2 f Friday, Apill '28; 1918• ' THE DEIROINEIVISHI NEWS Purely Commentary Ezer Weizman to Anwar Sadat: Facts of Life from Israel • An old Yiddish story about the rabbi, his disputants and his wife doesn't really apply to the Middle East. The old Yiddish chestnut relates to the rabbi who told one disput- ant he was right, then pleased the adversary that he, too, was right, and when the rebetzin, who listened in, asked, "how could they both be right?," said to her, "du bist oikh gerekht" — "You also are correct." Someone has to be right in the Arab-Israel dispute, and just because Anwar Sadat bewitched Washington and Lon- don and Paris and Bonn and Vienna doesn't mean that he is altogether right in all his claims. There is the Menahem Begin side and that of the majority in the Knesset who backed him; and even some extremists who had gone so far afield as to confer with the PLO are beginning to grant that the Begin proposals for self-rule for the Palestinians, as opposed to the Sadat self-determination demand has merits. Example: Israeli General (Ret.) Mattityahu Peled, who approved of meetings with PLO spokesmen and actually conferred with them, wrote on the subject of the PLO and the Begin plan to the N.Y. Times, stating: • I don't advocate that Israel should "endow" the Palestinians with a state, but that we, the Is- raelis, should let them exercise their right of self- determination. • I do not think "it is not a good idea to invite the PLO to peace talks." I maintain that in order to be eligible to participate in such talks the PLO should observe in practice the following two principles: (a) that all states in the Middle East have a right to exist in peace; (b) that all parties to the conflict should abstain from violence in order to allow peace talks to be conducted. This is the line which the moderates in the PLO have been advocating for some years and which is in fact embodied in Security Council Resolutions 242 and 338. It is now clear that the PLO has fi- nally rejected this policy, and it has therefore be- come futile to advocate inviting the PLO to par- ticipate in any peacemaking forum. • I do not welcome any plan for "limited self- rule on the West Bank." I feel, however, that Mr. Begin's idea of a Palestinian autonomy to be exer- cised for a number of years on the West Bank and the Gaza Strip can be a useful step toward even- tual Palestinian self-determination. Well, there have been many confusing comments about the Begin-Sadat controversies and always there is the as- sertion in the media not-so-friendly to Israel that Sadat gave everything (didn't he pay a visit to the Knesset in Jerusalem?) and receives nothing in return. Sadat was even quoted that Begin-the-intransigent is a tough one to deal with and he would have done better with the Israel Minister of Defense Ezer Weizman. Let us, therefore call Ezer — Sadat refers to him so intimately — as witness to testify for Israel. Time magazine interviewed him and Weizman related the facts as he told them to Sadat. In his Time interview he referred to his meeting with Sadat in Cairo early this month and he informed Time that he outlined the Israel case to the Egyptian president as follows: For President Sadat to come to Israel was some- thing magnificent. But as a result of this euphoria, he expected that any- thing that he said or wished must be done. I told him seven weeks ago in Aswan, and I hope he will excuse me if I repeat some- thing I told him there, "President Sadat, what you did by coming to Jerusalem I usu- ally refer to as the Weizman and Sadat equivalent of the act of the first man landing on the moon." He enjoyed this very much. But then I told him, "But Mr. President, the first man on the moon came back down to earth. The problem now is how can everyone return to earth and stop orbiting. I think you have to realize, the Egyptians have to realize, that you cannot forget 30 years of misunderstand- ing, 30 years of hard battles." In any peace agreement we shall have to bear in mind the security problems of Israel. I had the dubious pleasure the morning of May 13, 1948, of having a Jordanian column trying to cut the With So Much Confusion Reigning Over the Middle East Issues in Government Circles, It is Heartening to Have a Lesson in Facts of Life Given by Weizman to Sadat country in half. I wouldn't like that to happen again. When President Sadat, in Ismailia, . got a little annoyed with me and said, "Ezer, this doesn't go through, I'll have you chased all over the world." I replied, "Please, Mr President, the first time I started chasing you was 20 kilometers south of Tel Aviv in May 1948, and look where we are now. Let's not start chasing each other again." The Egyptians did a 90° turn in their policy by coming here and offering us peace. We did a 90° turn by going all the way toward them in Sinai and some of the way in the West Bank. People always claim that from a security point of view, perhaps we are exaggerating. I would like to re- mind you that we are three million, surrounded by about 100 million. It's very interesting to be part of a three million population surrounded di- rectly by 70 million to 80 million and be branded an aggressor. It's a very good compliment, but I wish we didn't have it. The West Bank was never a sovereign part of Jordan. The U.S. never recognized the annexa- tion. The Gaza strip was never a sovereign part of Egypt. Egypt doesn't want it, doesn't claim it. Egypt says, and President Carter says, that they don't want a Palestinian state on the West Bank. So to whom should we return it? Why can't we talk about some common effort to rule, to govern, to administer the West Bank? Isn't there some logic in Israel's proposal for autonomy for the West Bank, since it has never been functionally part of either Jordan or Israel? Ever since we started in 1948, our air force has had priority targets — for bombing Egypt, Libya, all over the place, even to the U.S.! (Laughter.) We never had such targets in Saudi Arabia, because its wealth is all east of the Persian Gulf and we had no reason to attack them. But now there is the Tabuk airbase, about 180 miles from Eilat — in the middle of miles and miles and miles of sand. Why is it there? Not to defend Saudi Arabia, but to be able to take part in a battle against Israel. So why should the U.S. sell them the most sophisticated war toys while we are in the middle of peace negotiations? I don't want to be critical of Hussein, he's got problems. He's a King, and who am Ito criticize Kings? I've never met him — not secretly, not clandestinely, but I hope to meet him some day. I think he made a few mistakes. I think he made a mistake- when he attacked us in '67. I think he made a mistake when he did not attack us in '73. I think he made a mistake when he didn't come to see Sadat in Jerusalem in '77. But what does he claim about 1967? On the morning of June 5, we sent a message to Hussein through the good offices of the UN: "Don't start and we won't" When the shooting began, there was no plan for attacking the West Bank. The next thing we knew, he was shooting at (Israeli) Jerusalem, at the civilian quarters. When we took the West Bank. Hussein said, "But Nasser told me that you were burning." Among us Jews there are differences of opinion —on tactics, on principles. But you'd be surprised how united we can be. All the rumors now are that people are ambushing Prime Minister Begin, but he has gone through many ambushes in his life. He went through Siberia, Poland, the British period, and he will live through this period too. People forget why we moved into the Sinai in 1967. The straits were closed, the Egyptian army marched into the Sinai with 800 tanks, the whole world sat back and said, "It was very nice know- ing you for 19 years." No one came to help us. King Hussein signed an alliance with Nasser, may his soul rest in peace. General Gamassy told me that from the Egyptian point of view, 1967 was a great mistake. How do I know that, when I come to an agreement with them and go back to the 1967 borders, that one day there will be not good Gamassy but a bad Gamassy, that there'll be a different president who will think that his agree- ment with us is wrong? We are willing to take phenomenal risks. But let's not forget what has happened in the last 30 years. I believe there is more than a chance (for peace), but I would't like people to believe that there is an easy way and a simple way. Pause, please. Check on all the confusions that were given notoriety in the media — much of that information having been spiced with anti-Israeli poison — and match the anti-Israel, pro-Sadat declarations with the position outlined by Weizman. In the name of justice, the Weiz- man statement, which must be judged as an official Israeli assertion, can not be ignored. But it is not treated properly. Therefore, these journalistic alliterations are an appeal By Philip Slomovitz that the Israeli offers for peaceful negotiations should not be ignored and abused at the same time. This sounds like a contradiction but that's how the issue is being treated: by being ignored when facts speak louder than the Cairean demands and are abused because of a sort of gang-up on . Begin. It took a long time to effect dramatization of the Holocaust. Perhaps it must take long also to assure the need for justice for Israel. `Operation Thunderbolt': Superb Entebbe Action Film Much has been written, many films have been made, describing the courage of the Entebbe rescue. The latest Israel-made film, "Operation Thunderbolt," gives a new perspective to the historic event. Brilliantly directed by Menahem Golan, enacted by an able cast, the new film, due to open here May 10 at the Maple III Theaters, has the high merit of accuracy and of enactment of all the events that marked a continuity of tensions and of threatened immense tragedy that was averted because there was courage in Israel and a determination that Jews will not be sacrificed like cattle under threat of terrorism. Coming here soon after the TV Holocaust program which depicted savagery that remained unchallenged for more than a decade, "Operation Thunderbolt" has the contrary appeal to a generation that adopts the slogan - Never Again." The lesson of the Holocaust is the noteworthy Israeli film. The evidences of the Nazi terror were among both the hijacking terrorists, who included German. and the hijacked, among whom were survivors from the concen- tration camps. The lesson is a clear one. It is one of resis- tance and - Operation Thunderbolt," which must been seen by all who appreciate the courage of the resistance, adds strength to the refusal to yield to tyranny. Irma Lindheim, Remarkable Lady With Pioneering Spirit Irma Lindheim was a remarkable lady, with a pioneering spirit. The mere fact that she was Henrietta Szold's suc- cessor to the presidency of Hadassah is emphasis on her early association with the Zionist movement. She has played a leading role in the affairs of the Zionist Organization of America and later joined the Labor Zionist Movement. This, too, was a natural for her, since she had settled in pre-Israel Palestine with her five children and continued her Zionist work in Israel and in contacts with Zionists in the United States from her home in Mishmar HaEmek. Mrs. Lindheim defied many obstacles. There were tragedies in her life, but there was courage in her heart and she hurtled many obstacles. Israel and Zionism were the chief concerns of this in- teresting woman who carried on many traditions, includ- ing those of the philanthropies of the Guggenheims from whom she was descended. Hadassah, Israel, Zionism owe her a great debt. The Jewries of Israel and the U.S. respect her labors and honor her memory. A Salute to Native Detroiter Irwin Field, New UJA Chairman An unusual mark of recognition for devoted labors for Israel goes to the native Detroiter, Irwin S. Field. His election to the national chairmanship of the United Jewish Appeal evidences the important role played by the younger generation in tasks for Israel, for world Jewry and in the ranks of the devoted who had their training here. Irwin Field follows in the footsteps of his parents, the Walter Fields. He was among the pioneers in the Young Leadership ranks of the UJA and the recognition given him as the selectee for the-major post in the philanthropic func- tions in Israel's behalf denotes that the realistic leadership planning is bearing fruit. A congratulatory message to Irwin Field makes the Greater Detroit Jewish community, the Allied Jewish Campaign and the Jewish Welfare Fed- eration partners in the national acclaim for the accom- plishments of constituency that ranks impressively. Nazism Without the `Neo' Menace of the Rising Tide Christians wearing the Yellow Star are providing a measure of comfort that the re-emerging Hitlerian menace will be rejected and will be effectively exposed. Yet there is an apparent problem in treating the revived bigotry as neo"-Nazism. Under such terminology the apparent danger of a growing Nazism has been estimated as an exaggeration. Concerned Germans in West Germany maintain that only a handful of anti-Semites are involved in demonstrative movements to revive Nazi ideology. In reality, the reborn Hitlerites do not even wish to be called "neo" Nazis. They insist they are Nazis. It is as such that their emergence into public life must be judged. They are the outright inheritors of the Hitler menace. They ad- vocate savagery. It is as such that they must be treated. Perhaps this is a new period in history to say: beware!