Begin Refuses to Cross TV Picket Linfx in NY Potpourri: Menahem Begin Confronts the Challengers The Puzzle of Indians Cavorting With the Arabs Begin greeted pickking technicians who have been on strike for several weeks and told them he would not cross their line. He promised disappointed ABC officials that he would grant the network an interview when he returned to Israel. THE JEWISH NE A Weekly Review Commentary, Page 2 VOL. LXXI, No. 21 Menahem Begin-was the victor in the May 17 Israel elec- tion over the Labor Alignment, yet he followed a strictly principled labor line in New York on Sunday when he re- fused to cross a picket line to be interviewed on the ABC television network. of Jewish Events 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 $10.00 Per Year; This Issue 30 0 The Yiddish Theater's Historic Cast of Characters Review of Jacob Adler Story by Dr. Peter Martin On Page 56 July 29,1977 Amidst Other Confusing Reports: Begin Standing Firm in New Rift With the • U. IS Over 3 Settlements Is the Handshake Wavering? . They were all smiles when Menahem Begin took over the prime min- istership from Yitzhak Rabin. Now the smiles are vanishing and the hand- shake is loosening. The battle of the parties, the triumphant and the van- quished, is in evidence in full force. Details in story on Page 43. Tohnstown Jews egin Clean-up l NEW YORK (JTA)—Approximately one- third of the 550 Jewish residents in Flood- ravaged Johnstown, Pa. have either been displaced from their homes or had their businesses damaged, said Jim Young, assist- ant director of the Council of Jewish Feder- ations of Welfare Funds after spending two days assessing the floods effect on the Jew- ish community. Fortunately. Young said. no Jewish lives were lost. The death toll has risen to 64. with up to 100 people still missing, as a result of last week's savage flooding of the Conemaugh River Valley. Gov . Milton Shapp estimated total damage in the area at $200 million. (Continued on Page 14) TEL AVIV (JTA)—Israeli Prime Minister Men-ahem Begin told the Knesset on Wednes- day that the United States had requested that Israel discontinue settlements on the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but Begin declared there was nothing to prohibit any,Jew from settling anywhere in those administered territories. He argued that his goverment's decision on Tuesday legallized three existing civilian settlements. Begin stated that the previous (Labor) government would not grant legal recognition to such settlement's but that his government would continue to do so. Begin expressed regret over the statement and reaction of the U.S. State Depart- ment, saying the decision was not in contradiction to the Geneva Convention of 1949. The area in question can not be regarded as a conquered territory as Jordanians have no rights there, Begin said. Begin expressed "deep regret" and "deep disappointment" at the rebuke by Secretary of State Cyrus Vance for the action. He rejected Vance's charge that Israel had acted in violation of international law and the Geneva Convention governing occupied territories. Begin asserted that the Judaea and Samaria regions were neither occupied nor conquered territory, that Jews had a perfect right to settle there and that the decision of the Ministerial Settlement Committee was no more than a routine action intended to legalize a defacto situation. "No injury or injustice will be caused to a single Arab family," Begin said. The Knesset ultimately supported the decision with only two dissenting votes. The Premier's defense of his settlement policy took up a large part of his report to the Knesset on his recently ended mission to Washington. His remarks were followed by a lively debate during which Labor Alignment leader Shimon Peres sharply criticzed the government's lack of flexibility. He warned that by refursing to contemplate any compromise on the West Bank, the quest for a full peace settlement with the Arabs was probably doomed to failue. He suggested that the government seek further interim agreements with individual Arab states instead. Peres also took issue with Begin's failure to brief the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Security Committee before appearing before the plenum—a deviation from.the regular practice preceding a report to the Knesset. He charged that after only 36 days in office, the new government was behaving in a "capricious" manner toward parliament and its duly constituted committees. Begin and other Likud members angrily denied the charge. But it was apparent that Begin still holds the Foreign Affairs and Security Committee responible for "leaking" portions of his "peace plan" to the press before it was presented to President Carter. The Premier sought to justify and rationalize the grant of legal status to the three West Bank settlements which had been established in defiance of the previous Labor-led government. The settlements are Ofra; Maale Ad umim and Elon Moreh, the latter near (Continued on Page 5) JDC Parent-Child Program Aids Israel Settlers TAANACH, Israel—Although the cotton-and-peanut-growing farmers in this fertile valley (almost all of whom came from Mo- rocco) have been tilling their fields since they settled here in the mid-1950s, day care programs were set up only recently. There are now three such programs sponsored by the regional Commu- nity Center of Taanach, catering to some 600 families. These in- clude eleven moshavim (smallholders' settlements) which are spread over some 15 miles, and are served by the community center in the area. The Parent-Child Programs for Infants and Toddlers are supported by the American Jewish Joint Distribu- tion Committee in Israel (JDC) with funds from Jewish feder- ations and welfare funds through the United Jewish Appeal. "It was a real fight at the beginning," confides Ilana. director of the program. "I had to go into the houses and spend hours convincing the parents to send their children to the Parent-Child Day Care Program. Only six children were brought to the center by parents who did not have to be coaxed. That means that 90 (Continued on Page 8) Abba gets a happy hug while dropping off his daughter at the day care center before beginning a day of work in the fields and guard duty.