THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
2 Friday, December 28, 1979
Purely Commentary
`The Russian Equation':
The Menace to Mankind
It was never a secret. Now it is sprouting forth in full
force. The threatened Russian encirclement is menacing
many areas of the globe. This continent is as insecure as the
rest of the universe.
The USSR was involved in every assault on Israel and
only the developing opposition to the Russian involvements
in Egypt helped call a temporary halt to the Kremlin intru-
sions in the Middle East. It was that Russian threat that
contributed to Anwar Sadat's determination to encourage
the peace negotiations with Israel.
Russian arms were and still are being used by Israel's
enemies, and USSR allies iralude Qaddafi and Arafat.
PLO incursions into Israel for terrorist outrages have
always been with the use of Russian arms.
Now there are warnings against the Russian invasions
from many quarters. Red China is on the alert. The Chinese
state bluntly that they must stay on guard against the
Kremlin's encirclement threats.
Much more menacing are the Russian tactics in the
Middle East.
Perhaps the Iranian outrages will help expose the
danger spelled USSR. There is an analysis of developing
factors affecting East-West relations by Arnaud deBor-
chgrave whose "Soviet Equation" in the Dec. 24 Newsweek
asserts:
The KGB, according to several Western intelli-
gence chiefs, has been exploiting the Iranian
revolution. These sources say that they have more
than circumstantial evidence that Moscow de-
cided last year to try to harness the Muslim revolt
to Soviet strategy in the Persian Gulf region. The
American embassy take-over in Teheran, they •
have told me, was a well-prepared operation to
move the Iranian revolution into a final Marxist
phase.
Intelligence generated by friendly agents in
Teheran has indicated that there were some Mar-
xist cadres inside the embassy, posing as Islamic
militants. At least one — identified as a Marxist
Fedayeen guerrilla operating in Iran before
Khomeini's return — was known to have regular
contacts with a KGB agent in the'Soviet Embassy.
While Khomeini was in France, European
agents kept his entourage under close surveil-
lance. Two KGB operatives and two Libyan
agents were said to be part of the group. They
posed as hard-line anti-Communists
By June 1978, Israeli and European services
compiled detailed reports on a Soviet Destabiliza-
tion plan for Iran. When the PLO sent two security
specialists to help reorganize Iran's secret police
earlier this year, they were immediately identified
as Palestinian intelligence operatives with close
ties to the KGB in Beirut.
The Kremlin schemes are apparent. It is possible that
only the approaching Olympics are temporarily delaying
more massive Russian involvements.
Surely, the dissidents who have shown courage in their
resistance to all of the Russian oppressive measures are
helpful in the exposures of the nefarious Soviet tactics.
It is also believable that the demands by tens of Rus-
sian Jews for exit visas contribute towards revealing the
Russian political as well as social aims.
By Philip
Slomovitz
Threat of Russian Encirclement Revealed in Newsweek
Story Which Demands Interest as a Warning Against
the Rising Tide of Soviet Power in the Middle East
The SALT II debate will surely aid in the revelations of
the Russian programs which are at the root of many of the
world's ills. It will take a lot of courage to overcome the
dangers. Most important is the need to make the facts
known. Perhaps exposure to world public opinion will do
more to aid the political struggle against Russian
encirclement than anything else.
Rabbi Adler's Legacy: His Role
in Civil Rights Movement
Whoever distorts the black-Jewish friendships at-
tempts to erase historical truth. It can never succeed.
Those who have introduced suspicion bordering on dis-
cord and hatred are rendering a great disservice.
It is necessary occasionally to revive memories.
One such recollection re-
lates to the late Rabbi Mor-
ris Adler.
In all his years of ecumen-
ical services he rose to great
heights as a champion of the
rights of the oppressed, and
the Negroes knew him for
what he was worth: a great
champion of justice.
This is a good time to re-
call one of his major accom-
plishments and his notable
contributions to the civil
rights movement.
His able wife Goldie
shared in his dedicated
labors, and it is evidenced in
the book, "May I Have a
Word With You?" in which
she compiled with the coop-
eration of Lilly Edelman,
some of his notable essays.
A section of "May I
RABBI MORRIS ADLER Have a Word With You?" is
entitled "Negro and White." Each of the articles in this
section of the book is a repudiation of prejudice, a call for
fairness and justice. Here is an exemplary essay from this
book:
I am in this fight with you because my tradition
teaches that none can deny the brotherhood of his
neighbor without first rejecting the Fatherhood
of God. It thus becomes a religious imperative for
me to resist every condition or group which re-
duces my neighbor to a status less than brother.
I am in this fight with you because as a Jew I am
familiar through long experience with the evils of
oppression and bigotry. Throughout our entire
tradition and in our daily prayers there is re-
peated emphasis on the liberation of my ancestors
from Egypt. No other event in the millennial his-
tory of my people is as frequently evoked. On one
of the major festivals in our calendar (Pesach), we
are bidden to proclaim that we are descended
from slaves. We place a bitter herb on our tongue
so that our body as well as our spirit may never
forget the bitterness of enslavement. We still bear
upon our flesh scars inflicted by hate-driven tor-
me to make my fight the fight of all who are
rejected, the harassed, the downtrodden impels
me to make my fight the fight of all who are
denied equality and justice.
I am in this fight with you because I know that
since freedom is indivisible, its curtailment any-
where curtails and threatens my freedom. A
democracy that supports the suppression of one
group of its citizenry is weakened at its very foun-
dations and renders all others insecure in their
liberty. Where a class or race is subjected to
second-class citizenship, the first-class citizen-
ship of the rest is impaired, uncertain, and incom-
plete. A new Pharaoh may arise who will extend
the existent pattern of oppression and denial to
all.
I am in this fight with you because I want to
liberate men from the dark passions of bigotry
and hostility. I want to heal the sickness of those
who are obsessed with a hate which drives them
to bear down evilly upon others. If these are be-
yond healing and therapy, I want their children to
grow up in a climate of freedom in which men of
differing faiths and color live in equality and dig-
nity. Thus will the atmosphere about them not
infect them with the moral and psychic sickness
of their parents.
I am in this fight with you because my tradition
and my experience as a Jew have sensitized me to
the deprivations imposed upon you. I am in this
fight because I cannot be fully free until all are
free.
Let it be remembered that this book was published
more than a decade ago, that the late Rabbi Adler's
courageous stand for justice was a good part of his spiritual
services. They were shared by his wife. They were shared
by his community, the Jewish people. Who dares to intro-
duce prejudice in the ranks of our libertarian people?
The Message of Brotherhood
Often Falls on Deaf Ears
The appeal for common decency and justice that was
part of the late Rabbi Morris Adler's code of American and
Jewish principles symbolized a basic Jewish approach to
the movement for the erasing of race hatreds. Are the
echoes of these voices still heard in the land, or do they now
fall on deaf eras? ,
There was an ill omen in a poll of blacks that was taken
in New York to ascertain which American groups had ex-
pressed the most dominant interest in blacks attaining
equality. Jews ranked among the lowest.
Topping the list were TV, the U.S. Army, universities,
the federal government and the Supreme Court.
Jews ranked closest to the bottom, with the police and
real estate companies. -Lowest were the white protestant
churches.
This is one of the saddest annotations imaginable for
the record of Jewish involvements in the civil rights move-
ment. Because it expresses the feelings of blacks it is de-
plorable. While the Jewish response to such a poll must be
with a sense of resentment, it is clear that the repudiations
should come from the ranks of the blacks.
In the main, Jewish attitudes are those embodied in
the sentiments of Morris Adler. There is need for an emula-
tion of his leadership and spokesmanship.
Peace-Shalom' Dove Portrayal Featured in Pictorial Volume
In a single word — Peace
— appended to its Hebrew
equivalent — Shalom —
SBS Publishers of
Englewood, N.J., have
created a title for a volume
that combines history with
magnificent photographic
art.
It is a product so timely
that it provides the most
noteworthy in documentary
compilations depicting the
experiences of three nations
who shared in peace-
making and the generation
blessed with being witness
to it.
"Peace-Shalom" could
well be called the total re-
cord of the negotiations that
led to an agreement justify-
ing the title for a book dedi-
cated to this idea.
It is a text as well as pic-
torial account of the his-
tory under review, and in
both instances the objec-
tives are fulfilled with
professional skills.
An elaborate text, by An-
thony S. Pitch, merits at-
tention as a valuable addi-
tion to the records accumu-
lated defining the decisions
reached by Israel and Egypt
under the tutelage of
President Carter and the
events that preceded the
Camp David and White
House conferences.
The totality of the cover-
age of the news events, the
occurrences in the Middle
East preceding the visit of
Anwar Sadat in Jerusalem,
the pageantry and the
dramatic occurrences com-
bine to make the Pitch ac-
counts significant in all
their details.
As historian, he did not
omit the factual occurrences
and did not overlook treat-
ing the negatives with
equal emphasis given the
positive and constructive
details.
Thus, the economically
depressing gets as much
attention as the militarily
successful trends. Be-
sides, even the several
fraudulent experiences
in Israel are not over-
looked. It is part of the
overall story that ex-
plains Israel's role in the
turbulent years, while
crediting the accom-
plishments where praise
is due.
Therefore, the panorama
of the two years of negotia-
tions, the cast of characters
appearing in the process of
peace negotiations, are part
of the history-making
events included in the Pitch
text.
While all of the partici-
pants in this dramatic
occurrence are fully cre-
dited with their roles in the
peace planning, with
President Carter and Israel
Prime Minister Menahem
Begin in major roles, this
"Peace-Shalom" volume
serves especially as a tes-
tament to the Egyptian
leader. President Sadat
once again emerges as a
cooperating member of a
great team and if any one
will cherish possessing this
volume, he certainly will.
It is as a pictorial classic
that this volume earns spe-
cial praise.
So fascinating are the
drawings that they per-
form an extra service in
elevating this volume to a
high degree of illustrat-
ive accomplishment.
Yigael Tumarkin por-
trayed the spirit of peace,
giving it special em-
phasis.
Symbolizing the book's
thesis is the Dove of Peace
carrying an olive branch.
Each chapter commences
with the dove and peace
keeps predominating.
The ideal for peace also is
emphasized in a preface by
former Israel Ambassador
to the United Nations
Chaim Herzog.
An historic factor in this
volume is that Israel's
dramatic experiences are
traced to Kilometer 101
where the many negotia-
tions were held after the
Yom Kippur War. Then the
story proceeds until the
Camp David conferences.
Among the valuable
documentary reprod-
uctions in this volume is
the facsimile of the
speech by Menahem
Begin at the White House
peace signing. It was
hand-written and it ap-
pears in that form here.
The photographers who
provided the photos have an
share in
inerasable
"Peace-Shalom." They are:
Moshe Milner, Yaakov
Saar, Hananya Hennan,
Micha Bar-Am, Menucha
Brafman, Werner Braun,
Igal Havilio, Elliot Faye,
Peter Larsen, Aliza Orbach,
Yael Rosen, David
Rubinger, Yehoshua Zamir
and Su en lee (Butch).
Production is by Arye Ben
David, design by Doreet
Scharfstein. — P.S.