54 Friday, March 10, 1918

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Northern Sinai Desert Farmers Remember Area's Risk to Israel

By MOSHE RON

The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent

TEL AVIV — A bus
travels to the Israeli settle-
ments in the Rafia Salient
and the town of Yamit. The
more we go in a southern
direction, the more we pass
the yellow sand of the de-
sert. Here and there we see
a single tree with yellow
leaves or a lonely camel.
But suddenly the land-
scape changes. We reach
vast green fields of tomatoes
and other vegetables. They
are mostly covered with
plastic bags in order to
safeguard them against in-
sects and the sun. Water, a
dear commodity in these re-
gions, is brought by pipe-
lines.
We are going westward.
Before us rises the new town
of Yamit. It is situated on
the beautiful seashore, sur-
rounded by palm trees.
Twelve new settlements
have been built in this reg-

ion, with a population of
3,500, among them children
born in this place.
The building of the set-
tlements started seven
years ago. Agricultural
experts examined the
conditions and advised
the settlers. The desert
reaped vegetables and
flowers which are today
exported to Western
Europe and even to the
U.S.
Ten years ago the terror
activity in the Gaza Strip
grew from day to day. Milit-
ary patrols were attacked
with grenades. Bedouins
from Sinai smuggled explo-
sives and arms to the ter-
rorists.
The Israeli government
decided then, for the sec-
urity of Israel, to build
Jewish settlements bet-
ween Gaza and Northern
Sinai, in order to cut off
these two regions by a sec-
urity belt between Egypt
and Israel, and to hinder the

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This region comprises
only two percent of the Sinai
desert. Israel is ready to re-
turn with a peace treaty 98
percent of Sinai to Egypt. It
cannot accept the argument
that the two percent endan-
gers a peace settlement.

The settlers told us that
they strongly reject the
Begin plan to leave their
settlements under Egyp-
tian sovereignty after a

ZIP

peace settlement. They World Zionist Congress.
She arrived three years
say that if the Israeli goy-_ "We are argicultural ago in Israel and decided
ernment would decide workers and know how to to build her future in the
that the settlements have grow tomatoes, flowers and new city of Yamit.
no importance for Is- vegetables, and have no
"I came to live here and
rael's security and time to print propaganda cannot understand the in-
should be abandoned, material," they said. "This tention of the Israeli gov-
they would leave them, in is not our task. History has ernment to return this place
order not to interfere proved that there is no to Egyptian sovereignty,"
with a peace settlement.
value whatsoever to agree- she told us with a bitter
ments between Israel and tone.
They wonder why the Is-
Arab countries, including
We visited the yeshiva in
raeli population does not
Egypt. Therefore, it is es- Yamit where young men
appreciate the security im-
sential for the security of Is- from all over the country
portance of these settle-
rael that the settlements in study the Talmud until they
ments in Northern Sinai
Northern Sinai should re- enlist in the Army. A religi-
and blamed the government
main under Israeli ous journalist told them: "I
and the army for the lack of
sovereignty."
am sure that owing to the
understanding.
many children 'born here
The settlers say, ironi-
Yamit Was modern and your teaching Torah
cally, that members of the buildings. Young people and Talmud on the
Jewish Agency asked them ride on bicycles on the threshold of the Sinai De-
to forward propaganda in new roads. We met one sert, that this place, with
English about their settle- young woman, a new God's help, will remain a
ments for distribution at the immigrant from Vilna. part of Israel."

Israeli Professors Assess Arab Positions

By YITZHAK SHARGIL

TEL AVIV (JTA) —
While politicians and dip-
lomats strive to regain the
fast-fading momentum to-
ward peace in the Middle
East, some of Israel's lead-
ing political scientists be-
lieve their success depends
on a correct assessment of
the fundamental interests
and attitudes of the Arab
states.
In the opinion of Prof.
Haim Shaked, head of Tel
Aviv University's Shiloah
Center for Middle East and
African Studies, Saudi
Arabia, despite its sparse
population, is fast becoming
something of a giant in
Middle East and world af-
fairs.
Saudi Arabia's vast fi-
nancial resources enable it
to serve as banker for many
of the Arab countries in se-
vere economic straits. The
American Administration
wishes to provide it with the
makings of a sophisticated
air force which Israel fears
would be aimed at itself.
Thus, the Saudis can
play a decisive role in
peace negotiations,
Shaked believes. So far,
he noted, they have
adopted ambivalent and
ambiguous positions
from which they could_
turn toward the ex-
tremist or moderate Arab
camp, depending on the
perception of future de-
velopments.
The Saudi line toward Is-
rael remains hard. They
demand Israel's return to its
1967 borders, the creation of
a Palestinian state and an
Arab Jerusalem. They con-

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FOR:

Egyptian Army stationed in
Sinai.
President Sadat suc-
ceeded during his last visit
in the U.S. and Western
Europe to persuade the
political leaders to support
the liquidation of these set-
tlements. This success has
put the Israeli government
in a tight spot.

And Ruth said: "Entreat
me not to leave thee, and to
return from following after
thee; for whither thou goest,
I will go; and where thou
lodgest, I will' lodge; thy
people shall be my people,
- and thy God my God;
"Where thou diest, will I
die, and there will I be
buried; the Lord saith so to
me, and more also, if aught
but death part thee and
me."
—Ruth 1:16-17

tinue to condemn the con-
cept of Zionism and have de-
clared their readiness to use
their oil resources as a
weapon. But the Saudis still
could accept a more moder-
ate position, Shaked be-
lieves.
Prof. Shimon Shamir,
also of the Shiloah Center,
sees Israel and Egypt shar-
ing many interests in com-
mon but separated by cer-
tain sharply divergent con-
ceptions.
Both countries are wary
of the potential threat of the
Palestine Liberation Or-
ganization to Mideast peace
and stability, both are
acutely conscious of the ter-
rible risks and dangers of
war and are interested in
keeping Soviet ihfluence
out of the region, Shamir
said. Where they part is on
the fundamental issue of Is-
rael's legitimacy.
From the Arab-
Egyptian point of view,
the establishment of Is-
rael has no historic or
moral justification and
was a gross injustice im-
posed upon the Arab

world.

In that light, President
Anwar Sadat's willingness
to recognize and accept Is-
rael was the most signific-
ant concession he could
have made and he is disap-
pointed that Israel refuses
to agree, in exchange, to
withdraw from all occupied
Arab territories and offer
the Palestinians self-
determination.
Israel considers its exis-
tence an established fact,
recognized by most of the
world and not dependent on
the sanction of Egypt or any
other country. Therefore,
the Israelis do not regard
Sadat's offer a "gift" that
warrants the kind of conces-
sions he demands, Shamir
said.
He believes that King
Hussein of Jordan is too
weak to play a dominant
role in determining the
political fate of the Palesti-
nians, much as he would
like to, and cannot make
any move without the prior
approval of the other Arab
states.
In order to obtain such

backing, he feels he must
demand conditions for
participating in the peace
process that Israel would
find difficult to accept.
Asher Susser, head of the
Jordanian desk at the
Shiloah Center, believes
much of Hussein's problem
lies in the attitude of Presi-
dent Hafez Assad of Syria.
Assad is a leading rejec-
tionist and his position in
the Arab world is improving
because Sadat's peace in-
itiative is stalled.

Prof. Itzamar Rabinowitz
believes, however, that
Sadat is aiming for a sepa -
rate agreement with Israel
but is trying to cover him-
self by creating cir-
cumstances which present
an image of failure despite
maximum efforts to secure a
comprehensive settlement.
By acknowledging fai-
lure, Sadat will be free to
reach a separate accord
with Israel on the best
terms Egypt can get,
Rabinowitz said.

Define Jewish Code of Laws

By RABBI SAMUEL FOX

(Copyright 1978, JTA, Inc.)

What we commonly refer
to as the "Shulkhan Arukh"
is the Code of Law put to-
gether by Rabbi Joseph
Karo in the 16th Century.
Current volumes of
work contain glossaries and
commentaries by many
rabbis which surround
Karo's text in the printed
editions.
The reason for using this
name is interesting, accord-
ing to various commen-
taries. The Midrash, in
commenting on a verse in
Exodus: "And these are the
laws which thou shalt set
before them" (Exodus 21:1)
states that the meaning
here is that the "laws shall
be arranged in a proper
order like a table which is
set" (Mehilta).

The expression "a table
which is set" is the He-
brew term "Shulkhan
Arukh." This means that
Jewish laws should be
edited and arranged so
that they can easily be re-
ferred to by the people.
Some try to associate this
expression with the
famous verse in the 23rd
Psalm "Thou preparest a
table before me...".
In this latter sense it
would be a gesture to instill
confidence in the individual
Jew who has to struggle
against temptation and er-

Lovely Thought

Instead of a gem or a
flower, cast the gift of a
lovely thought into the
heart of a friend.
—George MacDonald

rors to have a clear Code of
Law before him which he
can follow in trust.
Rashi defines the term as
meaning that the laws
would be so arranged so as
to be a ready reference "like
a table with everything
ready and prepared to eat."

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