American Nazi Groups Were Major Concern of U.S. Jews in 1978
NEW YORK — American Jews worried more about a resurgence of Nazi groups last
year than any other issue relating to domestic Jewish security. The intense Jewish
reaction to a series of Nazi activities in Skokie and elsewhere came at a time when
anti-Sem' ,ism and anti-Jewish discrimination in this country are at their lowest in more
than three' decades.
These were among the findings of two analyses on "Individual Freedom and Jewish
Security" — one from a national perspective and one from a local perspective — made
public by the National Jewish Community Relations Advisory Council. While they also
discuss the pros and cons of such issues as a national constitutional convention, govern-
ment surveillance of private citizens, reporter "shield" laws, and pre-screening controv-
ersial television programs, the major portion of both papers deals with the Nazis.
Intermarriage
and 'Parental
Permissiveness'
Brzezinski
in a Message
of Cheer for •
Israel and Jewry
According to Albert D. Chernin, executive vice chairman of the NJCRAC, the
analyses Confirm past assessments that instances of anti-Jewish prejudice will
continue to surface every year and that while Jews must remain constantly alert
to the threat of anti-Semitism, even more important is vigilance against threats to
democratic institutions. "What complicates the issue of American Nazis," he
said, "is the traditional Jewish dedication to freedom of speech and to the First
Amendment itself, which are so vital to the interests of the Jewish community."
The reports, 'Prepared for the NJCRAC by Samuel Rabinove, legal director of the
American Jewish Committee, and Norman A. Stack, executive director of the Jewish
Community Relations Council of St. Louis, will be used as background papers at a session
of the 1979 NJCRAC Plenary meeting, Jan. 21-24 in Cincinnati.
HE JEWISH NEWS
Commentary, Page 2
A Weekly Review
of Jewish Events
Brzezirfski
Prophecies
of Doom,
- the Far East
Dilemma,
Middle East
and Global Crises
Editorials, Page 4
.
VOL. LXXIV, No. 19 17515 W. Nine' Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, .Mich. 48075 424-8833 $12.00 Per Year: This Issue 30. Jan. 12, 1979
Israel in 'Symbolic Gesture'
Will Admit 100 Boat People
Israel Considering Negev
Village for Black Hebrews
TEL AVIV (JTA) — The problem of the Black Hebrews residing in
Dimona may soon be solved by establishing an agricultural village for
them in the Negev and providing them with the means to construct their
own community. This 1 in essence, is a recommendation of a special com-
mittee of the Knesset.
The issue of the Black Hebrews was raised by groups' of Dimona
residents who claimed that they were having an adverse affect on the local
youth and the community in general. The Dimona residents claimed that
the Black Hebrews were conducting services and carrying on practices
similar to that of the People's Temple in Jonestown, Guyana.
-
A group of Dimona citizens went to the Supreme Court asking
for an injunction against the Interior, Health and Education Minis-
tries to show cause why there was no alternative to having the
Black Hebrews in Dimona. They noted that the Black Hebrews live
in almost inhuman conditions, including up to 30 men, women and
Children in one apartment. The citizens said that there are 34 such
apartments.
In addition, the citizens claimed that the Black Hebrews have their
own court system and mete out punishment to transgressors according to
their own laws and decisions by their own leader.
In any event, they are not going to be expelled from Israel and might
even be given Israeli citizenship, a status they lack presently. There are
several thousand Black Hebrews in Israel, although their exact number is
not known since many came as tourists and simply stayed on.
Technion Is Developing
A New Shale Oil Process
TEL AVIV (JTA) — Scientists of the Technion-
Israel Institute of Technology announced Tuesday
that they have successfully tested a method of ex-
tracting oil from oil shale with use of a laser beam
that, they say, could revolutionize the world's fuel
industry. The announcement was made by Profs.
oseph Rom and Joseph Schwartz of the Technion's
ronautical Engineering Department. A patent has
een registered by the school.
According to Rom, who is a Likud MK, every coun-
try possesses shale oil reserves but the extraction of
fuel, in the form of kerogen, a combustible liquid or
gas, is extremely expensive. The laser beam process,
he said, utilizes relatively inexpensive industrial
machinery and the kerogen can be marketed im-
mediately without refining. He said a pilot plant and
field testing would cost several million dollars and
take two to four years to develop.
The Technion method employs a moderate-power
laser beam directed through a narrow-diameter pipe
in a shale oil boring. The high temperatures created
by the beam converts the shale oil into gases that can
be extracted through a system of pipes. Rom said the
U.S. possesses shale oil reserves greater than the
known oil reserves of all of the OPEC countries and
that Israel has two million tons of shale, enough to
provide for its fuel needs -for 25-30 years.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — A special committee of ministerial officials held its first meeting
Monday to develop plans for the absorption of 100 Vietnamese refugees who will be admitted
to Israel: The Cabinet decided by majority vote Sunday to grant entry to the refugees as a
symbolic gesture to encourage other countries to aid.the refugees. The immediate problem is
where to settle them.
The committee consists of the directors general of the ministries of absorption, interior and
social betterment; and senior officials of the Foreign Ministry, the Government Employment
Service and the Jewish Agency's Immigration and Absorption Department.
Contrary to a statement by Cabinet Secretary Arye Naor following Sunday's Cabinet
meeting, the refugees will not be entitled to Israeli citizenship. It was decided to grant them
the same status as another group of Vietnamese refugees brought to Israel 18 months ago:
They will be given tourist visas with work permits good for 27 months with the option of
.
A proposal to settle the ref-
ugees in the northern de-
velopment town of Shlomi was
in
dropped at the request of Ab-
TEL AVIV-(JTA) — Prof. Shimon Yiftah, head of the
sorption Minister David Levy
Israeli nuclear center at Soreq, south of Tel Aviv, told the
who claimed that "Shlomi had
sixth annual conference of nuclear scientists at Beersheba
too many problems of its own to
University that Iraq and Libya, two of the most radical
be able to absorb the newcom-
Arab states, were making substantial progress toward es-_
ers. The committee is expected
tablishing a nuclear infrastructure with the aid of the
to recommend settlement
Soviet Union, China and France.
elsewhere in Galilee in a large
Yiftah noted that Israel has not been able to procure
population center where the
similar technology from the U.S. since the Carter Adminis-
refugees would be less con-
tration has put a freeze on the proliferation of nuclear
Arabs Beating Israel
Nuclear Capability
weapons.
renewal.
(Continued on Page 5)
ZOA Petitions Carter
to Move U.S. Embassy
WASHINGTON, D.C. — In a noontime ceremony at the
White House last Friday a delegation of leaders of the Zionist
Organization of America formally presented a 100,000-
signature petition addressed to President Carter and urging
the President "as a matter of good faith and public confidence"
to fulfill the July, 1976 Democratic Party Platform by moving
the United States Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem and by
recognizing Jerusalem as the capital of the state of Israel.
Noting that it was "unconscionable that the United
States still held to the outdated position of supporting an
internationalization of the city and morally indefensible
that the Administration views parts of the city as occu-
pied territory," Ivan J. Novick, president of the ZOA,
voiced his determination to continue the campaign until
over a million names have been gathered so that the
President, "will have to take into consideration the
depth of concern of the entire Jewish community, as well
as many non-Jews on this issue."
„Accepting the petitions on behalf of President Carter was
his special adviser, Edward Sanders, who serves as a liaison
with the Jewish community.
The Detroit District of the ZOA was the first group to
distribute the petitions last year and collected 11,000 signa-
tures.
Edward Sanders, left, special adviser to
President Jimmy Carter, accepts a petition from
Zionist Organization of America President Ivan J.
Novick calling for the U.S. to move its Israel embassy
to Jerusalem.
.