2 Friday, November 9, 1919
u'fn:
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
For an Accord with Blacks:
Three Major Issues Defined
Inviting "constructive dialogues . . . without epithets
and threats," Maxwell E. Greenberg, national chairman of
the Bnai Brith Anti-Defamation League, pointed to three
complaints leveled at Jews by blacks:
American Jews are held responsible for the "allegedly
significant trade relationships between South Africa and
Israel. He brands this as false and points to these facts:
Black leadership seems to hold American
Jewish leaders responsible for the allegedly "sig-
nificant trade relationships" between South Af-
rica and Israel. Either it is assumed — errone-
ously — that American Jews control the foreign
policy of Israel or more sophisticated critics talk
in terms of a "strange silence" or "failure to speak
up" on the part of American Jews.
These charges are, in sword, false. The Interna-
tional Monetary Fund reports that, in 1978, trade
with Israel represented less than one-half of one
percent (0.005!) of the total foreign trade of South
Africa. The black nations of Africa had 10 times as
much import-export trade with South Africa as
did Israel. West Germany had 65 times as much
trade; Italy, 11 times.
Israel was 23rd in dollar volume among those
nations exporting into South Africa. There are no
special" or "significant" trade relationships be-
tween Israel and South Africa. Those who repeat
these false charges are the unwitting tools of Arab
propaganda.
Greenberg tackled the affirmative action cases as fol-
lows:
The second_ and more difficult issue circles
around the Bakke and Weber cases decided by
the U.S. Supreme Court. It should be pointed out
that the ,ADL has always opposed discrimination
on the basis of race, color, sex or ethnic origin; for
that reason the Anti-Defamation League supports
the concept of affirmative action to end racial
discrimination. But "affirmative action" and ra-
cial quotas should not be confused; there are
many forms of affirmative action that do not
utilize quotas and "set-asides."
Is one a bigot if he or she believes that it is
immoral, unconstitutional and poor social policy
• to distribute governmental favors — privileges,
jobs and contracts — to less qualified persons
because they have the proper religious affiliation
or skin color?
Was Roy Wilkins a racist when he suggested
that the members of any favored quota might be
stigmatized as incompetent, regaidless of their
true ability? Is there something unconscionable
about litigating and debating a difficult constitu-
tional and moral issue? Sixty-three percent of
. American blacks, according to a national poll
taken at the time of the Bakke case, were opposed
to racial quotas and preferential treatment. Why
are Jews barred from sharing that viewpoint?
Then there is "the failure of black leaders, many of
them religious leaders, to distinguish between the Palesti-
nian people and the Palestinian Ku Kline Klan, sometimes
called PLO." He admonishes:
Ironic, is it not, that the same men who accuse
their Jewish friends of "betrayal" for failing to
support the new-style racial discrimination of
quotas have no moral problem about sitting down
with the murderers and bombers of the PLO! Less
than six months ago, Arafat said he would "chop
off the hands" of President Carter, Begin and
Sadat. Why is that threat "mere rhetoric" when
scholarly (and to some, persuasive) legal briefs
filed to oppose racial discrimination (by means of
racial quotas) arouse so much anger among black
leaders?
Let me be clear. As a private citizen, the Rev.
Jesse Jackson has the right to sit down and talk to
anyone — Arafat, Charlie Manson, Josef Mengele
or the head of the Ku Klux Klan, but by doing so,
he gives murderers and bigots added credibility
and respectability. By failing to differentiate be-
tween the three million Palestinian people and
the Soviet armed and financed terrorists of the
PLO (representing fewer than 20,000 members),
he tacitly approves the murder of American am-
bassadors, Israeli Olympic athletes, Arab and
Jewish women and children.
Rev. Jackson has the "right" to meet with any-
one; but is it wise, or helpful to the Palestinian
people? Does it advance the Egyptian-Israeli
peace accords, sponsored by the U.S.? Does it as-
sist the beleaguered Christian minority in south-
ern Lebanon, under daily armed attack by the
PI :0?
These are facts, already widely quoted, that call for
Jmphasis and repetition.
"
For the Honor of the Nation and True Adherence
to Civil Rights: the Basics in an Unnecessary
Dispute Are Defined by an Authoritative Leader
Fortun a tely, newspapers published for blacks have
shown a sense of responsibility and have published these
views. Let them be recorded as proper answers to misrep-
resentations that cause trouble and do not lead to friendly
relations. And friendly relations is what blacks and Jews,
all Americans, must and do strive for.
Jacob R. Marcus: Archivist
Who Is Legend in-His Own Time
By Philip
Slompvitz
appeal to just a few states. With direct election,
however, the appeal must be made nationwide.
I do thank you for your comments, however,
and hope we can be in agreement on future issues.
We continue to differ. There is the deep conviction that
a change in the electoral system would be damaging for the
people of this country. There will be need to return to the
issue. The American Jewish Congress already has taken a
firm step against the amendment for an electoral change.
Other organizations have acted against the move. There
will be much more about it soon. Meanwhile, the re(
i.-
tion to Dr. Marcus and the Zionist Archives for a tiA__
service efficiently rendered.
Dr. Jacob R. Marcus has written so extensively and is
the author of so many books on a variety of subjects dealing
with American Jewish history that he is taken for granted.
He is loved as a lecturer and he fascinates his audiences
with his narratives that are spiced with humor. He should
"In the Matter of 'Mein Kampf' "
also be given credit as an archivist.
and
the Poison Literature
As head of the American Jewish Archives functioning
Even
though the era of Hitlerism is in the past the
on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish
Institute of Religion he has his fingers on the historic, the poison of Nazism has not been diffused. The hate literature
documentary, the valuable material that enriches knowl- of the Holocaust continues to circulate. Now it is treated as
edge and is of great help to researchers and authors, to history (sic!). Now it is part of the democratic spirit to say
that one must know the facts of life to be able to judge
teachers and students.
This bouquet for the emi- properly and even to apply the knowledge to the vigilance
nent octogenarian scholar is necessitated by the very smell of the poisons that had
inspired by an experience stimulated Genocide and the mass murders.
How does one react to the freedoms — of speech, press,
with him. He had helped
public
platform, the printed word of the journalist and the
often in tracing important
articles. This time there spoken word of the media?
It was important for Arthur Cohen, the eminent es-
was need for a very impor-
sayist
and novelist, to delve into that issue with his Op-Ed
tant analysis of the issue
Page NYTimes article "In the Matter of 'Mein Kampf.' " He
over the Electoral College.
Its abandonment is viewed touched upon the freedoms and his comments invite study
as menacing to Jews espe- and discussion of this portion of his important essay:
cially, as well as to other
A German antiquarian dealer in-the provincial
elements in the American
city of Furth recently purchased for resale two
population. Your Commen-
copies of Nazi-era printings of Adolf Hitler's
tator knew about an impor-
"Mein Kampf." Brought to trial by the public pro-
tant article on the subject
secutor, acting under a law that prohibits the dis-
that appeared in the
semination of literature produced during the Nazi
2`American Zionist" some
perioa, the dealer was found guilty, fined, and his
DR. JACOB MARCUS `years ago. No one on the
two books were confiscated.
present staff of the magazine since its editor, Dr. Elias
The case did not end there. Shortly after, the
Cooper, died, nor anyone in the Zionist Organization of
t
oroginal
decision, the reviewing arm of Wes
America which publishes the magazine, was able to trace
Germany's judiciary, the Third Criminal Tri-
it.
bunal, reversed the provincial court. The dealer
Therefore, the contact with Dr. Marcus. He did not
was exonerated, the fine lifted and his books re-
have the article in his files and he wrote on Aug. 30 to Mrs.
stored. The reviewing court declared, moreover,
Sylvia Landress at the Zionist Archives and Library in
that henceforth "Mein Kampf' and other docu-
Jerusalem. The "American Zionist" article reached us on
ments of the Hitler era (previously restricted to
Sept. 22. The article was published in January of 1976. It
use by historians, serious journalists and respon-
was by Martha R. Cooper and was entitled, "Implications of
sible students) could now be freely bought and
Electoral College Reform for American Jewry."
sold.
Accompanying the , traced article was this note from
The court's reasoning rested on the persuasion
Dr. Marcus:
that the literature of Nazism was now a document
Enclosed is a copy of the article which you seek.
of history and, given the passage of 35 years, no
I hope this will be helpful to you. It comes to us
longer dangerous nor likely to be contagious. It
through the courtesy of Mrs. Sylvia Landress,
did not suggest, it should be noted, that neo-Nazi
who is the director and librarian of the Zionist
propaganda could be published nor that suppor-
Archives. and Library. You ought to give her and
ters of the new Nazis could gather and parade in
her institution a mi-sheberek in your paper.
uniform. The lid of pandora's box was notopened,
With all affection and all good wishes for the
merely lifted .. .
new year, I am
. . . Despite the documentary respectability now
Jacob R. Marcus
conferred by the German,court, Hitler was a mur-
Therefore, this Mi-Sheberakh to the Israeli scholar
derer and "Mein Kampf' a precise blueprint of
and also to Dr. Marcus who knew- where and how to go
the stages by which the murder would unfold. The
about locating an important article.
questions that remain are not addressed by the
It is an important article because the battle to prevent
court's argument; indeed, they raise serious
the abolition of the Electoral College will no doubt be re-
doubt about the court's competence to resolve
sumed.
such issues.
When the views of this Commentator and many in the
The court appears to be saying that time erodes
community were expressed to U.S. Senator Carl Levin, who
evil. The question remains, does .an ideology of
supported the defeated bill for the abolition of the Electoral
murder become less lethal after 35 years? Is it
College, the Michigan Senator wrote to this Conimentator:
credible that "Mein Kampf' can now be consi,-
ered no different from Suetonius' history of tht,
On July 10th, the date of your letter to me, the
criminal debaucheries of the ancient Ceasars?
Senate defeated Senator Bayh's constitutional
amendment for direct election by a vote of 51 yeas
Not only is "Mein Kampf' available and perhaps still
to 48 nays. Because it was a constitutional
widely
read, but the many books coming off the presses
amendment, two-thirds of those Senators present
with a continuity of evaluation of the hate literature keep
and voting was required for passage.
adding munitions to the available printed hate words. How
Although I am certainly sensitive to the con-
is there to be a reaction with productive results?
cerns of the Jewish community on this issue and
The weapon in olden times was the pamphlet. Before the
was made well aware of the Jewish support of the
newspapers became more easily available and we were the
Electoral College, I did support the direct election
politically and socially analytical, there was the pam-
amendment. I studied this issue closely and con-
phleteering weapon.
cluded that for the interests of all American vot-
This weapon was in use against Nazism. Too often it was
ers, direct election is the most democratic and
ineffective because people read only what interested them
equitable system for electing our President and
and what they desired to hear. That's when it was so dif-
Vice President.
ficult to fight Nazism, even in democratic countries.
This is true now in the battle against the counterpart of
I take issue with the statement of Howard
the Nazi terror, the PLO. It is not so easy to get people to
Squadron, in the article you sent me, that the can-
absorb the facts exposing this outrageous terror.
didates under the Electoral College system seek
Nevertheless, the weapon must be used. Pamphleteer-
votes from every region, every race, and every
ing must remain a weapon for decency. It must be utilized
ideology. On the contrary, I believe the Electoral
to the fullest, against neo-Nazism and against the PLO. It
College allows for a candidate of limited or par-
is an obligation in striving for truth and justice.
ticular focus, since victory can be realized by an
-