2 Friday, September 7, 1979
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
By Philip
Slomovitz
Now
Libertarians of All Faiths Have Spoken .
Let There Be Unity in an End to the PLO Terror
Non-Violence as a Human Principle: Let There Be an End to the Rhetoric of Violence
It isn't all gloom. The sun begins to shine
on advocates of non-violence who will shun -
the all-too-effusive rhetoric of violence.
Bayard Rustin, president of the A. Philip
Randolph Institute, the educational civil
rights organization, has spoken for the un-
biased in his ranks, for the fair-minded in
this land, exposing the PLO and making it
a duty for all people of good will to be in the
battle against those who would destroy Is-
rael. Is it too much to ask that this be the
final decision for all decent Americans?
John P. Roche again emerged as a man .of
great courage in a challenge for which he
has earned the gratitude of every lover of
liberty and the word of truth.
So be it for the moment.
Now, with an emphasis on non-violence,
let there go forth the demand for an end to
the rhetoric of violence!
From the East Bank of New York at the
United Nations to the elevated sanctuaries
in Washington and Camp David there are
reverberations that are surely puzzling to
the average American.
When the guilt of bugging and Andrew
Young meeting with an Arab first was
placed on Israel, and when the resignation
of the UN delegate was blamed on the
Jews, a few curt words of denial could have
eased the tensions and accusations. Only a
bit later the truth sprouted: it Was the U.S.
bugging that revealed the Young negation
of U.S. policies toward the PLO. But the
rubbish of columnist. Nick Thimmesch
which is dipped in poison whenever he can
arouse bias towards Jews and Israel re :
mains unwashed.
The cast of characters is so large in the
drama called Middle East that the average
American undoubtedly is as much con-
fused as he is puzzled, perhaps as much
amused as he is blinded by contradictions.
One day there is an assurance that the U.S.
will not swerve from friendship with Is-
rael, the next or the one after there is a
condemnation. The latest was utilized as a
farewell platform for Young. It was inter-
preted at the UN as •a gesture of greater
comfort for Israel's enemies in the Arab
ranks and a lessening of salutations of good
will for Israel. It smacked of a warning that
there may be a lessening of military sup-
port for Israel.
This is where Hodding Carter stepped in
to pronounce State Department approval
of the Young condemnation of Israel.
Thus every member of the dramatic cast
has his role.
From the Israel corner came the natural
expression of deep regret that the U.S.
policies should be tilting towards Israel's
antagonists.
It became necessary for Israel's Prime
Minister Menahem Begin to assert that if
it had not been for Israel's intercession in
the Lebanese struggle the Christian com-
munity of Lebanon would have been de-
stroyed, and Israel will not tolerate it.
The latest UN episode had to do with
Israel's incursions into Lebanon to destroy
the PLO strongholds. They are the same
military posts whence came the threats to
the Christian community. But the Chris-
tian world is silent and the Islamic could be
judged as approving the menace. There is
inexcusable guilt in the Christian silence.
If they had spoken there could have been
an end to the genocidal threats to the
Christian community from the PLO and
their cohorts and succor for Jews and Is-
rael.
Meanwhile, there are new echoes in
what has been labeled the black-Jewish
issue. There is recognition of the truth that
Jews were not happy with affirmative ac-
tion. The black resort to an oil-energy
argument is nonsensical and it is ludicrous
to state that Jews created the problem.
In a single issue of the Detroit News
(Aug. 291 Roche and Lawrence Carter, ex-
posed the Andy Young myths. Roche was
blunt. He believes in a few chosen words, "I
fired Young," could have avoided a scan-
dal. The suspicion: does the Georgia gang
desire the spread of such scandals?
Roche believes Jews panicked: they met
at once with blacks, seeking their friend-
ship. Even if they failed, there was an obli-
gation for such trying. That's the policy
that will continue, even if many Jews, wit-
nessing the grave danger to their children
with merit., being deprived of academic
positions, will question the justice of it. The
desire for friendly relations remains, but
not at the cost of truth and justice.
That's why the Roche-Carter views in
two powerful and fearless articles are ad-
monitions to blacks not to embrace bigotry,
not to encourage hatred, not to become
partners with the beasts of the Middle
East, with the murderous PLO. It is akin to
their embracing the KKK. Jews won't em-
brace KKK, just as they will continue to
battle against recognition of the PLO by -
anyone, especially the United States gov-
ernment. If blacks endorse the PLO, they
gesture hatred for Jews and Israel. But
such gestures come only from the handful
of leaders who do not emerge with glory in
the Lawrence Carter article. Perhaps the
black constituency will find spokesmen
who will set the PLO admirers straight.
How else can justice be measured?
The Michigan Chronicle:
The Black Rationale
Longworth Quinn and his associates on
the staff of the Michigan Chronicle know
the value of moderation and cooperation in
a society composed of a variety of loyal
Americans. They have proven the value of
knowledgeability and understanding in
the editorial reproduced below from their
current issue.
They regretably adhere to a misap-
prehension about Palestinians and fail to
differentiate them from the murderous
PLO. But so also do some Jews.
On the question of good relations and
rejection of racial conflicts, the Chronicle
editorial adds to the Detroit Jewish corn-
munity leaders' call for "cool, calm" ap-
proaches to an issue that has shocked the
sensible elements in the land. The Michi-
gan Chronicle is rational. That is how the
entire community should react.
Bayard Rustin and John P. Roche Expose Misapprehensions
By BAYARD RUSTIN
(From the New York Times)
Amid the heated con-
troversy following Andrew
Young's resignation as the
United States delegate to
the United Nations, some
black people have suddenly
embraced the Palestine
Liberation Organization .. .
But regardless of motiva-
tion, I think black people
must clearly understand
the moral — yes, moral —
issue involved here.
For in seriously consider-
ing links with a group like
the PLO, the black commu-
nity is moving beyond the
realm of mundane "politics
as usual."
We are moving into an
area where we face three
enormous risks.
First, we risk causing
serious divisions within
our own ranks; second,
we risk the forfeiture of
our own moral prestige,
which is based on a long
and noble tradition of
nonviolence; and third,
we risk becoming the
unwitting accomplices of
an organization commit-
ted to the bloody destruc-
tion of Israel indeed of
the Jewish people.
Some people have pointed
to a few superficial parallels
between the PLO and
American civil rights
movement. Naturally, this
talk about the PLO as a
"civil rights" group or a
minority movement within
Israel has generated sym-
pathy for the Palestinians
among black people. But
this identification and even
solidarity with the PLO is
based on a terrible perver-
sion of the truth, not only
the truth about the PLO but
the truth about our own
movement as well.
BAYARD RUSTIN
Looking back on the his-
tory of the PLO, one thing
has become abundantly
clear: The PLO, from the
day of its creation in 1964,
has never once uttered a
word in support of any form
of nonviolent resistance,
peaceful relations between
Israelis and Palestinians, or
a political solution to the
complex problems in the
Middle East.
By contrast, black leaders
in America, especially cen-
tral figures like Dr. Martin
Luther King Jr. and A.
Philip Randolph, never once
in the long. history of the
struggle
civil
rights
countenanced violence or
terrorism.
The PLO, however, es-
pouses the opposites of all
these principles.
My description of the PLO
here is no exaggeration. Its
tactics, values and goals are
candidly set forth in its na-
tional Covenant and other
official documents. Its le-
gacy of terrorism is written
in innocent blood across Is-
rael and Western Europe,
and even across the Arab
lands of Jordan and Leba-
non.
Between 1967 and 1977,
for example, the PLO was
directly responsible for
killing over 1,100 un-
armed men, women and
children; its terrorist ac-
tivities maimed nearly
2,500 people; and it held
over 2,700 hostages ...
By harshly criticizing the
PLO, I do not mean to
suggest that black leaders
have no business concern-
ing themselves with Middle
Eastern problems. Nor am I
arguing that blacks should
shun the PLO so as to in-
gratiate themselves with
American Jews. Rather, I
am saying that if black
Americans are to play any
constructive or conciliatory
role in shaping American
policy in the Middle East,
we must do so in a manner
totally consistent with the
moral and spiritual tradi-
tion of nonviolence.
We must therefore reject
hasty and expedient moves;
we must reject any formal
or organizational relation-
ship with the PLO.
* * *
By JOHN P. ROCHE
(From the Detroit News)
History does repeat itself,
Karl Marx observed: first as
tragedy, then as farce. In
my childhood the Jews were
persecuted as "Christ-
killers." Now, years after
the Roman Catholic Church
has expunged this charge
from the Good Friday
liturgy, the American
Jewish community stands
accused as "Young-killers."
Deicide is a graver charge
than infanticide, but both
are baseless. Young was not
crucified: He was fired for
lying.
JOHN ROCHE
Ironically he was in step
with Mr. Carter's under-
ground policy of cozying up
to the Palestine Liberation
Organization (PLO), but his
clumsiness blew the gig.
After all, it was the
President who on July 31
compared the PLO to the
"civil-rights movement
here in the United States."
In the wake of Young's
dismissal we have seen the
dirtiest play in recent
American politics. Al-
though Young was fired by
the President and secretary
of state, with the full sup-
A Disaster Alert — It Must Not Happen
(From the Michigan Chronicle)
It will be disastrous if a serious rift of any sort develops in this country between blacks and Jews as the result of
Andrew Young's resignation.
As a Third World booster and as an activist for human rights, Young himself would be greatly disenchanted and
disillusioned if this should occur. It is unfortunate even that any talk and rumors have arisen that blacks should now
regard Jews as their enemies because the Israelis became irate over Young's talk with the PLO.
Like the blacks in the nation, Israel exists in a hostile world and must do everything it can to protect itself in order to
•
continue to exist. It regarded the PLO-Andy Young thing as action that threatened that existence.
Because blacks and Jews are both minorities and are victims of wide discrimination in this nation, they have shared a
bond even though it might have been light. A friendship of sorts has existed and in the past they established schools for
blacks; and often operated small businesses in black communities because whites disdained from doing so. Of course, in
many instances blacks felt they were exploited, but that's another matter.
The Andrew Young affair with the PLO which caused the Israelis to set up such a howl was a political matter and it
must not cause blacks to regard it as a racial incident and subsequently denounce or reject Jews. It is creditable that the
Chicago Jewish United Fund has made an earnest move to explain things and to clear up any misunderstanding that may
have come up.
Racial justice is still far off in this nation, so it would be sheer lunacy for blacks to alienate any friends they have made
during the struggling years.
port of Senate Majority
Leader Robert Byrd, the ink
was hardly dry on his letter
of resignation before he put
a contract on the American
Jewish community .. .
Unfortunately, though
historically under-
standably, the Jewish
community hit the panic
button. Instead of telling
Young to shove it and rid-
ing out the hot air gale,
Jewish leaders rushed to
organize rap sessions
with blacks ...
When the dust settles it
will be apparent that pog-
roms are not on the agenda,
that the monolithic black
constituency invoked by
Young and his cohorts is
mythical, that when Ameri-
can blacks bother to think
about Africa they recall it is
populated by the descen-
dants of those who sold their
ancestors into slavery, and
that the Carter administra-
tion set Jews and blacks at
each other's throats. One
flat statement by Mr. Car-
ter — "I fired Young for ly-
ing" — would have ended
the slimy embroglio.
However, the real danger
is that in the furor over
Young's exit the underlyiri
policy question will be ig-
nored. Indeed, if it did not
require attributing devilish
cunning to a crew of incom-
petents, the deflection of
wrath upon the Jews could
be seen as a first-class di-
versionary maneuver.
At one blow the President
rid himself of a public nui-
sance and put American
Jews on the guilt. defensive.
Presumably he can now
move undisturbedly to pro-
vide the Palestinian "civil-
rights movement" with its
state: