2 Friday, October 26, 1919
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
By Philip
Israel Faces the Responsibility of Striving
Pragmatism, With Many Aims to Avert Erosions
in Friendships Among Nations and in Jewish Ranks
SiOMOVitZ
The Israel Crisis, Need for Pragmatism, Urgency to Prevent Erosions in Friendships
If it were not for the international fame of Moshe Dayan his resignation might have
received no more than a news ripple. If it were not for the country he represents and the
urgency of action to assure the peace of the Middle East, it might have been but an
incident in Middle East diplomacy. But it is much more than that. Involved in the dispute
are serious internal Israeli issues which have relevance to world Jewry's interests in the
security of the Jewish state. Affecting the personality issue also is the possibility of
political party reactions. There is also the religious issue.
Dr. Joseph Burg thus far does the negotiating with the Egyptians in the matter of the
debated autonomy or self-rule for the Arabs in Judaea and Samaria. Does this have
anything to do with the rift in the Israel Cabinet?
Shimon Peres, leader of the opposition, has already demanded the resignation of the
entire Menahem Begin-ruled government. Will this become also a political internal
struggle?
Had the Israel Supreme Court issued its important ruling on the Elon Moreh
settlements earlier, the Cabinet controversy might have been averted. There is a linkage
that involves a partner in the Begin government, the religious faction with its dictation
in matters involving establishment of settlements on the border with Jordan.
It took an appeal to the high court by Arabs to get a result that should have been
attained in the earliest days of the Begin government.
Dayan is not vindictive. This is the honorable' method of pursuing a democratic role
in government while adhering to the right to differ.
The major hope in the newly developing controversy is that the prophets of doom will
be proven wrong — that the road to peace will not be obstructed.
Israel's domestic problems are overwhelming. It is not only the urge for peace, the
negotiations with Egypt, the continuing threats from other Arab states, the concern over
A Reminder to the Pro-PLO
Extremists by a Survivor
from Nazism Who Aided Blacks
The truly democratic forces in the land are mobilizing
to reject the shocking injection of pro-PLO propaganda in
the ranks of the nation's black communities. What could
truly have been a serious black-Jewish rift is being averted
by the recognized leaders who reject the demagogues.
When the seekers of audiences with the PLO first ap-
peared on the scene, an eminent Jewish leader wrote to the
New York Times with a reminder of his role in the civil
rights movement and the efforts that were exerted by Jews
in ranks shared with blacks. Dr. Joachim Prinz, a distin-
guished scholar, a former president of the American Jewish
Congress, a survivor from the Nazi onslaught who settled
in the U.S. during the Hitler regime wrote:
- When the Rev. Joseph Lowery joined hands last
week with Yasir Arafat and sang "We Shall Over-
come," what did he expect to "overcome"?
Was it the laws of many Arab lands that prohibit
the open practice of his religion, Christianity, as
well as any other non-Islamic religion? Was it the
price squeeze that the Arab oil producers have
put on the countries of black Africa, with disastr-
ous results for their economies?
Was it the continuing effects of black slave
trade, which the Arabs continued well into the
20th Century? Was it the oppression of blacks in
the southern Sudan by the Arabs who control that
nation?
Or was it the PLO's terrorism against everyone
it disagrees with, without discrimination based
on race, religion or even age?
As one of the 10 leaders of the 1963 March on
Washington who linked arms with the Rev. Mar-
tin Luther King to sing "We Shall Overcome," I
believe I am entitled to an answer.
It's a pity that such reminders of the days of unity in
the days when civil rights were demanded and attained in
great measure by the joint efforts of the most humane
elements in America are necessary. But as long as there is a
small group that would negotiate with the counterpart of
the KKK and would give credibility to the PLO, statements
like those of Dr. Prinz need emphasis.
When a Texan Chooses
Terrorists as Bedfellows
An old conundrum that "politics makes strange bedfel-
lows" made itself felt the Texas way last week. It was not so
strange, however, in the case of John Connally.
It was no secret that he had ties with the oil magnates.
He was suspiciously viewed as flirting with the extremists
in anti-Israel ranks. He proved that the suspicions were
accuracies.
Therefore, the people whose votes he seeks for the
highest office in the land should be grateful to him. He has
been called a tough guy and as such he will no longer be
judged as a legend.
Now he acts as President, Secretary of State, diplomat,
statesman, the judge over American foreign policies and
dictator over the future of the Middle East. He is even the
militarist who would send American troops to "protect"
Israel. These are all his self-designations, and in all in-
stances, especially the last one, he has already been told to
mind his own business, oil-wise, restricted to Texas where
he will no doubt be repudiated as a signal to the entire
country that arrogance clothed in ignorance has no place in
an erosion of interest in Israel in American political circles. It is also the economic
problem which is as urgent as all the others.
What is happening in Israel affects Jewish life elsewhere. Israel's peace is a matter of
deep concern for world Jewry and the reactions in the Diaspora could seriously affect the
unity of the Jewish people.
Too much talk has already affected the confidence of Jewish communities. People
who should be well informed about the status of Palestinians and the unfortunate
confusing of the term with the PLO has caused the posing of the question, "Why can'f we
talk to an enemy?" What kind of enemy? The sort that throws children out of schoo'
windows and throws bombs into food markets?
The Begin government, as of now, remains in power. It is considered shaky, yet it is
to be expected that on matters involving the nation's craving for peace the loyal opposi-
tion will lend all its influence to assure it. Will Dayan's services to his nation be retained
in some fashion?
Hopefully, whatever happens in Israel will be rational, politically pragmatic to the
Nth degree, retaining the friendships with the democratic world that are so vital in an
era of constantly repeating crises.
It is sad enough that Israel stands alone in the international arena, that at the
United Nations there is a repeating venom that could crush a less-resisting nation.
Therefore, the role of Israel has to be taken into consideration in all negotiations, and it is
to be assumed that a responsible government will seek to avert erosions.
The Jewish people will have a responsibility: to strive to contribute towards averting
erosions in political matters in all the democratic countries where they are free to speak
and to exert influence. First there must be an assurance that there won't be erosions in
Jewish ranks. In these there must be the strength that is essential for unity.
American politics.
Connally renders a service: he is now better known for
what he is — one not to be trusted with foreign affairs, with
emphasis on the Middle East. But what about his associ-
ates? Rita Hauser has already rejected him. Had he shown
his destructive speech to Henry Kissinger? That's the
rumor, and it is difficult to believe that the former Secre-
tary of State would givethe slightest encouragement to one
who strews venom on Israel's path.
Give Connally the award for frankness in self-
exposure as incompentent and lacking responsibility in
handling American foreign affairs. Give him time: he'll
prove incompetent in tackling domestic affairs as well.
Freedom of Speech and the
Right to Robing the Klan
Freedom of speech has been a debatable subject in the
terms outlined by the American Civil Liberties Union. The
ACLU argued in the courts in defense of the neo-Nazis'
right to march in Skokie. The ACLU has defended arch-
criminals in defense of freedom of expression even when
those advocating Genocide insist on adhering to their
views.
Another aspect of such an issue was introduced in a
column in the Detroit News by George Gantor. He com-
mented on the claim of two supervisors who had donned Ku
Klux Klan, white robes and paraded their stupidity in the
Ford auto plant. They called it humor. Cantor posed the
question to the ACLU:
I am especially eager to see what the American
Civil Liberties Union thinks about all this. Last
year, when a group of fun-lovers in Illinois de-
cided to dress up like Nazis and march through
Skokie, the ACLU was all for it.
Its position was that the Constitution guaran-
tees every American the right to turn himself into
a bad joke. I'm curious to see if this right extends
to Klan hoods.
The question posed is logical. How far does one go with
freedom when culprits are clearly beastly and Nazi-like in P.
their approaches and their methods are stimulated by in-
sanity? There must be a limit to absolute freedom for those
who at the outset commence with advocating terrorism.
• Reviews rAkedah' Through Ages
'Last Trial'
By ALLEN WARSEN
Shalom Spiegel's "The
Last Trial," translated from
the Hebrew with an intro-
duction by Judah Goldin
(Behrman House), presents
a perceptive analysis of a
complex subject.
The Hebrew text, titled
"Me-Aggadot ha-Akedah,"
originally was included in
the jubilee volume honoring
the late Prof. Alexander
Marx's 70th birthday.
The volume, a collage of
haggadic and midrashic
lore, is fully annotated and
replete with references to
Scripture and talmudic and
midrashic sages, including
Judah the Prince, Resh
Lakish, Jose ben Zimrah
and Levi ben Hama.
The term "Akedah" does
not appear in the Bible nor
in the Dead Sea Scrolls. It
occurs only once in the Mis-
hna.
The opening para-
graph reads: "Even the
ancients, long ago, were
surprised that im-
mediately after the
Akedah — after Isaac
was bound on the altar to
be sacrificed by his
father at God's corn-
mand, and then just as
categorically ordered to
be released and not to be
even so much as bruised
— that immediately after
that all traces of Isaac,
son of father Abraham,
disappear.
"In the account of the
journey to Mount Moriah,
both father and son are
mentioned by Scripture,
Arid they went both of them
together' (Gen. 22:6-8), the
one to make the offering and
the other to be the offering;
but in connection with the
descent from the mountain,
it does not say, `So they re-
turned to the young men,
but 'So Abraham returned
(in the singular) to the
young men' (V. 19). One
would think it was only the
father who returned, and
his son was not with him."
Where was Isaac?"
Various answers were
given to the above perplex-
ing question.
The Babylonian sage
Rabbi Berekiah maintained
that Abraham had sent
Isaac to study Torah with
Shem.
"Yalkut Reubeni" (a
collection of cabalistic
and midrashic com-
ments) claims that Isaac
was carried off by an
angel to Paradise where
he spent three years "to
be healed from the
wound" inflicted on him
by his father on Mount
Moriah.
It is well to remember
that the incident on Mount
Moriah always served the
Jewish people as a
paradigm of Sanctificaiton
of the Name. This was par-
ticularly true in times of
persecution, as during the
"Shemad" period when Em-
peror Hadrian tried to oblit-
erate the Jewish faith, and
during the era of the
Crusaders when:
"Compassionate women
in tears with their own
hands slaughtered as at the
Akedah at Moriah. Inno-
cent souls withdrew to eter-
nal life, to their station on
high. Let not Your foes
triumph! Let the martyrs'
blood spatter Your royal
purple!" •
The offering. of Isaac be-
came associated in haggadic
literature with resurrec-
tion. According to one hig-.
gada, "when Father Isaac
was bound on the altar and
reduced to ashes and his .
sacrificial dust was cast on
Motint Moriah, the Holy:
One, blessed be He, im-
mediately brought upon
him dew and revived him." -
Another haggada states
that in the "Days to Come,"
God will resurrect the, dead
with dew drops.
Even the ram that Ab-
raham sacrificed in place
of Isaac served as a sub-
ject of haggadot. One as-
serts that God revived the
ram after it had been sac-
rificed. Another assures
that no part of the ram
went to waste. Its ten-
dons became David's
harp's strings; the skin„,
became the prophet
Elijah's leather girdle;
with its left horn God
sounded the alarm at
Mount Sinai"; and with
its right one God will
sound the alarm at the
Ingathering of the Exiles It
in the Age to Come."
The title "The Last Trial,"
the translator explains, "is
intended as midrashic com-
ment on the haggadic
statement that God put Ab-
raham to the test 10 times
and in all of them he proved t
steadfast."
Included in "The Last
Trial" is the poem "A ih"
by Rabbi Ephrain, ..,en
Jacob of Bonn (1132-1200),
the composer of liturgical
poetry and the chronicler of
the Crusaders' persecutions
of the Jews:
,
"Recall to our credit all the
many Akedahs,
The saints, men and women,
slain for Thy sake.
Remember the righteous
martyrs of Judah,
Those that were bound of
Jacob.
Be Thou the shepherd of the
surviving flock
Scattered and dispersed
among the nations.
Break the yoke and snap the
bands
Of the bound flock that
yearns toward Thee.
0 GOD! 0 KING . ."