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January 20, 1978 - Image 2

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Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1978-01-20

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2 Friday, January 20, 1978

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

Hubert Humphrey: Indelible Page in U.S. History
and in the Annals of the Jewish People . .
Paying Honor to Rose Halprin, Leader in Zionism

The Glorious Legacies of Hubert Horatio Humphrey

A great void has been left in this country with the passing of that wonderful man from
Minnesota.
Hubert Horatio Humphrey was a great American and, equally so, a great humanitarian
whose glories embraced all mankind.
The many tributes to his memory expressed since his passing last Friday are not mere
sensationalities or emotional thoughts in hours of grief over the death of a great
personality. They are the feelings that have accumulated over the years during which
HHH had served this nation and humanity.
Indeed, he had served people of all faiths, all races, all nationality backgrounds.
His 1948 speech in behalf of a minority at the Democratic National Convention, setting
the pace for this nation's atonement for errors of the past in pursuance of just civil rights
actions made him the leader in the battle for justice in defense of millions of
downtrodden. Wasn't it similarly consistent that such a libertarian would also become the
leader in the U.S. Senate in support of the Zionist ideal and in defense of Israel when the
Jewish state was in such dire need of friendship and support from all Americans?
The story of the life of The Happy Warrior would be incomplete without fullest credit
for what he had contributed towards the strengthening of American-Israel friendships. He
was a familiar figure on the Jewish platforms and debates over Israel's role in the Middle
East always included his voice when there was need for clarification of the Zionist
position. He didn't equivocate or apologize: he demanded action in Israel's defense and
he was successful in attaining the understanding that is so vital in the treatment of the
Israeli position.
As a matter of fact, in the earliest months of the present Administration's treatment of
the Middle East issues Senator Humphrey headed a Senatorial group in setting forth the

urgency of a defensive U.S. position and refraining from pressures on Israel. History wr
record how Senator Humphrey's influence prevented the feared pressures upon Israel and
assured continuity for the American-Israel traditional 'friendships.
This columnist does not play politics, no matter how serious his personal.preferences.
The only time this column supported a candidate for President was when Hubert H.
Humphrey was the candidate in 1968. It was a position to be proud of, even if it did not
attain the hoped-for goal. But we did help carry Michigan for Humphrey in that election.
Hubert H. Humphrey's name is written indelibly in American history. In the Jewish
annals there will always be an 111-111 page marked by affections for a great man and
appreciation for one of the most notable friendships in our history.

Rose Halprin, a Contemporary of Henrietta Szold and a Dynamic Leader

Rose Halprin was such a remarkable lady that her
association with public movements also culminated in deep
friendships.
She was a very dynamic leader who influenced Hadassah,
of which she could be called a co-founder because she was
one of the earliest associates of Henrietta Szold, and because
she had given so much to the movement in its earliest
years, during the two World Wars and in the era after the
founding of the state of Israel.
The feminists could claim her because she was the first
of her sex to become the chairman of the American section
of the Jewish Agency.
Remarkably, she had outshone her male competitors for
Zionist leadership because, unlike many, she knew Hebrew
and Yiddish and was on a par with the ablest as a master of
reparte.

Rose Halprin was known
for her hats. She was never
hatless and her late husband
Samuel Halprin, who coop-
erated fully in her Zionist
labors, knew that at least
half the baggage on the
many trips globally, to and
from Israel, always was
required for her hats. It was
a distinguishing mark of her
character that she dressed
well while speaking well.
She was a great lady and
this generation's notable
marks left in the history of
American and world Zion-
ism will have an inerasable
distinction labeled Rose
Halprin.

ROSE HALPRIN.

Precedents for Protesting Persecutions

American intercession in behalf of Anatoly Sharansky,
whose life is in jeopardy in Russia, has aroused the anger of
Soviet authorities and its controlled press. State Depart-
ment and White House statements and a strong stand by
the National Academy of Sciences have condemned the
charges of espionage against Sharansky and the failure of
his family and friends to secure justice for him. The
Russians now charge that there is an attempt by the
American defenders of Sharansky to interfere in Russia's
internal affairs. Thereby the Soviet's defenders are ignor=
ing important precedents of intercessions against injustice.
One of the most flagrant cases that aroused worldwide
public opinion was the Mendel Beiliss ritual murder
outrage. The eyes of the world were on the Russian court
and Beiliss' life may have been saved by the disgust over
official Russian encouragement that had been given to the
insanities that were generated in the libel frame-up against
an innocent Jew.
There was the Dr. Alfred Dreyfus case in France, the
death sentences that were imposed on Sacco and Vanzetti
in Boston and other occurrences which were protested on a
global scale.
One of the earliest _ incidents that aroused worldwide
public opinion was the Damascus ritual murder case in
1840.
American public opinion was in evidence after the Kish-
inev Pnornm in
1 ISNRiA
Sn wiriPenraari warn thn

protestations against the bloodbath in Russia that the
thousands of expressions of outrage were gathered into a
very large volume that was issued by the Jewish Pub-
lication Society of America under the title "The Voice of
America on Kishinev."
So, the current Soviet objections do not carry much
weight. Public opinion against injustice cannot. as it must
not, be suppressed.
Israel Losing War of Words
Ray Alan, writing in his "Euro Vista" column in the New
Leader, affirms in a sub-headed piece below, "The Israelis
Outpaced," that the public relations program of Israel's
antagonists is more vital than Israel's. This means that the
Jewish public relations program also is "outpaced."
This is not a minor matter to be overlooked or to be
designated as an exaggeration. Alan, a member of the New
Leader editorial staff, covers a lot of ground in his article.
He shows how the anti-Israel media are functioning and to
what extent they "outpace the Jewish.
This matter of proper public relations has been a subject
for debate and for analysis for some time. But Alan's is a
more incisive view of the subject. He places his finger on a
real problem which must concern all friends of Israel.
As a matter of fact, if the public relations program for
Israel is weak, then the entire Jewish approach to issues
which call for clarification and demand action in-exposing
myths and untruths must be revised.
A factor also not to be overlooked is the university. Near
Fast departments in the U.S. colleges have been centers of
hatred for Israel and Zionism. They were, and many still are,
directed by teachers who have stimulated opposition to
Israel to such an extent that it emerged into veritable anti-
Semitism. Now a number of universities are planning
courses on the Arab-Israel issue. Will they, again, become
cells for an anti-Semitic crusade? The New Leader article
suggests added caution in welcoming such courses. There is
need for vigilance while probing the sources that inspire
such courses, and there must be an assurance of impartial-
ity by those who will be treating so vital an issue in its
effects on the very life of the Jewish state and its citizens.
What Ray Alan does is so vital that his views demand
serious consideration. Therefore, "The Israelis Outpaced"
is reprinted here for a serious approach to the issue by all
Jewish public affairs agencies. The challenge is too
damning to be ignored.

* * *

The Israelis Outpaced

The government of Saudi Arabia is rumored in diplomatic
circles to have set up a secret fund of about $400 million for
the purpose of buying influence over Western journalists,
broadcasters and their employers. The Saudis' aim, accord-
ing to this rumor, is to improve their image, strengthen
Western confidence in the present regime, and counter
Western organizations that would like to export democratic
ideas to Arabia; but hostility to Israel will also be required
of the people and publications bought. Saudi Arabia already
finances anti-Israeli and anti-Jewish propaganda in Arabic,
Spanish, Turkish and perhaps other languages.
Even without this rumored Saudi initiative, Israel ap-
pears to be losing ground to the Arabs in the international
information struggle. To compete with the 20-odd govern-
ments of the Arab League, with their hundreds of em-
bassies, consulates, propaganda offices and slush funds,

um, dri

By Philip
Slomovitz

scare, in developed and underdeveloped countries alike, the
task became herculean. With the arrival in office of
Menahem Begin, it became almost impossible.
Begin's Irgun Zvai Leumi was responsible for the murder
of two decent young people -(both moderately pro-Zionist)
whom I knew well, and I must admit to being biased
against him. I think, however, his friends would also
concede that Israel derived considerable prestige and
goodwill from the presence in its government of a Labor
Party affiliated with the Socialist International. That
advantage has now been lost, and many Socialist and Social
Democratic politicians and commentators in Europe have
been falling under the influence of the Communist and far-
Left dogma that Israel is fundamentally expansionist and
even racist, although Begin's handling of Egyptian Presi-
dent Anwar el-Sadat's recent overtures has managed to
slow this trend somewhat.
In fairness to Begin, too, it must be said that his
. predecessors in office were not exactly dynamic in their
conduct of whatever propaganda or public relations serv-
ices Israel possesses in Western Europe. For example, they
made no apparent effort to cultivate public, press or labor
opinion in the new democracies of Portugal and Spain —
despite the importance of these countries both for their own
sakes and as links with the culture and information media
of Latin America, and despite the need to counteract
decades of Salazarist and Francoist propaganda about
Judeo-Masonic intrigues and Zionist depravity. Whenever a
new party or paper opened offices in Lisbon or Madrid it
would receive wads of Arab posters and pamphlets, and
Arab students distributed anti-Israeli leaflets at every
public rally. Israel, in contrast, was invisible and seemed
indifferent. Its resources are, admittedly, limited; but I
have found the most convincing—because they are the sin-
cerest—information campaigns are almost always run on a
shoestring.
I have no ties with Israel, but I can't help being disturbed
by the frequent appearance of anti-Israeli and(less
overtly) anti-Jewish material in the Iberian press. I have
usually found (1) that people who are anti-Israeli are also
anti-Jewish, even though they deny it (like the Spanish
Fascist leader who assured me he had nothing against
"religious Jews" and then gave me a copy of the "Pro-
tocols of the Elders of Zion," urging me to read it carefully
if I wished to understand international politics) ; and (2)
that a high proportion of the people who are antagonistic
toward Jews tend to be hostile to democracy, in particular
to Anglo-American-style liberal democracy.
No comment is needed on the following extracts fn.
long letters published in Spain in the last month — not by
extremist sheets but by La Vanguardia, which has the
country's biggest daily circulation and is generally consid-
ered to be a responsible newspaper.
From a young Spaniard: "For 40 years Germany's
enemies have spread lies... (But) the tale about the six
million dead Jews, the gas chambers, etc., has been
sufficiently refuted by scores of books... Hitler and his
comrades — whether right or wrong (I think right) — were
patriots in peacetime and gentlemen in war."
From a German resident in Spain: "That six million
Jews were killed has been denied by many people, among
them a leading French judge. Anyhow, if Jews have been
ill-treated in many countries (including Spain) it has not
been without reason. Almost all important capitalists are
Jews and they are to blame for 90 percent of wars, stock-
market crashes, etc. The petroleum.crisis, which is ruining

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