Leadership
for Youth

*

Nobelists
and Merit

A Symbol
Called Begin

THE JEWISH NEWS

A Weekly Review

Editorials, Page 4

of Jewish Events

80th Anniversary
of United
Jewish Charities
Symbolizes
Notable
Achievements

Story on Page 72 I

4

2L LXXVI, No. 9 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 $15.00 Per Year: This Issue 35c

Nov. 2, 1979

Burg Will Meet Palestinians
After Upbeat Autonomy Talks

Major Zionist Conference
Exposes, Condemns Venom,
Mobilizes Counter-Offensive

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

MIAMI BEACH — Responding to grave warnings of mounting hatreds,
vitriolic anti-Zionists and anti-Israel global campaigns, an international
conference of Jewish leaders, with eminent Christians participating, called
upon all human elements to counteract bigotries that negate all aspects of
truths affecting Jewish concerns.
The International Leadership Conference was organized by the Zionist
Organization of America, the Canadian Zionist Organization and the Latin
American Confederation of General Zionists. The conference, held Oct. 24-28
at the Doral Beach Hotel, reviewed developing situations and mobilized
public opinion to offset the menacing situations that are not only anti-Israel
but are growing into the most obscene revival of anti-Semitism.
The conference, in which representatives of scores of American
and Canadian communities were joined by delegations from Mexico,
Jamaica, Argentina, Peru and Uruguay, was one of the gloomiest
gatherings of Jews held to consider the position of Jewry in decades.
The conference learned of hatreds that have become international
policies as a result of the "Big Lie" technique, accepted by two-thirds of the
nations of the world at the United Nations, the untruths being permitted to
go unanswered.
Most distressing was the confirmation by two members of the U.S.
Senate, Daniel Patrick Moyniham (D-NY) and Joseph R. Biden (D-Del) that
there is a danger of a decline in American support for Israel. They conceded
that the friendship still persists with a threatened weakening that demands
serious concern and firm action to protect American interests in the Middle
East which are as much to the benefit to the U.S. as they are to the state of
Israel.
The shocking revelations linked the U.S. State Department with indif-
ference to Israel's needs and the threat to Israel's existence. Even in instances
when the PLO resorts to mass murders and claims credit for them, the State
Department resorts to calls for even-handedness and condemns both sides,
never taking into consideration the absolute guilt in the ranks of Israel's
antagonists. The White House was not absolved of the guilt of being silent.
The U.S. Senators joined with Jewish and Christian leaders in urging that
there should be prompt replying to the untruths and unhesitant demands for
(Continued from Page 12)

By MAURICE SAMUELSON

LONDON — (JTA) — Israeli Interior Minister Yosef Burg said Sunday night that he

intends to seek a series of meetings with Palestinian Arabs as a result of the "definite
progress" made here in the latest round of autonomy discussions with Prime Minister
Mustapha Khalil of Egypt and President Carter's special envoy to the Middle East, Robert
Strauss.
Burg said that while he has had virtually no contacts with Palestinian Arab leaders
until now, he would move in that direction.
That move would appear to be the logical sequel to the agreement reached by
the three conferees in their two days of talks that ended Sunday. According to the
agreement, Palestinians on the West Bank and Gaza Strip could participate in the
process of organizing, conducting and supervising the elections for a self-
governing authority in those territories. All three delegations seemed satisfied.
Strauss, who had been pessimistic about the progress of the autonomy talks when he
arrived last week, said that For the first time, substantive progress has been made" since
the negotiations began four months ago. Burg remarked that the progress has been
substantial as well- as substantive. The Camp David accords call for final agreement on
autonomy by next May.
According to the joint statement, the Palestinians who will participate in the pre-
election process will have to be agreed to by all parties, including Israel. They will be
required to share their authority with "authorized Israeli civilian personnel" and with
other "individuals" agreed to by Israel, Egypt and the U.S.
A large part of the interview was devoted to comments by Burg on the resignation of
Foreign Minister Moshe Dayan last week and the reasons Dayan gave for quitting at this
time — basic policy differences with the Likud and National Religious Party members of
Premier Menahem Begin's coalition goverment. Burg, a leader of the NRP, took exception
to Dayan's statement on an Israel Radio interview Friday night that he had resigned in

(Continued on Page 5)

Churches Vote on Anti-Israel Motion

NEW YORK (JTA) — The National Council of Churches (NCC) will consider a resolution that
calls for the suspension of U.S. aid to Israel at its governing board meeting here next week. The
policy-making board will take up a resolution by the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Diocese of
North America that calls for the suspension of aid until Israel "complies with international law and
guarantees the human rights of Christians and Muslims in Israel and the occupied territories."
The meeting Nov. 8-10 at the Roosevelt Hotel will also hear the first report of a special panel that
was created recently to consider NCC positions on the Middle East. The NCC has been under fire for
refusing to suspend Archbishop Valerian Trifa from its board.

The Jewish Communities of Germany Today • • • and Tomorrow?

By CARMI M. SLOMOVITZ

The opportunity to visit Germany was arranged by the Honorable Richard Wagner,
Consul General of the Federal Republic of Germany for the Midwest.
I must say that at first I had very mixed emotions about visiting the country that was
ionsible for the mass murder of more than 11 million_persons — six million of them
Jews. However, I felt it was a duty, as a responsible Jew, to see first hand what took place
and what was taking place now for the 27,466 Jewish inhabitants of Germany. I will now
take you on the tour that I just experienced.
FRANKFURT — A Jewish community of 5,200.6,000 Jews. This is the city where
neo-Nazism is a stronghold — it used to be Hamburg. The claim is that most of the
pro-Nazi propaganda comes from the United States.
They have five Conservative synagogues, two old age homes (one being half Jewish)
and a day school. The school has an enrollment of 120 pupils of which 20 are non-Jews.
I think it is important to mention that all through Germany individuals are taxed
nine percent of their income tax, if they desire, for the religious belief of their choice. All
persons must register and they have the choice of announcing their religious preference,
if any. Thereafter, they are taxed and the money goeS to the community, as they call it.
This is similar to our Jewish Welfare. Federation.
The funds are used for educational, social and cultural needs. This eliminates a great
deal of fundraising such as we are accustomed to. However, I was told that additional
sums must be raised to help cover their deficit. A great deal of the Frankfurt community
is poor, unlike most other German cities.
I paid a visit to the 170-year-old cemetery. The director, Sally Bodenheimer, whose
salary comes from the city government, was most pleased to have visitors from America.
He is proud of his job and pleased to show people the graves of the famous Germans
buried there, such as many of the Rothschild family.
The highlight of this visit was the collection of documents Bodenheimer has
collected dating back to 1494, all dealing with Jewish-German relations. Some of

the letters are from Benjamin Disraeli, former British prime minister, Chaim
Weizmann, who later became the first president of Israel, a receipt from 1748
showing that "Jew Leib Mauth" had paid his road tax, etc.
Bodenheimer also told of a big rift within the Jewish community regarding the
selling of their main headquarters.
The building was sold without the approval of the community to the city of Frankfurt
for meetings and cultural events.
The committee against the sale claims that if the building is large enough for the
whole city it surely was large enough for the Jewish community. They feel that the
building of a new community house for approximately $15 million is an unnecessary
burden on the community and should be stopped. They have struck a coin showing the
moving of the building with the inscription "It started with an idea and it now comes
down to money."
BONN — The capital and the headquarters of the government. Here, I had the
opportunity to meet with many non-Jewish members of the government, from all the
different parties.
The first subject discussed was the showing of the TV show "Holocaust." It was
viewed by millions and created some very serious problems. The general feeling was that
it was well done and brought to the forefront a question that was on the minds of many.
The result was that children confronted their parents with the question, "What did you do
during the war?" This, of course, brought up the subject of reparations and the feelings of
the young.
Even though two-thirds of the population was either too young to have participated
in the war or not even born, they feel it is their responsibility to pay for the sins of their
parents and grandparents.
Now, without giving names, these are the remarks of top government officials
regarding Israel: "Begin may be in trouble because of his ties to the religious party" .. .
(Continued on Page 6)

