THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Last Parade Commander Rejects Independence
on all parties to give their
;,–
parde in Jerusalem costs a
great deal in terms of
money. The preparations,
the training, building and
grandstands, readying the
route, decorating it, etc.—
all this costs a lot of
money. Part of it is ex-
pressed in 'open budgets'
but a lot more is concealed
under other budgetary head-
ings."
The general noted that
"engine hours" of the tanks
and "flying hburs of air-
craft during the special
training for a parade are a
serious waste of resources
from the standpoint of mili-
tary training.
"They require much
money and a lot of spare
parts which are paid for in
dollars and which are some-
times hard to get. Participa- -
tion by an army unit in the
parade has a cost in terms
of its training—that is in
terms of its battle-pre-
paredness. If reserve units
He said, in an article pub- are . called up instead, this
lished in Yediot Akhronot,
also has a price..."
that he began to have
Zeevi pointed out that all
JERUSALEM—A top Is-
raeli military figure has
sought to demolish. point-
by-point, the arguments in
favor of an Independence
Day military parade which
a majority of the Cabinet
approved Sunday with the
ardent support of Premier
Menahem Begin.
Gen. (Res.) Rehavam
Zeevi, former commander
of the central command'
and a staunch "militarist"
and "hawk," added his
voice to the growing anti-
parade sentiment that has
been expressed in the Knes-
set and by Jerusalem's
Iayor.Teddy Kollek and Is-
aeli Defense Minister Exer
Weizman.
Zeevi served as an in
telligence and counter-ter-
rorist advisor in the govern-
ments of former Premiers
Golda Meir and Yitzhak
Rabin. He was in charge of
Israel's last Independence
Day parade in 1973.
doubts about the wisdom
and necessity of such elabo-
‘ rate military displays even
as he commanded the 25th
anniversary parade five
years ago. His arguments
against a parade next year
_ were based on both milt-
tary and economic consid-
eration and on the kind of
image Israel should present
to the world.
military headquarters are
involved in a parade, from
the area commander down
to the command structures
of the individual units. All
are occupied for months in
advance with preparations
for the parade and there-
fore are not occupied with
their primary military re-_
sponsibilities.
"When I commanded the
Zeevi wrote: "A military _ 25th anniversary parade a
feeling crept into my heart
then that the military pa-
. rade itself actually has the
effect of inducing specific
unpreparedness, diverts at-
tention and concentration
from the real
tasks...creates a false and
exaggerated sense of
strength both in the nation
and in the nation at large,"
Zeevi wrote.
He warned that the con-
centration in Jerusalem of
a large amount of weapon-
ry and of the nation's lead-
ers watching the parade
was an invitation for a at-
tack. Zeevi said, "Granted
the army was one Of the
most glorious creations of
the state, but it was cre-
ated out of neces:Sity, not
out of ideal...Is this the im-
age we want to portray
abroad—of Spartg? Cannot
we find another means of
expressing our achieve-
ments of these past 30
years....?"
Zeevi rejected the argu-
ment that a massive parade
would serve as a deterrent
to Israel's enemies. He re-
dependence Day activities.
Zeevi said it would be a
focal point only for Jerusale-
mites who have seen many
national parades and gather-
ings and have become
jaded, and for the invited
"Big shots" from abroad
who would attend along
with a relatively small num-
ber of other, uninvited ordi-
nary people.
However, in spite of his
own support for the parade,
Premier Begin has called
Knesset members a free
vote on the question of
whether Israel should shold
the military parade.
Among other ideas the
Premier outlined for the
30th anniversary was an-
nouncing next year as
"Cleanliness Year" -- "so
that we have a clean and
beautiful Israel."
.The greatest • charity is. to
enable the poor to earn a
living. ' • ,
Friday, August 5, 1977 7
r..e...
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L
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SpECIAL Ti TINgS
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called that Israel was at-
tacked by Egypt and Syria
only five months after the
last military parade.
- "Arab generals do not
need Israeli military pa-
rades to know—and be de-
terred by—what Israel has
in its arsenals," he wrote. •
He also dismissed the con-
•
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tention that a parade would
serve as a focal point. of In-
'Detroit Friends of Bar-Ilan University
are pleased to announce that
the new President of the University
DR. EMANUEL RACKMAN
will address the
ANNUAL DINNER.
Thursday Evening, Sept. 8, 1977
in the social hall of Cong. Shaarey Zedek
The Greater Detroit Jewish Community will formally welcome Dr. Rackman to
his distinguished role in Israel's educational system at this dinner.-
Irving Nusbaum and David Ilermelin
Dinner Co-Chairmen
Philip Stollman, Global Chairman of Bar-Ilan U., Board of Trustees
Reservations Now Being Accepted, Call:
DETROIT FRIENDS OF BAR-ILAN UNIVERSITY
23125 Coolidge, Oak Park • 398-7180
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