Friday, September 1, 1919 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Boris Smolar's `Between You . . . and Me' Editor-in-Chief Emeritus, JTA ' (Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.) ZIONIST FRICTION: During the weeks of my vaca- tion a number of very important developments concerning Israel took place on the American scene. They found their reverberations in the Jewish community and brought fric- tion into the ranks of the American Zionist movement. The latest was the resignation of Andrew Young from his post as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, precipi- tated by his unauthorized talk with Zehadi Labib Terzi, the observer of the Palestine Liberation Organization at the nited Nations. National Jewish organizations — including the American Zionist groups — while criticizing Young, did not demand his resignation. They abstained from such a move in order to avoid antagonizing leaders of the black commu- nity which takes great pride in Young. Nor did the Israel government demand Young's resignation. However, despite this approach of all the leading groups in the American Jewish community — and of Israel — the president of the American Zionist Federation, Rabbi Joseph Sternstein, had seen fit to come out publicly with a personal statement requesting the President to "fire" Young. Jewish leaders, including Zionists, were irritated. They consider his request not only poor judgment, but also harmful. Another development in the ranks of the American Zionist movement is the conflict that broke out between the Zionist Organization of America and the American Zionist labor movement over the-issue of the establishment of new settlements by Israel in the West Bank of the Jordan River — in Judea and Samaria. In the ranks of the American Zionist movement there is similarly a cautious approach toward discussing the issue publicly. There are Zionist leaders in this country who are of the opinion — which they do not state openly — that it would have been much better for Israel to concen- trate on the establishment of new settlements in Galilee, an area which has the best-known Jewish collective and cooperative villages. The American Labor Zionist groups — including the Labor Zionist Alliance, Pioneer Women and the youth groups — are among those who believe in giving priority to strengthening the Galilee district. It COLLISION OF VIEWS: The collision between the Zionist Organization of America and the American Zionist labor leadership was precipitated by a statement made by Israel's Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon — which ap- peared in the American press — calling for intensive Jewish settlement efforts in the West Bank and in the Gaza Strip during the next 20 or 30 years. Prof. Allen Pollack, the youthful president of the Labor Zionist Alliance — who is active also in other fields of Jewish communal interests — sent a letter to the Israeli minister sharply rebuking him. He called Sharon's state- ment "politically inappropriate" in this sensitive period at the beginning of negotiations between Israel and Egypt orr the autonomy plan for the West Bank and Gaza: In his letter, Pollack also called upon the Israeli gov- ernment "to be especially aware of the need to maintain a united Jewish community in support of Israel" and "not to take action that may be divisive in the Jewish community as well as exacerbate relations with Egypt and the United States." He urged that settlements be established only in those areas on the West Bank and Gaza which are neces- sary to the security, and defense of the State of Israel. Although the letter of the American Zionist labor leader to the Israeli Minister was private, it was widely distributed. The president of the Zionist Organization of America, Ivan J. Novick, lost no time to sharply rebuke Pollack in a personal letter which was also widely distrib- uted. The ZOA president minced no words. In his six-point Letter he told Pollack that his communication to the Israeli minister represents distortions of fact; that his warning to Israel not to take action that may be divisive in the Jewish community is "objectionable and self-serving;" and that Pollack, as an American, is not in a position to decide whether the statement by the Israeli Minister of Agricul- ture was "politically inappropriate." He hinted that Pol- lack's letter may be misread by Israel's detractors. I admit that I never heard of Novick prior to his becom- ing ZOA president. To me he is a newcomer into top Jewish leadership. I understand from others that he is a very amiable person. He is seeking to put more life into the dormant ZOA. I fail to understand the wisdom of the Israeli Agricultural Minister to speak publicly of the "intense efforts" to establish Jewish settlements in the West Bank and Gaza "during the next 20 to 30 years." Under the present circumstances such a public statement can only help to antagonize public opinion against Israel. Concentration Aided by Use of the Talit By RABBI SAMUEL J. FOX (Copyright 1979, JTA, Inc.) The act of prayer requires a spirit of concentration. One is supposed to consider himself in close contact with the Almighty when praying without indulging in other subjects of thought. Thus, when one sur- rounds one's head with the talit, he is shut off from other ideas and free to con- centrate on his prayers to the Almighty. Some mysti- cal sources explain that the Almighty Himself serves as a model for this type of be- havior. 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