THE JEWISH NEWS

MISHLoAcii MAtior

Incorporating The Detroit Jewish Chronicle commencing with the issue of July 20. 1951

Member American Association of English-Jewish Newspapers, Michigan Press Association, National Editorial Association.
Published every Friday •by The Jewish News Publishing Co., 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075
Second-Class Postage Paid at Southfield, Michigan and Additional Mailing Offices. Subscription $12 a year.

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor and Publisher

CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ
Business Manager

DREW LIEBERWITZ
Advertising Manager

ALAN HITSKY, News Edltor...HEIDI PRESS, Assistant News Editor

Sabbath Scriptural Selections

This Sabbath, the 16th day of Adar 5738, the following scriptural seketions will be read in our synagogues:
Pentateuchal portion, Leviticus 6:1-8:36. Prophetical portion, Jeremiah 7:21-8:3; 9:22-23.

Candle lighting, Friday, March 24, (LW p.m.

VOL. LXXIII, No. 3

Page Four

Friday, March 24, 1978

Arab and Russian Guilt

The Hatred of the Uncivilized

A pattern of brutality, pursued by the
enemies of Israel, remains the most puzzling
occurrence in modern times. The inhumanity of
man to man is the guideline of a murderous
program, and the beasts who are perpetrating
the crimes like the act of horror of March 11 on
the Tel Aviv-Haifa road remain unrepentant.
They justify their crimes and except for Presi-
dent Anwar Sadat of Egypt there was no re-
morse. On the contrary, all the other Arab
potentates gave their consent, loud as well as
tacit, to the horrors that shocked those who are
to be classed in civilized society.
President Jimmy Carter spoke his mind. The
Congress of the United States acted promptly in
a unanimity of indignation. But hate rules
among those who would destroy Israel.
The wholesale massacre by a band of beasts
was tragic enough. But why the distortions of
truth in the ranks of the supporters of the mur-
derers? Why the Russian position of endorse-
ment of the brutalities?
They used Russian weapons to murder inno-
cent people. This was not enough of evidence
involving Russian guilt. The news of the
tragedy itself was framed to assail Israel and to
lend approval of a crime reminiscent of Nazism.
A Reuters report from Moscow, datelined March
13, showed how the Russian people were misled
about the March 11 horror. The Reuters report
states:
MOSCOW, March 13 (Reuters) — The
Soviet Union publicized today the Palesti-
nian version of what happened in the raid
in Israel Saturday.
A report in Pravda, the Communist Party
daily, said an armed clash had occurred
near Tel Aviv between Palestinian parti-
sans and Israeli Army units. "In the course
of the shooting more than 30 soldiers were
killed," it said.
The report from Beirut, by the Soviet
press agency Tass, quoted the Palestine
press agency as its source.
But later Tass also quoted American
news agencies as saying the number of
dead and injured had exceeded 100, and
that "the partisans seized two buses with
passengers."
Referring to Israeli accounts of what
happened, Tass said, "Israeli propaganda
is trying to use this incident to discredit the
Palestinian resistance movement."
It is not the Russian people who are to be
blamed. It is the work of the Kremlin. The mo-
ment the rams of the Arab brutalities became
known, within hours of the March 11 massacre,
there was a protest. It was led by Andrei
Sakhgrov, the Nobel Prize winner, himself a
victim of Russian bigotries. The-protesters were
harrassed and beaten. At least there were some
protesting voices which exonerate the civilized
in Russian society. But official Russia is guilty
of collaboration with the murderers and this
fact should not be hidden.
The principle of fair play was in evidence in
this country. Commentators, news analysts,
political leaders spoke their minds and con-

demned the outrage. Yet there were those who
resorted to "ifs" and" "buts." If Israel were to do
this or that, some said, it might be different. A
crime is a crime, some said, but they added the
controversial "but." The truth is that no matter
what Israel might do the PLO includes in its
platform the plank for Israel's destruction, and
this must never be overlooked.
The "ifs" and "buts" give comfort to the accus-
ers who say that Israel mistreats her Arab-citi-
zens. The truth must so constantly be re-
emphasized that the contrary is the fact.
The truth is that Arabs in Israel have the
freedoms they would deny the Jews if they
lorded over them; that the standard of living of
Arabs in Israel is the highest among Arabs
everywhere; that Arabs from Gaza travel freely
to jobs provided for them in Israel; that there is
freedom to travel for Arabs who wish to visit
Israel.
Yet, the venom persists and Israel is sub-
jected to accusations which gain hearing—as in
the instance of an Arab from Michigan who
confessed to being a plotter against Israel but is
portrayed as an innocent, accused in a cam-
paign of slander.
Now Israel's enemies, and they have won all-
too-many adherents in this country, like to say
that Jews only will accept acts that are entirely
for Israel. There is a desire to negotiate and
Israel's Prime Minister Menahem Begin leads a
government that is craving for peace and sub-
mits to all forms of negotiations. Will the crimes
of Israel's would-be destroyers be placed on the
record in order that fair play may dominate
American public opinion based on truth?
Let there be a recognition of the uncivilized
tactics of Israel's enemies. It may hopefully lead
to a glorification of truth in defiance of hatreds.

The Venom at the UN

At the root of the difficulties in achieving an
accord among the nations for the fulfillment of
the objectives for peace is the very instrument
created for that purpose, the United Nations.
Had it not been for the animosities fostered
there, the PLO would not have been given ob-
server status at the UN, thus making it difficult
to oust the terrorists from this country.
It is the combination of the Soviet Union and
the Arabs, with the encouragement of the Third
World whose attitudes have been poisoned by
the enemies of Israel, that is responsible for the
troubles brewing there.
That is how the PLO gets a platform —
primarily with the aid of the USSR.
In spite of the immediacy of public knowledge
about the horror that was perpetrated by the
PLO murderers on the road to Tel Aviv on
March 11, the Russian news agencies resorted
to the shocking distortion of publicizing the
PLO claim that 33 Israeli "soldiers" were the
assassinated. This is the manner in which the
enemies of Israel operate. And the UN is their
medium for hatred. That's at the root of the
tragedy.

Wolfson Essays Reissued;
Tribute by Prof. Twersky

Harry Austryn Wolfson (1887-1974) was the most revered Hebraist
of the past half-century in the American academic circles. He was the
philosopher and author, the linguist whose emphasis on Hebraic lore
made him the guide for teachers as well as students.
The re-publication of his two essays "What is New in Philo?" and
"Spinoza and the Religion of the Past" (Behrman House) gave occa-

sion to another noted scholar, the contemporary Nathan Littauer
Professor of Hebrew Literature and

Philosophy at Harvard University,
Dr. Isadore Twersky, to pay deserved
tribute to Wolfson in an introductory
essay in which he stated:
"A review of Wolfson's work rivets
attention on one overriding feature —
its monumentality. There is a heroic
dimension to the scope and substance
of his achievement, which rests not
only on solid learning but on intellec-
tual daring, resourcefulness, and im-
aginativeness.
"Starting as a student of medieval
Jewish philosophy (his first published
article, growing out of an under-
graduate paper written at Harvard,
was "Maimonides and HaLevi: A
Study in Typical Jewish Attitudes
PROF. WOLFSON Toward Greek Philosophy in the Mid-
dle Ages"), Wolfson proceeded to burst the recognized bounds of

specialized, sometimes provincial, scholarship, and then, patiently

k

but vigorously, to bring within his purview the entire history of
philosophy, moving with verve, aplomb, and delicacy from pre-
Socratics to neo-Kantians, from Greek atomists to American prag-
matists.
He was fascinated and stimulated by the challenge of understand-
ing and unraveling the origin, structure, and diversity of philosophic
systems; his sustained response to this challenge — simultaneously
erudite and imaginative — produced the pageantry and vitality of his
wide-ranging scholarship."

`Biblical and Historical
Background of Holy Days'

Fullest understanding of the Sabbath and Jewish festivals is pro-
vided in "The Biblical and Historical Background of the Jewish Holy
Days" by Rabbi Abraham P. Bloch.

Extensively researched with emphasis on the origins of the festival
observances and the basic principles of the Sabbath as the day of rest
for man and beast, Rabbi Bloch describes the influence of the festival
observances as spiritual forces in Jewish life.

His emphasis on the roots of the festival observances as delineated
in Bible and Talmud gives special importance to this most informa-
tive volume.

Rabbi Bloch declares that the festivals form a body of ritual
"through which Jews have traditionally related to God and to society.
They have also been instrumental in introducing a sharply focused
awareness of historic links to the past."

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