst in Czarist and Nazi ideology should have been im- posed upon our nation's capital. An Old and Moot Question About Diaspora Jews' Role in Israel Those Who Hate the Jew and Accept Him as the Healer What should be the extent of Diaspora Jewry's role-in Is- raeli activities, in the Jewish state's communal functions? This issue is being raised now with special emphasis on the Jewish Agency's status, on the extent of guidance in providing know-how as contrasted by influence in govern- ment, in the educational institutions and in the social serv- ices. It isn't a new problem. It is traceable to the early years of Israel's rebirth into sovereignty. More than a quarter-century ago, in the early part of July of 1951, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver, who was one of the very dominant Jewish personalities in the world and the outstanding American Zionist leader, delivered an address in Johannesburg, South Africa. JTA reported the event as follows: Anti-Semites were advised by Dr. Kannon Shein- man to examine who their beneficiaries are before doing their hating. Currently addressing himself to the Arabs who seek Israel's destruction, the advice to Arabs for their own self-protection includes the follow- ing guidelines: Johannesburg (JTA)—Addressing a large meeting here this week, Dr. Abba Hillel Silver said that the only organization that can mobi- lize aid for Israel is the World Zionist Organiza- tion. "Those trying to reach over the head of the WZO to some anonymous mass beyond are deluding themselves," he declared. "This amorphous mass can be brought to assist Is- rael, but it is not dynamic and falls away eas- ily." Dr. Silver criticized the fact that there are 20 political parties in Israel. He pointed out that the United States, with a population of 150. million people, "gets along with two or three parties." Political partisanship in Israel is "too intolerant," he said. "We have the right to expect that the toler- ance which Israel extends to Christians and Moslems, should be extended also to all Jewish sections," he declared. He urged that Israel be built as a united nation and "not a collection of political parties." Of course, conditions were different then. Yet some of the issues must have been akin to the present. World Jewry and the Zionist movement were vital to Israel then, they, remain vital factors in defense of the new state in an area of peril. Perhaps the voice of Diaspora Jewry is needed more in Israel today than in the year of Dr. Silver's criticism of Israel's leadership. The accumulating circumstances point to the urgency of an accord, of a fuller understanding be- tween the partners in the great drama of making Israel a great cultural and spiritual center as well as a secure home for the millions of Jews who now enjoy the Jewish state's citizenship. It would be both wrong and injudicious to doubt the since- rity either of the Israelis or world Jewish leadership. Both may be stymied in their search for the desired accord out of caution to prevent uncalled for interference in what could become intercession by non-citizens into Israel's au- tonomous rights. Yet, because the question of a greater role. by Diaspora within Israel the leaders of both Israel and Diaspora must arrive at decisive methods of coopera- tion that would be devoid of unreasonable interference. Since it is imperative that all loyal Arabs avoid any and all contact with Jewish influences, the follow- ing instructions, issued by members of the Arab League must be strictly followed: • An Arab who has syphilis must not allow him- self to be cured by salvarsan •because it was discov- ered by a Jew — Ehrlich. • He must not even take steps to find out whether he has syphilis, because the Wasserman reaction, which is used for detection, was also discovered by a Jew. • if an Arab suspects he has gonorrhea, he must not - seek to establish the fact, because he will be using the method discovered by a Jew, Weissner. • An Arab who has heart disease must not use digitalis, which comes from. the discovery of a Jew, Ludwig Traub. If he has a toothache, an Arab will not use cocaine, or he will benefit from the work and • discoveries of two Jews — Widal and Weill. • If an Arab has diabetes, he must not use insulin because of the research work done bY a Jew, Min- kowsky. If he has a headache, he must shun pyrami- don and anti-pyrim, because of two Jews — Spiro and Ellege. • Arabs with convulsions must put up with them, because it was . a Jew, Liebreich, who discovered chloral hydrate. They must continue suffering psychic ailments because the great discoverer of psychoanalysis, Freud, was a Jew. • An Arab suffering froM Diptheria should not use the "Shick" reaction cure because Bela Shick was its inventor. • Arabs should be ready to die in more numbers and not permit treatment by the method of the Nobel Prize Winner Robert Baram, a Jew whose method of treatment of ear and brain damage has saved mil- lions. • Arabs whose nervous systems break down should not be sent to an asylum because they must refuse the use of research results of another Nobel Prize Winner, Otto Levi. • Arabs of all ages must forego the use of vita- mins because the discoverer of their special nutri- tional value was a Jew, tiasimir Funk. • Arabs should continue to die and remain crip- pled by infantile paralysis because the discoverer of anti-poliomyelitis vaccine is a Jew, Jonas Salk. • Arabs stricken with tuberculosis, must con- tinue to die by refusing streptomycin because Zalman Waksman, a Jew, invented this wonder drug. • Arab doctors must discard all discoveries and improvements of the Nobel I'd* men — Volitear, Barangan and Otto Warburg. ; of the dermatologist Judas S. Benedict; of the lung specialist Frawnkel. In short, a good loyal . Arab may fittingly and properly remain afflicted with syphilis, gonorrhea, heart disease, headache, typhus, diabetes, mental RABBI ABBA HILLEL SILVER disorders, brain damage, infantile paralysis, convul- sions and tuberculosis. Do these admonitions help? When it serves a ha- ter's purpose Jesus becomes a blond Aryan, white be- comes black when it serves a desired purpose and the devil quotes Scripture for his purpose; some times blindly, on occasions deliberately. But it won't hurt for the haters to know whence come their blessings, even if they turn them into curses. American Jewish Leadership: Dr. Rackman as Bar-Ilan Prexy It would be wrong even to think in terms of Dias- pora interference in Israel's internal affairs. As a sov- ereign political entity, Israel's affairs are her own. Nevertheless there are roles among Jews that can not be ignored or rejected. There are the common interests that call for mutual concern, cooperation and a sharing of administrative interests. Israel's universities have a special impact on American Jewry. All of them have American sup tive organizations, which provide a measure of port towards the construction of new buildings, for scholarships and to encourage research and the en- rollment of guest lecturers. The naming of an Ameri- can as president of one of the schools of higher learning, Bar-Ilan University, is a case in point about the .practicality of inviting American Jews to share in administering the educational tasks in Israel. The American know-how is valuable, and in the case of the new Bar-Thin president, Dr. Emanuel Rackman, the per- sonality and ability of the new DR. HACKMAN collegiate leader will surely serve the university in good stead. Ba•-Ilan already has shown the way to progres- sive Israel-Diaspora cooperation by having as the chairman of its global board of governors the Detroi- ter, Phillip Stollman. American Jewry's role in Israel's behalf is greatly enhanced through- such wholesome partnerships.