2 Friday, Septendier, 21, 1979
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS'
Purely Commentary
By Philip
Slomovitz
For the Year 5740 There Are the Anticipations That Will
Mark Realism in the Historic Experiences and
Confidence for Those Expecting to Face Challenges
Anticipating an Exciting Year Buffeted by Politics, Economics and Defiance of Prejudice
Between now and the Rosh Hashana that will inaugurate 5741 the student of
history, economics and politics can anticipate lots of bruising of this nation's con-
stituents. Whatever the accumulating challenges — if that's what they'll be — for the
Jewish citizen it will be filled with greater anxieties than anyone else.
This is a very normal approach to what is certain to be a year filled with evolutions
that may prove revolutionary. There is a presidential election to be hurdled, inflation
that affects the pocketbook and therefore may have its effects on philanthropy, foreign
policy matters to plague all who have concern that even a semblance of democratic
idealism should survive in the world.
For Jews there are the domestic problems and the Middle East to be anxious about.
The survival of Israel will remain a major cause to be dedicated to and that stays
unchangeable.
With the crisis in Israel affecting many social and economic as well as the political
situations, American. Jews will be especially under stress to find solutions to the needs of
the time. There is a lowering of spirits in Israel. It may or may not stem in some measure
from the political, the Likud struggle to stay in power, the weaknesses of the Labor
Alliance. Whatever the causes, there are social ills to be reckoned with, and the economic
situation is devastating.
With these factors in view, American Jewry may really be pressed into action to
demand a say in much that is happening in Israel. The American JeWish leadership may
demand a role of power-sharing in administering the funds raised philanthropically.
This may be necessary for the eleimination of the bureaucracies that cause much of the
trouble in the Jewish state.
The historic duty is to ascertain that the last ramparts are not destroyed, that
Isarel's sovereignty remains intact, that the people there retain the patriotism that is
necessary for national strength.
Even if the old saw that "patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" might have
more than a semblance of realism, the fact remains that the loyalt;es of pioneering are
vital both to security and survival, and the moment they diminish they deal a severe blow
to the nation's ability to live with pride.
The Israeli problems are even more serious. The Sephardi-Ashkenazi divisiveness is
aggravating and threatening. The lowering of standards in many undertakings could
spell trouble. Therefore, those concerned with Israel's fate must strive to elevate the
standards of living in the ancient homeland and must exert every effort to make Israel
strong, dignified, morally unchallengeable. Much that is provided by philanthropy will
be needed. There must be no reduction in such loyalties by American and world Jewry.
This is scratching the surface of what is to be anticipated in the year ahead. The year
5740 will surely witness many repercussions — the so-called race issue, the educational
problems that affect Jewry, the need to overcome indifference, the duty to seek a solution
to the growing mixed marriages, etc., etc.
On top of it there will be the deepening of political interests generated by the
presidential election. When political questions arise, people are inclined to forget 14-0 E
basics when Jews are involved. Certainly the candidates' pledges (sic!) to Zionists, to
ultra-religious seeking funds for private school systems, the aid pledged for retarded ana
the elderly — all have their doubtful aspects. What's pledged need not be adhered to. The
Jerusalem issue is a typical example. In quest for votes, politicians, even in party
platforms, pledge to Israel and Jewry an undivided Jerusalem. In practice, such pledges
have proven valueless.
The scheming politicians are planning an eliminating assault for the President.
Some gamble to soon. In the process there are many funny approaches. In the case of the
Jewish citizen many commentators have already counted the Jewish ballots. Some begin
\ their speculations by counting Jewish money. The realistic have cause to laugh at most of
the speculations. The fact is that Jews are no different from other citizens. They judge
candidates by their social standards, their moral approaches to basic issues, their eco-
nomic judgments. And, of course, many are so devoted to the parties that nothing else
matters than the party allegiance.
Too much is taken for granted. Time does solve problems. It also creates them. So,
while anticipating an exciting year, it is best to wait for time's judgments. Meanwhile,
preparation for logical testing is the best advice for the anticipatory in 5740. In some
measure perhaps the worst is yet to come on many fronts. Having overcome the next-to-
the-worst, let there be confidence. When it is all over, the next year's problems emerge
anew. History sometimes repeats more than it progresses. Therefore, the less the panick-
ing the more the power to meet the tests. The fearless and conficent will always emerge
the victors.
Pancho Arafat: Parallel of 1979 Lebanon and 1916 Mexico
By VICTOR BIENSTOCK
I wish Corporal Herb
Nicksey, late of the Connec-
ticut National Guard, were
around today to remind Sec-
retary of State Vance and
his -self-righteous cohorts in
Foggy Bottom of an episode
in American history in this
century which they might
study for the precedent it es-
tablishes.
Cpl. Nicksey was the old-
est son of our next-door
neighbors and I still re-
member him in the cam-
paign hat and baggy uni-
form of the doughboy, limp-
ing around on sick leave
from the punitive expedi-
tion which President Wood-
row Wilson sent into Mexico
in 1916 to destroy the ban-
dit forces that were attack-
ing American lives and
property.
Secretary Vance, a
shrewd, skilled lawyer and
master of the diplomatic
statement, might be able to
find some real difference be-
tween - an American
President sending Ameri-
can troops into the territory
of a neighboring country to
prevent a loss of American
lives and property and an
Israeli Prime Minister
sending Israeli troops into
the territory of a neighbor-
ing country to prevent the
loss of Israeli lives and
property.
I don't think he would
find more than a hairline of
difference. And if a great
moral leader like President
Wilson, with his visions of
an international order and
his Fourteen Points, could
find the use of force not only
justified, but required, then
it smacks of hypocrisy for
his successors to condemn
another nation for following
the Wilsonian example
under almost identical cir-
cumstances.
The punitive expedi-
tion receives scant men-
tion in history textbooks
today. The name of Pan-
cho Villa, which once
spelled terror to resi-
dents of the border zone,
is only a vague memory to
most Americans. But in
1915-16, Pancho Villa's
forays across the border,
pillaging and looting,
rustling cattle and horses
from isolated Texas ran-
ches was news all over
America, almost over-
shadowing American
interest in the Great War
raging in Europe in
which the U.S. would
soon be involved.
Mexico, in 1915, was in
complete political disarray
as Lebanon is today. A
long-standing regime had
been toppled, a general de-
tested in Washington had
seized power, his rule was
being challenged by a loose
coalition of generals and
conditions in the country
verged on anarchy. Ameri-
cans lived and worked in
Mexico in danger of their
lives; there were numerous
cases of Americans being
attacked and killed.
Mexican bandits swooped
across the long frontier with
impunity because Ameri-
can forces were under or-
ders not to cross over into
Mexican territory, even in
hot pursuit, and the bandits
knew there was no Mexican
government able to subdue
them.
President Wilson, recog-
nizing that there was no
strong central government
in Mexico, appealed directly
to the Mexican people to
reestablish order, promis-
ing America's moral sup-
port to any elements seek-
ing the reestablishment of
constitutional government.
His appeal was coupled
with the warning that if
they failed in this, the
U.S. "will be constrained
to decide what means
should be employed by
the United States in order
to help Mexico save her-
self and serve her
people."
Wilson's appeal was dis-
regarded.
The U.S. could no longer
tolerate Villa's raids — just
as the Israelis could no
longer permit Palestine
Liberation Organization
terrorists some 60 years
later to attack Israeli towns
and kill Israelis.
It became the firSt official
task of Newton D. Baker, a
professed pacifist, on taking
office as Secretary of War, to
fire off instructions to Major
General Frederick Funston,
the area commander, to
send a punitive expedition
into Mexico to destroy the
Villa forces. His in-
structions were:
"You -will promptly or-
ganize an adequate military
force of troops under the
command of Brigadier Gen-
eral (John J.) Pershing and
will direct him to proceed
promptly across the border
in pursuit of the Mexican'
band which attacked the
town of Columbus and the
troops there on the morning
of the ninth instant. These
troops will be withdrawn to
American territory as soon
as the de facto government
of Mexico is able to relieve
them of their work. In any
event, the work of these
troops will be finished as
soon as Villa band or bands
are known to be broken up."
Secretary Baker noted
in public announcements
that the President had
stressed the operation
would be carried out
with scrupulous regard
for the sovereignty of
Mexico."
On March 16, 1916 the
advance units of "Black
Jack" Pershing's forces
crossed the border and the
last elements of the expedi-
tion did not return to U.S.
soil until February 1917,
having remained on Mexi-
can soil for 11 months and
having penetrated the
country to a depth of 300
miles. The American units
left Mexico only after it was
clear that the Villista forces
had been effectively de-
stroyed and CaiTanza had
substantially consolidated
his control over the country.
There are, naturally,
some differences between
the Villa scenario and the
current Lebanese situation
but not enough to render the
Wilsonian principle in-
applicable. Instead of a dis-
sident Pancho Villa, there is
a Yasir Arafat and the PLO
engaged in the same mur-
derous activities against
Israel that Villa practiced
against the United States.
Instead of a Carranza
desperately trying to con-
solidate his hold on the
presidency and the country,
there is a Syrian-controlled
puppet regime which has no
authority and no control
over the country.
Wilson's appeal to the
Mexicans was ignored;
Begin's appeal to the
Lebanese was rebuffed.
As the U.S. respected the
border with Mexico, so
Israel respected the bor-
der with Lebanon until it
realized, as the Ameri-
cans finally did, that ter-
ror attacks could only be
prevented by reaching in
and destroying the attac-
kers in their hideouts.
Most Lebanese would be
as happy as the Israelis if
the attacking power of
the PLO, which brought
down the democratic
government of Lebanon,
were to be eliminated.
When Ambassador An-
drew Young condemns Is-
rael at the United Nations
for violating. Lebanese soil
to prevent attacks on Israeli
towns, he ignores American
history and when State De-
partment spokesmen say Is-
rael must not carry the war
to its enemies, they reject
the lestsons of history and
ignore human nature.
Neither man nor nation
sits back and awaits a mur-
derous attack before taking
elementary protective
measures.
In School of Natural Sciences
Departments Join Forces
in Cancer Fight at BGU
BEERSHEBA — Three
Ben-Gurion University de-
partments within the
School of Natural Sciences
have joined forces to con-
duct research in an area
which may have an impor-
tant effect in the fight
against cancer and heart
,disease.
The idea of an interdisci-
plinary effort emerged from
discussion held three years
ago between biophysicist
Prof. David Gill, biochemist
Prof. David Chipman and
chemist Dr. Avraham
Parola. Their combined ex-
pertise has resulted in Is-
rael's only nanosecond
photo counting spectro-
flourimeter, adjusted for
studies of membrane
dynamics, which the three
scientists bought bit-by-bit
for a rock bottom price of
$8,000 instead of the usual
$75,000 model.
The machine, able to
measure the characteristics
of biomembranes in less
than a thousandth of a sec-
ond, allows the research
team to explore the mic-
roworld of blood platelets
and transformed, or
cancer-like, cells.
It is hoped that the re-
search on the blood
platelets, which were do-
nated by Beersheba'&
Soroka Medical Center,
will provide the labora-
tory participants with in-
sights into the process of
clotting, a phenomenon
little understood.
In addition, the resear-
chers are examining those
drugs on the market which
affect the clotting process.
Thrombin and ADP are the
two most commonly used
chemicals for inducing
aggregation, while various
drugs (e.g. aspirin) ret
clotting.
As for their research on
cell transformation, the sci-
entists see other phar-
maceutical applications
ahead, as well. In the lab-
oratory, animal cells, grow-
ing in tissue cultures, are
transmuted, either chemi-
cally, or virally, to show
symptoms similar to can-
cerous cells in humans.
The cells can then be in-
jected with potentially
cancer-fighting drugs to re-
cord their effectiveness. Be-
cause of the instantaneous
nature of the spectro-
flourimeter's meas-
urements, the professors
will have the data im-
mediately.