•••••••• 7 •
56 Friday, February 2, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
A Self-Portrait of a Controversial Jew: Dr. Nahum Goldman
By DAVID FRIEDMAN
(Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.)
NEW YORK — Nahum
Goldmann has always been
unique in the pantheon of
Jewish leaders who helped
create the state of Israel. A
member of the Jewish es-
tablishment as the former
head of both the World
Zionist Congress and the
World Jewish Congress, he
has been one of the severest
critics of-the establishment
both in Israel and the Dias-
pora.
Goldmann claims in "The
Jewish Paradox," (Grosset
and Dunlap) a collection of
personal memoirs trans-
lated from the French, as he
did in his earlier autobiog-
raphy, that unlike his past
and present colleagues he
was not just a leader of
Zionism, of Israel, or of a
ip a r ti cular Diaspora corn-.
munity, but a leader of
world Jewry. In fact, this is
partly the reason he gives
for having delayed so lorig
in retiring as president of
the WJCongress which he
did last year at the age of 83.
"There are good Jewish
leaders in particular coun-
tries, but they do not know
much about the problems of
other Jews...," he wrote. "In
addition, there are Jewish
intellectuals who have
great qualities but who do
not want to get mixed up in
Jewish politics, which are
not exactly appealing."
As the maverick of or-
ganized Jewish life,
Goldmann has many cri-
tics in Israel, the U.S. and
other Jewish com-
munities. But his voice is
one that is respected both
among Jews and gov-
ernmental leaders in
many countries.
In his book, Goldmann
describes his meetings with
various major figures such
as David Ben-Gurion, Golda
Meir, Konrad Adenauer,
Willy Brandt, Tito, and var-
ious popes, to name a few.
His portraits, especially of
the Israeli figures, are not
always flattering. -
While he 's strongly criti-
cal of Ben-Uurion, he con-
siders him to Shave been a
great man. Goldmann's re-
spect for Israel's first pre-
mier was obviously recipro-
cated. Goldmann reveals
Ben-Gurion urged him to
lead the political opposition'
in Israel since he was the.
only one capable of standing
- up to the premier.
Goldmann is strongly
critical of the U.S. and
American Jewry and its
leadership. While much of
his criticism is valid, as a _
European intellectual he
does suffer from. a lack of
understanding of the
American system and of the
American temperament,
both Jewish and non-
Jewish, particularly the
dedication to pluralism in.
all endeavors. . • •
Israelis are criticized for
having too narrow an out-
look, feeling that every
issue is of equal importance
and that everything affects
them. "They feel that every
least thing is dreadfully im-
portant," he - wrote.
"Stomach ulcers are a typi-
cally Jewish complaint."
Israel become a strict
neutral country some-
what like Switzerland
where he lives. Aside
from the fact that Israel
does not have base moun-
tain ranges to divide it
from its neighbors, there
is the question of Israel's
cultural and if historic
heritage which draws it
to the West. .
Whatever one thinks of
Goldmann's criticism,
some of his suggestions
for the future are quite
unrealistic for. a man who
prides himself on being a
realist. This is particu-
larly true of his well-
known suggestion that
Goldmann is chiefly con-
cerned that Israel should
not continue to be an enemy
of the Soviet Union. No one
expects Israel to become a
member of NATO, nor
should it. But the Soviet
Union's enmity toward Is-
rael is not based on a Krem-
• NAHUM GOLDMANN
lin view that Israel is a
pro-Western country but on
the Soviet Union's belief
that it suits its foreign pol-
icy to be seen as anti-Israel
by the Arab countries. Is-
r- ael will have improved re-
lations with the USSR when
Moscow feels it serves its
interest to do so, not when
Israel takes a neutral or
even a pro-Soviet stand.
This book concludes with
Goldmann's proposals for a
solution to the Arab-Israel
conflict. Written before
Egyptian President Anwar
Sadat's trip to Jerusalem,
Goldmann proposes that the
Geneva Conference should
be used as the mechanism
for providing an overall
solution to the Mideast con-
flict. He would return all
occupied territory and
would support a Palestinian
state or that these areas be
part of a confederation with
Jordan. The only thing not
negotiable, he states, is the
gatus of Jerusalem as a
united city and the capital
Of Israel. _
Whatever one thinks of
Goldmann or his ideas, no
one can question that here
is a man who ha's devoted
his entire life to the Jewish .
people. He is truly a man
with no nationalism except
that of being a Jew. His two
major. accomplishments, de-
scribed thoroughly in his
book, were helping convince
the Truman Administra-
tion to support the partition
of Palestine and the agree-
ment worked out with
Adenauer for West Ger-
many to, compensate Israel
and individual Jews for the
crimes of the Nazis.
Goldmann's major
concerns today are 11
prevent the assimilati
of Jewish youth and. to
see that Israel fulfills the
spiritual message of
Zionism as it has the
political goals.
This book offers a con-
cerned Jewish reader much
that should be thought
about and discussed,
whether one agrees with
Goldmann or not.
Goldmann is the gadfly of
Jewish life and it is doubtful
that there will be anyone
like him again Of such inajOr -
stature in the triangle of
Zionism, Israel and world
Jewry.
Royal' France Under Giscard May Mean Trouble for Israel
By EDWIN EYTAN
PARIS (JTA) — At the
time of the French
President's recent visit to
Spain, a veteran French
politician looked at the pic-
tures showing President
Valery Giscard D'Estaing
and King Juan Carlos,
standing side . by side and
commented: "How strange.
Here we have a president
who - would like to be king
and a king who would like to
be president."
The French President has
given his administration a
"royal" tone. At the Elysee
Palace, old and oft-forgotten
customs and_protocols haye
been reintroduced, often
after a two-century lapse.
Policies are changed' or
adopted practically over-
night and often without
consulting or even inform-
ing Cabinet members or
Parliament.
This trend is especially
visible in foreign affairs
over which the President
maintains solid control. The
recent appointment of the
former Elysee Secretary
General, Jean Francois-
Poncet, as France's new
Foreign Minister, replacing
former career diplomat
Louis de Guiringaud, has
removed even the former
pretense of a normal auton-
-- omous department. French
diplomats stress that the
new minister, who has been
working with Giscard for
over 10 years, "does not
even have to be giyen or-
ders. He can guess them be-
fore they are handed out."
This single-handed
control over France's
foreign affairs has
enabled Giscard to
change and mold Fiench
policy in the Middle East,
practically at will-. For
the first few years after
his election, this change
had been towards a nor-
malization of Franco-
Israeli relations.
Both because of his own
character — he intensely
dislikes a situation of stress
and animosity — and be-
cause of the two major elec-
tions which marked the first
four year of his adminis-
tration (municipal-and then
parliamentary elections
with a strong left-wing op-
position), the general tone
given by the President was
towards mending the fences
with Israel.
Gone were the former
anti-Israel declarations, the
"moral" sermons and the
diplomatic initiatives
launched by Charles de
Gaulle and his successor,
Georges Pompidou. French
diplomats, acting on clear
presidential orders, kept a
discreet silence whenever
the Middle East came up for
discussion at the United
Nations or at the joint meet-
ings of the nine European
Economic Community
(EEC) member state repre-
sentatives.
The President and ad-
ministration . members
stopped talking about a
"Palestinian state" and
government spokesman
used "ifs" and "buts" when
talking about Israeli with-
drawal from the territories
it occupied in 1967.
The situation changed
abruptly a couple of
weeks ago. Suddenly and
without giving any ad-
vance notice, France
broke the former EEC
solidarity during a major
UN vote. While all its
eight EEC partners, in-
cluding traditionally
pro-Arab Italy and Ire-
land, voted against a vio-
lently pro-Palestinian
resolution at the General
Assembly, France
abstained.
At the same time, Giscard
encouraged - Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat in
his new demands for a re-
vision of the Camp David
agreements. Diplomatic
sources in Paris say that
Giscard on two different oc-
casions told Sadat,
presumably either by tele-
phone or through diploma-
tic representatives, that he
advises him not to sign the
agreements in their origi-
nal form.
During Jordan's King
Hussein's recent visit to
Paris, Giscard, according to
these same sources,
encouraged him to continue
refusing to take part in the
post-Camp David negotia- erally thought by experts to to join the EEC in the corn-
tions and adopt an attitude be deeper and more serious ing months. All three are
of "wait and see." France, than it is generally as- known for their anti-Israel
according to these usually sumed. French analysts be- stand and two of them,
well-informed diplomats, lieve that the current ten- Greece and Spain, have no
was the only West Euro- sion is the start of a long normal diplomatic relations
pean country to have fully range process of cooling re- with Israel. Their entry into=
supported Hussein's policy lations between America the EEC will also jeopardize
Israel's exports t6 Europe.
of non-involvement in the and Israel.
All three, especially
talks and of demands for a
This new French ap-
full Israeli withdrawal from proach can have serious Spain and Greece, export
the West Bank. There seem consequences for Israel. products similar to Israel's:
to be several reasons for On Jan. 1, France as- citrus, citrus by-products,
Giscard's new Mideast pol- sumed chairmanship of agricultural products, flow-
icy:
the EEC for a six-month ers and light industry. From
France continued to be- term. French representa- the date of their admission,
lieve that no real Middle tives will chair all joint all -three will enjoy an eas-
East settlement can be ob- meetings of the nine ing of customs dues which
tained without the full-par- member states,• will pre- will rapidly disappear as
ticipation of the Palesti- pare the basic files and they integrate into the
nians and without a- com- draw up the agendas for community and thus
prehensive settlement be- the subjects to be dis- jeopardize Israel's already
sick economy. France has.
tween Israel and all the cussed.
Arab states. Immediately
Three more European advocated their admission
after Sadat's trip to countries — Spain, Por-, .„. into the EEC and is their
Jerusalem in November tugal and Greece — are due strongest supporter so far.
1977, France was the only
•
Western country to openly
express doubts as to the suc-
cess of his mission.
The French president
is now, according to these
sources, almost certain
that the current peace
process cannot succeed.
Even if an Israeli-
Egyptian peace treaty
were to be signed its im-
plementation would be
practically impossible
and major problems
would crop up within
Shown above are four new
weeks making the treaty
commemorative stamps
inapplicable.
honoring Israel's technolog-
.Giscard tends to blameJs-
ical achievements in, from
rael for the failure of the
left, chemical fertilizers,
mint.lo th. Own mu man
peace process. What is
n righteous among the nations
electronics, sea water de-
5.4. U pillUJI Israel 1X1V1'
worse in his eyes, he tends
salination and agricultural
to regard Israel's leaders as
mechanization.
At left are
lacking realism and failing
'Prior
5.10
stamps saluting "the right-
1.2.0.00
to take advantage of a
eous among the nations" and
unique chance to try and
the 30,000 volunteers of the
reach a global and com-
prehensive agreement with
Yishuv who served in the
all their neighbors.
British forces during World
Israeli Commemoratives
1
VW"
2111.7 `31,111,1
IT11017
3,1
The tension in Israeli-
American relations is gen-
9-1
War II.