2 Friday, April 15, 1977
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
The Right to Speak in Defense of Israel
A campaign with an old flavor, in new terminology, is in evidence in an apparent
revived- aim to harm, if possible to destroy, Israel.
Some of the contributors to the anti-Israel propaganda, like Detroit News columnist
J. F. TerHorst, are innocent victims of the renewed drive to portray Israel as the villain
of the Middle East. TerHorst, discussing the confusions over the pending measure to
prevent the enforcement of boycott practices against Israel and the Jews. commented
on the conflict between the "morality" of the policies that were pledged by President
Jimmy Carter when he was a candidate and the emerging claims of trade and diplomat-
ic involvements that negate the demand for morality. In the process. TerHorst wrote
about the influence of the 32 national Jewish organizations who are enrolled in the Con-
ference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations, and the 90 community
councils affiliated with the National Community Relations Advisory Council.
A normal question emerges: who should speak in Israel's defense? Israel stands
alone, against 21 Arab states with memberships in the United States, with little support
from any one, only the voice of the United States often speaking out against the vitriolic
attacks on the small Jewish state. The Soviet bloc is against. Israel and the Third World
gives comfort to those who would destroy Israel, yet there is a denial of the just right of
Israel's kinsmen to speak and act in support of Israel!
U.S. Senator James Abourezk represents a different form of antagonism to Israel.
His is the root of the trouble. Not only because he is of Lebanese descent—as a Leba-
nese he should feel gratitude for Israel's humanity on his kinsfolks' borders!—but be-
cause he is in the ranks of those who begrudge Israel the right to live and to enjoy
sovereignty among the nations of the world.
Abourezk has enjoyed ovations from audiences upon whom he showered his pre-
judices against Israel. What he had done was to indict his fellow Congressmen, to ac-
crse them of being under the control of Israel. He has assailed the legislative body of
this country and his addresses could well be written by Arafat.
The American tradition of compassion for the oppressed is deeply rooted in this na-
tion's idealism. It is now a matter of serious consideration in the discussion over de-
tente., as a result of President Carter's determination not to yield on the question of
human rights.
This is a legacy from generations of American demands for justice for the per-
secuted wherever they may he. Justice for the Jew did not begin or end with the consid-
eration for the millions of survivors from Nazism or out of a sense of guilt for what had
occurred during the Holocaust. The duty to Jewry and to Israel, the American role in
defending and assisting in the upbuilding of the Jewish state, is part of American for-
eign policy, and the nation that "gives to bigotry no sanction"—as embodied in the dec-
laration of President George Washington and as set forth as the American credo—does
not yield to prejudice to abandon this ideal.
For Abourezk it is an easy matter to taunt . American Jews with an appeal to hatred
by charging them with resort to anti-Semitism as means of frightening public opinion
for their benefit. It's a subtle way of himself acting anti-Semitically.
The fact is that in the history of the U.S. Congress there have been some anti-Semi-
tes, but they were few and far between. In fact, they were a handful over the years. A
Michigan Congressman was especially notorious amongthem.
But members of Congress have in the past and do now reflect the spirit of America.
They will not sacrifice Israel either to the Kremlin or to the Arab League or to the oil
interests. Therein lies the great faith Israel and Jewry have that the high principles of
Americans' love for liberty will prevail. as an ideal for themselves and therefore also as
an obligation for others.
The urgent need is to assure that the truth about prevailing situations will not be
clouded with fictitious charges of cruelties by Israelis against imprisoned Arab terror-
ists, that the justice of the requests for aid in defending the Jewish state is obligatory
upon civilized nations, that the PLO's sanctimony is not based on honesty but is rooted
in an unchanged aim to destroy Israel.
An attempt to brand analyses of existing situations as Jewish propaganda when the
explanations of existing conditions are offered by Jewish groups is one of the indications
of the bias that dominates the minds of those who refuse to accept the truth when it is
defined by Jews. Nevertheless, the facts gathered by the Conference of Presidents of
Major American Jewish Organizations, exposing the PLO's rejection of peace when it
means recognition of Israel, must be given widest possible circulation. In a memo on
the subject, based on the hard facts, the Conference of Presidents declares:
The real Palestine Liberation Organiza tional Council (whose members are not
tion has stood up—again..
elected), meeting in Cairo for the first
In response to President Carter's state- time since 1974. But slaughterers do not
ment deploring the PLO's "publicly-pro- readily turn into statesmen. At the meet-
fessed commitment to destroy Israel," the ing Yasir Arafat restated the ultimate
Palestine National Council refused to goal of a secular and democratic state in
amend the Palestine National Covenant all Palestine. He repeated the vow he had
that calls it a "national duty to repulse the made in his address to the United Nations
Zionist, imperialist invasion...and to purge in 1974 to create a "democratic secular
the Zionist presence from Palestine" (Ar- state in Palestine"—the polite but no less
ticle 15). -- lethal way of calling for the elimination of
Astonishingly, unidentified Western diplo- Israel.
mats used words like "constructive" and
And in its final declaration the Palestine
"positive" to describe the final declara- National Council renewed its call for a con-
tion adopted at the week-long meeting. tinuation of the "armed struggle" against
The ability to see the bright side of the ter- Israel. Thus did "moderation" triumph;
rorist PLO is a fascinating example of geo- thus did the PLO give the back of its col-
political wish-fulfillment. No matter how lective and bloodstained hand to President
shocking its acts or violent its words, Carter's peace initiative and Secretary of
there is always some eternal optimist who State Vance's suggestion, during his
sees the PLO murdeiers turning into mod- Middle East trip last month, that if the
erates. Alas, each time the PLO's suppos- PLO wanted to be invited to Geneva it
ed willingness to act civilized has been must change its charter and acknowledge
hailed most enthusiastically, the organiza- Israel's right to exist.
tion says or does something that gives it
Despite the PLO's latest insistence on
all away.
sticking to its guns, literally and fig-
Hopes for a new look rose sharply follow- uratively, we can reasonably expect a new
ing the crushing defeat the PLO suffered spate ;of analyses hailing the new spirit of
in Lebanon last year. Chastened and hum- moderation and decency in the PLO—such
bled (or so we were told ), the PLO would
is the eagei-ness for peace in the Middle
surely assume a more tractable'- 'stance. East and the ability to deceiVe °in -selves
Thus all eyes turned to the Palestine Na- about the intentions of others.
By Philip
Slomovitz
Organized Jewish Community's Right to Speak in
Defense of Israel...Anti-Israel Propaganda in the
Media Deplored, Need Emphasis on Truth.
"Ye shall know the truth" must become an acceptable guideline for all, in the
media and in politics. if there is to he a real peace and an end to violence. As long as
the PLO continues to be a meancing force threatening the very existence of a very
small nation, as long as these terrorists. banking on the hatreds they-- spread among
some 200,000,000 Moslems and 21 member states of the United Nations, with the support
of Russia and the Third World, is bent upon destroying - Israel, then the more civilized in
the world must contribute towards efforts to counteract these hatreds.
Doubts have crept in regarding the consistency of President Jimmy Carter's ap-
proaches to the foreign policies affecting the Middle East. The media are vital in keep-
ing the record straight on every aspect of the Middle East conflict. Unless there is to be
a -continuous disruption of truth. there is hope that the American policy of fair play and
justice for defenders—people's, individuals and nations—right to live has the best
chance to continue and to survive.
The Passing of Four Noted Journalists
In a period of less than three weeks, three distinguished newspapermen passed
away. -Each, in his own way, merited appreciation for distinguished services to the
American Jewish community. They were giants in thir way.
Irving "Pat" Spiegel was not associated with the Jewish press. He was a long-time
member of the reportorial staff of the New York Times. But he was primarily known in
the Jewish community because he covered what- could be judged as the international
Jewish beat. The few national- gatherings of American Jews which he did not attend
caused concern among leaders and many delegates. It was cause for wonder why "Pat"
Spiegel was not covering the event.
The New York Times must have recognized the good will towards the great news-
paper that went with "Pat" Spiegel's relationship between Jewish ranks and his news-
paper. He was likable, able, conscientious.
Jules Miller was not a writer. He was an advertising executive. But he was so able,
he had built up such immense business responses to the Philadelphia Jewish Exponent
by his skill in securing responses to his advertising appeals, that he rated top leadership
as an advertising manager for one of the leading Jewish weeklies in the land.
Irving G. Rhodes was in a class of his own. He, too, was an advertising genius. But
he also was a writer, an orator of note, a lover of good books. Because of these qual-
ities, he had elevated the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle of Milwaukee, of which he was the
publisher for half a century, into one of the most readable, most attractive weekly Eng-
lish-Jewish newspapers. He was a leader in his community and was the first to establish
the highest possible level for giving to the United Jewish Appeal, as a chairman of the
first million dollar Milwaukee drive of its kind. He was a friend never to he forgotten.
They were all good friends and they will be greatly missed.
Ethical Guidelines for People in Public Life
If you will be a servant
to this people this day, ...
they will be your servants
for ever. (I Kings 12:7)
Israel's salvation will be
achieved by prophets, not
by diplomats. (Ahad
HaAm)
I have ceased to wonder
at many things ; but that
two diplomats can look at
each other without laugh-
ing, that still amazes me
daily. (Ludwig Boerne)
He who promotes his
own honor at the expense
of his neighbor's has no
portion in the world to
come.
(Judah B. Hanina, Gen.
R., -1.5)
Which- is the right
course for a man to
choose? That which
honors him in his own
eyes and in the eyes of his
fellow men. (Judah Ha-
Nasi. Mishna : Abot, 2.1)
As the rabbi must in-
spect periodically the
slaughtering knives of the
shohtirn in his town, to
see that they have no de-
fect, so must he go from
store to store to inspect
the weights and measures
of the store-keepers. (Is-
rael Salanter Lipkin)
A worm can enter a
fruit only after it has
begun to rot. (Ansky,
"Dybuk")
States, like men; never
protest their honor. loudly
unless they have a bad
case to argue. (Harold
Laski)
A tailor who does not *ap-
propriate some of his cus-
tomer's cloth, a cobbler
who patches with good
leather, a storekeeper
who gives the correct
weight and .a full meas-
ure, will have a greater
portion in the world to
come than many a rabbi.
(Moses Isaac)
A little corruption in
government is too much
corruption. (D.L. Cohen)
Happy are they that are
upright in the way.
(Psalms 119.1)
Leave not a stain on
your honor. (Apocrypha:
Ben Sira 33:22)
The Sinners
They erred
miserably
and the
anguish
is Israel's
MR. AND MRS. YITZHAK RABIN