2 bee 16, 1978
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
An Appeal to the Media: When Platform Is Granted Those
Seeking Israel's Destruction, There Should Be A Limit
to Dignifying Terrorists . . . Deserved Acclaim for Stollmans
Strike at Israel's Enemies
When They Raise Ugly Heads
By Philip
Slomovitz
• In recent years every NCC governing board
meeting has been preceded by internal bureauc-
ratic power plays aimed at criticizing Israel. This
year, for instance, a concerted effort was made to
bring in an extremely one-sided report attacking
Israel on the question of human rights. That one
did not make it to the governing board — yet. In
my experience the dynamics at work when such
issues are raised within the NCC establishment
are not very conducive to civil discourse not to
mention ecumenical dialogue.
• The resolution to which The Times referred
originated in the council's Commission on Jus-
tice, Liberation and Human Fulfillment. This
commission, organized to represent the concerns
of oppressed people, has unfortunately estab-
lished a consistent record of condemning cruel-
ties only when perpetrated by countries selected
along racial and /or ideological lines. This has not
helped the credibility of the National Council of.
Churches.
There has been much reasoning with Israel's enemies,
even with those whose platform is the eventual total de-
struction of Israel. What does one do with the couple of
articles in the Detroit News, June 1 and 2, the first based on
half-truths, the other on outrageous recital of Arab lies and
a vicious space-granting to a spokesman for another genoc-
idal program for Jewry?
It is the Ryan article that was especially bad and unde-
serving of the hitherto commendable reportorial work of
the Detroit News writer. He fell into a trap set for him by
people who tell you Israel does not have the right to live.
Only the Arabs, oiled by immense wealth and now encour-
aged by energy-frightened legislators, would like the world
to believe the historically restored Holy Land, Eretz Yis-
rael, belongs only to them and that a prime minister who
fought for the liberty of his people must be judged as Polish!
There ought to be an end to such propaganda, and there
should be a sense of responsibility for the media to know
where to draw the line when Arab propaganda for the
destruction of Israel is offered as a dish for correspondents
• Whenever in recent years concerns were
seeking notoriety and sensationalism.
raised in the council about anti-Semitism, the
FRIEDA AND MAX STOLLMAN
Let there be a new challenge to the would-be mass mur-
Holocaust or the emergence of neo-Nazi move-
In all these tasks, Frieda Stollman was always at the side
derers! Let there be a demand upon Anwar Sadat to say
ments, attempts have been made either to
of husband and brother-in-law, traveling to many com-
bluntly whether he approves of the planting of bombs in
trivialize them or to neutralize them by gratuitous
munities
to organize women's chapters for American
buses used by innocent people, often by tourists in Israel!
remarks that were supposed to present a more
Friends of Bar-Ilan University and assisting the parent
They say, these PLO-supporters, that they are at war with
balanced picture. The recent governing board
organization in its efforts to enroll American support for
Israel. When they terrorized, was it ever against Israel's
meeting passed a resolution expressing concern
the university.
army? Wasn't it to murder innocent women and children,
about neo-Nazi activities in America only after
innocent men at work on their farms?
Bar-Ilan is not the only beneficiary of Stollman family
assurances had been given that a statement on the
Now the PLO seeks a way, while encouraging mass mur- generosities. Phillip and Max Stollman initiated the
Ku Klux Klan would be issued as well! It took a
ders of innocents, to give the impression that they are Stollman Israel Scholarship fund which recently was cre-
suspension of the rules to achieve that.
moderates, that they seek peace. For the record, let the dited by Eliezer Shmueli, Israel Minister of Education, as
• The refusal to accept the recommendation of
having provided for 375 students trained in 29 Israeli
following be known and circularized widely:
the board's Reference Committee which men-
PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat to al-Iska (Kuwaiti
boarding schools. Had it not been for these scholarships, the
tioned
the fact that men, women and children
students would have dropped out and might have become a
Weekly), April 11, 1978: "I am not a man of settle-
were "wantonly killed or maimed" in the terrorist
problem for the country.
ments, nor of concessions. I will fight until every inch
attack
on
Israel as well as during the invasion of
of Palestine is returned . . .1 expect a new war, a fifth
Shmueli has reported that 5,500 students were pre-
Lebanon offers a sad commentary on the coun-
war in the Middle East . . . This is a revolution of
vented from becoming dropouts as a result of the boarding
cil's professed desire to present a balanced pic-
liberation and not a revolution of concessions . . . We
school program the Ministry of Education has initiated.
ture of issues. Also, as your reporter pointed out,
It is by aiding such programs that the Stollmans have
shall not give up an inch of our lands."
the debate on the resolution condemning Israel
Khaled el-Fahum, chairman of the Palestine
inscribed their names indelibly in the highest ranks of
was postponed till the final session, when many
National Council to the Quatari paper El-Arab,
cultural and spiritual movements in Israel.
delegates had left.
"Any
Palestinian
land
which
can
be
May 26, 1977:
liberated belongs to the Palestinian nation, which
Challenge to National Council
The National Council of Churches has lost the
must create upon it the Palestinian state, on condition
confidence of vast numbers of the 40 million
of Churches on Israel Issue
that this does not bring recognition (ofIsrael)or peace.
Christians it claims to represent, and a growing
Many church groups are actively aligned with the friends
I want a Palestinian state in every part of Palestine
number of them are refusing to support this sort
of Israel. Catholics and Protestants alike have come forth
and I am strongly opposed to the concession of any part
of charade. Unfortunately, "true believers" tend
with comfort for the embattled Jewish state during dis-
of the land of Palestine."
to be convinced that the decline of the organiza-
putes over Israel's security.
Decent people can not, must not, encourage the new type
tion for which they profess to speak is proof posi-
Yet one of the powerful groups in Christendom, the Na-
tive of the prophetic contribution they are making
of propaganda, even if it gains space in reputable papers
tional Council of Churches, has been antagonistic. Why?
like the Detroit News. Encouragement to genocide, to
to church and society. In the meantime, so much
Perhaps the explanatory letter to the New York Times by
another Holocaust has no place in the society of honorable
worthwhile ecumenical work is being .jeopar-
Isaac C. Rottenberg, director of communications for the
dized by the manipulations of a few. Methinks it's
Americans, and the American people must hear this mes- Reform Church in America, will throw light on the subject.
time
for a loyal opposition to speak up.
sage.
Quoting Rottenberg:
No matter how diffiCult the task of preventing the spread
The position of the National Council of Churches re-
Your
report
(May
13)
on
the
National
Council
of
of the venom that is being printed, the propaganda financed
mains a puzzle when viewed in the context of the total
Churches' resolution condemning Israel's use of
with Arab oil, there must not be silence in the battle
community. It is reasonable to believe that most Christians
"cluster bombs" in Lebanon once again raises a
against the destroyers of Israel.
who are inspired by Prophecy support Israel's historic role.
fundamental question about that organization:
The National Conference of Christians and Jews, notably
Many are writing to the newspapers, are calling in their
Will its actions be determined by broad ecumeni-
its local arm, the Detroit Round Table, takes a strong stand
protests. Let it continue! The right to live is as much Israel's
cal principals or by narrow racial and/or ideolog-
in defense of the Israel position historically and in the light
as anyone else's and any effort to undermine the existence
ical perspectives? Personally, I would have been
of international commitments. The enmity in the National
of sovereign Israel's existence must continue to meet with
quite willing to add my signature to the resolution
Council of Churches ranks is deplorable. Perhaps there will
rebukes and the condemnations of every peace-loving per-
if it were not so obviously part of a persistent
be action within the ranks of the lay Christian community
son, here, in the Middle East, everywhere!
anti-Israel propaganda campaign within the
to assure a change in unfriendliness where kindness to
council.
Israel should predominate.
Let me elaborate by pointing out the following:
Bar-Ilan's Benefactors: Unusual
Honor for the Stollman Family
In this season of convocations and graduations, when
numerous honorary degrees will be awarded to people of
eminence, a noteworthy departure from usual procedures
will be the selection of a husband-wife team for a merged
honor at a single ceremony, to be recipients of the Doctor of
Humane Letters degree.
Bar-Ilan University will express appreciation for im-
measurable services to Frieda and Max Stollman at the
convocation next Tuesday in Ramat Gan. The progressive
Israel religious-oriented university will echo in the presen-
tations to the Stollmans the huge regard for a family that is
credited with having the kreatest share in its creation.
It is inseparable from the labors and pioneering of Phillip
Stollman, who already holds an Honorary Doctorate from
Bar-Ilan and who presently is global chairman of the Uni-
versity's board of directors. Phillip and his brother Max
were the first to establish a dormitory at Bar-Ilan. A few
years later they financed the construction of the administ-
ration building. In the interim they provided for hundreds
of scholarships and were especially instrumental in the
advancement of extention courses under Bar-Ilan auspices
for students from Oriental and Moslem countries and for
high school students from disadvantaged families.
The 60 Years of Keren Kayemet in Detroit
Sixty years of Jewish National Fund — Keren Kayemet
l'Israel — activities in Detroit truly represent the chronicl-
ing of Jewish history in this community.
JNF was always viewed as the fund of the populace, as
the most popular of the tasks of the Zionist movement. Theo
idea of "a penny a day is the JNF way" originated with the
founder of the JNF, Prof. Hermann Schapira of Heidelberg,
who believed, back in 1901 when the fund was established,
that if Jews gave a penny a day for the dedemption of
Palestine, the Zionist idea would be fulfilled. At that time it
was realism.
Sixty years ago JNF activities were limited to Blue and
White Box collections then conducted by the elderly Zena
Ehrlich and by means of Flag and Flower Day incomes
supervised by another volunteer, R.A. Scheinman.
Since then the fund has developed and grown, many
forests have been planted, settlements have been estab-
lished, swamps have been drained and the emergence of
statehood has been linked with the JNF in all the aspects of
nationhood.
In recent years, Florence and Charles Milan have played
notable roles in JNF. They have planted a forest, joined in
creating playgrounds and now a settlement will be en-
hanced with their names with the formal action to be taken
at the dinner in their honor next Wednesday. They have
earned well the honor accorded them on the 60th anniver-
sray of JNF in Detroit.
Deplorable incident •
The Sami Esmail incident in Israel is a cause for regret.
There is little cause to doubt the , guilt of the MSU student.
Nevertheless, the dragging out of the case is realistically
deplored. Would that the Israeli courts had avoided what
seems to have developed into a scandal. ,
But in the case there were charges that Israel tortures
prisoners. This has been refuted. -The facts as they were
ascertained by qualified students of conditions in Israel
will be related next week.
Those facts, involving a complete. history of the Esmail
case and touching upon the scurrilous charges of alleged
"brutalities" lodged against Israeli authorities in almost all
cases of captured terrorists; were authoritatively re-
searched and publicized by two distinguished American
law professors.