2 Friday, September 1, 1918
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
`To Bigotry No Sanction' Also
Applies as an American
Policy in Anti-Israelism
When George Washington addressed the then small
community of Jews in this country with an assurance of "to
bigotry no sanction," he established a policy for the genera.
tions to come. The first President's motto now also is being
applied to the persecutions of all peoples in the Soviet
Union and in Latin American countries and finds an echo
in a declaration explaining the withdrawal of U.S. partici-
pation in the UN-sponsored of U.S. Conference to Combat
Racism and Discrimination because it is demonstrating
anti-Jewish prejudices at the Geneva sessions.
A conference called to combat bias is in itself the most
biased of world gatherings because of the anti-Jewish and
anti-Israel roles of Third World and Soviet delegations who
are under the spell of oil-rich Arab countries.
The American withdrawal from the Geneva conference
sessions is explained in a memo from the White House. The
media liaison at the White House issued a statement which
adds significantly to the campaign for human rights sup-
ported by President Carter. The official U.S. statement
reads:
Representatives of many nations are meeting in
Geneva in a World Conference to Combat Racism
and Racial Discrimination.
The conference marks the mid-point of the UN
Decade for Action to Combat Racism and Racial
Discrimination, a Decade whose initiation the
United States strongly supported. But the United
States is unable to participate in this potentially
important conference, although we will monitor
the proceedings, because the definition of "ra-
cism" has been perverted for political ends by
including Zionism as one of its forms. The U.S.
cannot associate itself with the Decade so long as
it endorses the patently false definition of Zionism
as a form of racism.
Instead we hope that this conference will return
to the original purpose of the Decade, so that we
might rejoin this international effort to eliminate
racism throughout the world. We will work
towards this end because we know the challenge
that racism poses, and for more than a century we
Timely and Important Official U.S. Declarations
Emphasize Human Rights Commitments, Explain
State Department's Findings on Torture Charges
have struggled to heal its scars. We know our
goals have not been fully accomplished, yet we
are encouraged and deeply committed to them.
Domestically and internationally, we will con-
tinue to pursue this great common purpose in the
context of other uncompromised efforts.
We call on all nations to respect the original
objectives of the United Nations Decade Against
Racism and to resist efforts that distort its pur-
pose and erode its moral force.
In a sense, this statement is not only a condemnation of
anti-Semitic and anti-Israel tendencies. It could serve as a
rebuke to the countries not aligned with the anti-Israel
attitudes of the pro-Arab and Communist-inspired prop-
agandists for not following the American position of refus-
ing to participate in confabs which generate hatred.
Americans can take pride for a position of decency pur-
sued by their government in a vital issue involving distor-
tion of truth by instigators of international hatreds.
The Charge of Torture and an
Official U.S. Explanation
Accusations charging Israel with torturing Arab pris-
oners often begins to sound as if they are part of an or-
ganized lobbying campaign to injure Israel's image in the
world, especially in the United States.
Exemplary of the extent of this sort of propaganda is the
article by Georgie Anne Geyer syndicated by the Los
Angeles Times.
In one of her articles Miss Geyer wrote:
The treatment of prisoners is getting worse. The
U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv, for instance, two
months ago submitted, with the highest "confi-
dential" rating, its first report on Israeli torture.
Called "Jerusalem 1500," the report came out of
interviews with two dozen Palestinians applying
to the Jerusalem consulate for visas.
As one official in Washington told me: "It is
utterly damning. For the first time we have con-
stant corroboration from sources that could not
possibly know one another of the same inter-
rogators and the same methods being used."
This sounds like an imprimatur in anti-Israel accusa-
tions, as an indictment of the Israel government by the
United States.
By Philip
Slomovitz
It would be cause for serious concern if that were true. In
behalf of Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, Morris Draper,
deputy assistant secretary, Bureau of Near Eastern and
South Asian Affairs, clarified the issue in a statement to
this commentator, stating:
As one aspect of the United States' strong com-
mitment to promoting human rights in foreign
affairs, every Foreign Service post around the
world has a responsibility for reporting on human
rights matters in its area. The Consulate General
in Jerusalem is no exception. It is not our practice,
however, to confirm or deny the existence of par-
ticular diplomatic messages.
You may nonetheless recall that in this year's
Report to the Congress on Human Rights Condi-
tions in Countries Receiving U.S. Assistance, the
Department stated that "We know of no evidence
to support allegations that Israel follows a consis-
tent practice or policy of using torture during in-
terrogations. However, there are documented re-
ports of the use of extreme physical and
psychological pressures during interrogation,
and instances of brutality by individual inter-
rogators cannot be ruled out." We have on appro-
priate occasions discussed this and other human
rights matters with Israeli officials at all levels of
that government.
This hardly sounds like an indictment. It must be judged
as an objective view of normal conditions. Even under the
most stringent democratic rules and practices, there is
never the fullest protection against abuses of prisoners.
There are Sephardic Jews who have suffered at the hands of
Arabs, and there is ever the danger that one who has
suffered from a former fellow countryman, so many Jews
having lost their possessions as expellees from Arab lands,
might become abusive.
This is not the rule in a land as democratic as Israel, as
fair in its legislative policies as the Jewish state. Students
of Israel's policies know the fairness of its legal procedures.
Abuses are deplorable and Israel punishes the abusers.
Where there is laxity it should be corrected and Israel's
friends will demand that corrections be instituted in such
instances. But the campaign of accusation against Israel on
all counts is deplorable and must be condemned at all costs.
Jerusalem's Popular Mayor Kollek Will Not Play Favorites
By MOSHE RON
The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent
TEL AVIV —The energe-
tic mayor of Jerusalem,
Teddy Kollek, is often
criticized by the Jews and
Arabs of Jerusalem. Jews
claim he does too much for
the Arab population. Arabs
of the Old City claim that
the municipal services in
the Arab quarter are in-
ferior to those in the Jewish
quarters. Others ask the
mayor, why after the reu-
nion 11 years ago there are
still "boundaries" between
the Arab and Jewish quar-
ters?
Kollek explains that no-
body can expect these
"boundaries" to vanish eas-
ily in the present political
circumstances. Kollek
threatened before the visit
of U.S. Vice President Wal-
ter Mondale, that if the
guest would not pay an offi-
cial visit to East Jerusalem,
he would boycott all recep-
tions for him.
The population of
Jerusalem is mixed. The
boundaries between Jews
and Arabs were not created
in the War of Independence
in 1948. They have existed
at least 100 years.
preserve its special fea-
tures.
Kollek points to great
successes in the unification
of the population. He is re-
. ceived warmly by the Arabs
of the Old City, especially
by the youngsters. "I wish I
would be received in the
same way by some Jewish
groups and sectors," he said.
"The Arabs of the Old City
pay great respect to me. But
they tell me that other lead-
ers of Jerusalem do not.
understand their problems.
I keep patient in listening to
their requests and com-
plaints. Unfortunately,
others in the Municipal
Council lack such patience.
"I naturally prefer my
Jewish brothers to the
Arabs, but I treat them with
respect and honor and try
my best to transfer these
feelings to my colleagues. I
care for equal rights of my
Jewish and Arab inhabi-
tants. To educate the
Jewish inhabitants in the
same spirit will be a long
process."
Kollek explained, "It is
not my task to bring
about peace in the Middle
East. My goal is limited:
to reach a peaceful
coexistence between
Jews and Arabs in
Jerusalem."
There are also "bound.
aries" between the
Jewish population of the
city, like between the in-
Kollek complains, that
habitants of Mea
Shearim and inhabitants the Israeli government
of other quarters. Kollek does not extend sufficient
says he wants each reli- financial aid for the de-
gious community to velopment of Jerusalem.
He proudly points out
that East Jerusalem is con-
nected with the common
water system of the city. In
the Arab public libraries
there are 15,000 readers.
Eleven years ago there were
only 600. There is a post
natal clinic in the Old City
now and planted parks in
the Arab quarters. But the
Arabs argue that they are
still discriminated against
in comparison with the
Jewish quarters.
Arab quarters to lessen
the danger to the nearby
Jewish quarter.
Kollek expressed his
disappointment from the
Ministerial Committee
for developing
Jerusalem. He said that
when he visits the Jewish
quarters the inhabitants
complain. But he is push-
ing deveropment in the
Kollek, who will be run-
ning for re-election soon, is
highly popular and is ex-
pected to be re-elected eas-
ily despite the complaints
from the various segments
of his constituency that he is
doing too much for the other
segments.
Group Aiding Retarded Plans Member, Education Drive
The Association for the
Jewish Retarded will em-
bark upon a membership
and public education cam-
paign in the next month, it
was announced this week by
Sharon Alterman, associa-
tion president.
Parents and relatives of
retarded persons, as well as
synagogues, organizations
and individuals who are in-
terested. in the problems of
retarded citizens, are in-
vited to join the AJR, Mrs.
Alterman said.
The group is a nonprofit
organization whose aim is
to enrich the lives of men-
tally retarded persons
within the Detroit Jewish
community and to provide a
service support system for
their families.
Through the estab-
lishment of residences
called Haverim
("Friends") Homes the
association enables re-
tarded individuals to
grow in independence
and to take pride in being
an important part of a
family unit.
AJR helps parents and
families to deal with the
problems of raising a special
child. Couples with a re-
tarded child still in infancy
or of pre-school age are
especially sought by the
association, which offers as-
sistance to young parents.
These services include re-
ferral contacts with agen-
cies that deal with the prob-
lems of retarded persons
and their families; parent-
- to-parent contacts to lend
moral support and assis-
tance in problem-solving;
and monthly meetings and
newsletters providing up-
to-date information on de-
velopments in community
services for retarded per-
sons.
Coupled with the sup-
portive services of voca-
tional rehabilitation
agencies and the other
social and recreational
outlets available in the
community, establish.
ment of such residential
facilities would help re-
tarded persons achieve
independence and a
sense of self-worth.
The first Haverim Home,
on Evergreen Road in De-
troit, was established seven
years ago and has been cited
as a model of stability in the
area. Six persons, all of
them holding responsible
jobs, live in the residence
together with housepa-
rents. A second Haverim
Home has been established
in the Oak Park area.
For membership informa-
tion and a brochure on the
Association for the Jewish
Retarded — or to arrange
for a speaker — contact AJR
Executive Director Joyce
Keller, 24525 Southfield
Road, Suite 107, Southfield,
Michigan 84075, phone
557 - 7650.
The association was
founded in 1969. A group of
Jewish parents, acting out
of concern for the residents
of public institutions and
the dire conditions of exist-
ing group homes, decided
that they must try to create
home-like residential
facilities for retarded citi-
zens in a Jewish environ-
At the same time, the ment.
A Sabbath meal is enjoyed by the residents of
Haverim Home, a residential facility for high-
functioning retarded adults under the auspices of the
Association for the Jewish Retarded.