2 Friday, March 14, 198Q `
TNTbE ~R~ OIT1NI
lSr
Purely Commentary
By Philip
Slomovitz
Out of the Folly of the White House and the State
Department Emerges One Certainty for Lovers of Justice
and Peace: Israel's Sovereignty Is NOT Negotiable
Is the Fiasco an Assurance of an End to Pussyfooting in the Peace Process?
In spirt of the Carter apology for the U.S. blunder of voting for the UN Security
Council resolution which served as a condemnation of Israel on the Jerusalem and
settlements matter, there is now the growing tendency to assert that the U.S. withdrawal
does not negate teh resolution; that what had been adopted remains on the international
ledger as an irrevocable ruling; that Israel will .be consistently condemned and the
demands for abandonment of settlements and withdrawal from East Jerusalem will be
considered an irrevocable act.
This is a lot of baloney, certainly insofar as Israel and her friends are concerned.
Israel has attained sovereignty. This is not negotiable, no matter who may seek to
undermine the status of the Jewish state. On this score there remains the need for unity
and it is to be hoped that what had occurred will serve to cement such unity.
Meanwhile the UN Security Council action, with the U.S. approval, of March 1,
1980, has inflamed angers not to be appeased too soon, if ever. The President blundered
and admits it; the secretary of state pleads to be the guilty one; the U.S. chief delegate to
the UN says he followed orders. In every respect there is such a conglomeration of
incredibility that the U.S. image stands abused and shamed on the international scene.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the signing of the peace accord by Israel and
Egypt, at the White House, it was to be expected that the President would be more
cautious in reaching decisions involving foreign policy. Now it is urgent that all others
who are seriously involved in the process should strive to avert a calamity stemming from
An Expose by Nodding Carter
About the World Olympics:
When Hitler Was in Power
President Carter's firm stand on the Olympics, his
challenge to the USSR, may be decisive. Whatever the
ultimate,it is reasonable to believe that Americans will not
go to Moscow for the originally-scheduled summer games.
There are always those who, seeking fulfillment in their
aspirations to reach high goals in the variety of sports, will
be aggravated by the official American position. Had the
complete story been told of the human experience that was
marred by prejudices in earlier periods, notably the Hitler
era, there would have been greater unanimity on the sub-
ject.
Seven years before the scheduled 1980 Games, the late
president of the AFL-CIO warned against going to Moscow
for the Olympics. Now another prominent person reveals
how the Hitler menace threatened the sanctified games.
Hodding Carter, chief spokesman for the State De-
partment, in a letter that was published in the New York
Times, under the heading The Year Hitler Almost Had
His 2nd Olympics," retraced history as a reminder of the
Nazi menace that had already been cloaked in the Olym-
piad spirit and threatened continuity of the bigotries. The
Hodding Carter letter follows:
Recently, there has been renewed controversy
about the 1936 Summer Olympic Games in Berlin.
Were Hitler's designs, both domestic and
foreign, clear enough by 1936 so that the Interna-
tional Olympic Committee (IOC) and the world
community should have refused to hold the
Games in Germany? Did world participation at
the Berlin Olympics contribute to Hitler's convic-
tion that he could pursue his racial programs and
aggressive foreign policy without opposition? Or
did the success of Jesse Owens and other black
athletes help dispel Hitler's claims of Aryan
superiority and constitute a serious propaganda
defeat for the Fuhrer?
While these questions continue to generate de-
bate, most people are unaware of the other Nazi
Olympics. On June 9, 1939, the IOC accepted
Adolf Hitler's personal invitation to transfer the
1940 Winter Olympic Games from St. Moritz, Swit-
zerland, to Garmisch-Partenkirchen in the Bava-
rian Alps.
The IOC and the St. Moritz Olympic officials
had become embroiled in a dispute over the status
of ski instructors. The International Ski Federa-
tion insisted that instructors be permitted to
compete in the Games, but the IOC refused to
recognize them as amateurs. The Swiss supported
the Ski Federation's position that Alpine skiing be
deleted from the Olympic program if the in-
structors could not participate. The IOC refused
to hold Games at St. Moritz under these circum-
stances and accepted Hitler's invitation.
June 1939. By this time, Germany had annexed
Austria and dismembered Czechoslovakia. Hit-
ler's campaign against the Jews in Germany was
in full swing. On the same day that the IOC trans-
ferred the Games from Switzerland to Germany,
The New York Times reported, "East Prussian
Jews and thousands of others scattered through-
out Germany have been ordered to leave or go to
concentration camps appealed to their leaders in
Berlin tonight for help in finding homes outside
-this nation."
The IOC saw no impediment. Its president,
Count de Baillet-Latour of Belgium, declared that
the decision to move the Games had been taken
regardless of political considerations and that the
the "error" by the man who had a great role in the peace-making: Jimmy Carter.
The issues involved are multiple. Major in the view of the President is the future of
Jerusalem. All other aspects aside, perhaps this is the time to ask the Democratic Party
leaders: what's happening to the 1976 party platform pledging to recognize Jerusalem as
the capital of Israel? --
This question has also been addressed to former President Gerald Ford who, as a
Michigan Congressman, before becoming vice president and then President, committed
himself to the Jerusalem-as-the-capital-of-Israel necessity.
The politcal and other issues are evolving from what will be labeled in many __
insulting adjectives in the course of the next few weeks, and possibly months, because of
the campaign for the Presidency. Perhaps it is all to the good that the issue arose —
challenging the abstainers to commit themselves to realities.- Tops in realism is that
Israel is sovereign and remains so, that Jerusalem will not be abandoned to bandits who
polluted the Holy City under Hussein's rule, that there is an absolute commitment to the
justice and historic reality of Jerusalem, undivided, as Israel's capital, and to a challenge
to those who submit to taking orders, without questioning the justice of such domination.
Indeed, perhaps out of it all there will emerge a true libertarian commitment, with
Jerusalem, the Ir Shalom, the City of Peace, sending forth the message, Out of Zion, for
true peace and justice for mankind, and the inalienable right to it for Israel.
the kind of reason and moderation that will allow
committee had in view only the interest of sport
the classic ideals of human conduct to remain
and the Olympic movement.
intact.
, Less than three months later, on Sept. 1, the
It may be argued, with some persuasion, that
Nazis invaded Poland, and the European phase of
the current world situation demands a state of
World War II began. The IOC still did not cancel
readiness that may well require military con-
the Games. However, on Nov. 24, 1939, Germany
scription. But it is equally true that our nation has
officially informed the IOC that it could not host
traditionally relied on the religious values of its
the Games. The government declared that it had
citizens as an indispensible force of national
hoped peace could be achieved before the Winter
strength. The forced conscription of women
Games were scheduled to take place, but "since
would constitute for many segments of our
Britain and France have rejected proposals for
society a fundamental and profound upheaval,
world peace, the war must continue."
and the inevitable heated debate on the issue will
This revealing reminder of an experience during the
be divisive at a time when national unity is im-
years of horror under rising Nazism emphasizes the impor-
perative.
tance of never hiding the facts, of speaking out against
The above position represents the concerted
prejudices and persecutions. There is emphasis in this re-
views of the entire spectrum of the Orthodox
miniscence of the need to apply the lessons of the past to
Jewish community, embracing both rabbinic and
newly developing situations.
lay leadership. We issue a fervent plea to
The jubilations over the American team's triumph in
President Carter to consider seriously the moral
the hockey contest at the just-concluded Winter Olympics
and religious implications of his plans to register
carries with it more than the joy over the sportsmanship
women for the Selective Service System.
and athletic prowess of our fellow citizens. It has the added
The rising tide of opposition to the proposed draft may
aspect of glory in that the Games were conducted in an
atmosphere of freedom, in a democratic spirit. This is what be supplemented by this traditional attitude of a vital reli-
gious element. This undoubtedly contributes to the in-
sportsmanship must always aim for.
terpretations drawn upon in the policies in Israel. How far
the influence of such an attitude will go remains to be seen.
Women in the Registration-Draft
Dispute: The Jewish View
Bar-Ilan Biology Unit Aids
Israeli Students, Teachers
Disputes over the impending decisions on the planned
registration and possible draft legislation have focused
interest on Israel. Incidentally, the Jewish traditional view
may be sought on the subject.
RAMAT-GAN — Bar-
Women are drafted in Israel. Seldom, however, are Ilan University's Biology
they drawn into actual military operations. They assist in Supply Center serves more
all social, medical, health and educational tasks related to than 200 schools in 100
army life. They have not fought on war fronts; except for localities in Israel.
limited occurrences.
The center's aim is to
What is the Jewish traditional attitude toward regis- achieve a permanent per-
tration and the draft necessitated in time of crisis? A letter sonal link with the teacher
by Rabbi Bernard Rosensweig, president of the Rabbinical in order to help him by sup-
Council of America, and Julius Berman, president of the plying material and advice.
Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, as- For a nominal subscription,
serts that Jewish law prohibits drafting of women for the schools receive prepared
military forces. Here is their explanation:
sets of materials assembled
The national registration of women in the Selec-
according to specific labora-
tory subjects in the syl-
tive Service System would confront the Orthodox
labus. These materials are
Jewish community with a very painful dilemma.
for direct use by the pupils.
Foremost authorities in Jewish law have ruled
During the course of a
that Jewish women may not participate in any
year hundreds of substances
form of conscription. The Jewish religion has al-
are provided, which save
ways been concerned to protect the woman's role
teachers time and effort,
in the family and the moral standards which
and often provide them with
should prevail in society. To enforce military par-
material they cannot obtain
ticipation of Jewish women would create an un-
elsewhere. Examples of lab-
precedented predicament, namely, a clash be-
oratory sets are those deal-
tween the tenets of one's faith and the law of the
ing with antibiotics, plant
land.
We endorse, enthusiastically, the application of
hormones, blood types and
the principle of equality to every segment of our
micro-organisms.
society. But we are deeply concerned that these
Some of the live mate-
liberating endeavors not collide with traditional
rials are prepared at
moral and religious ideals to which we are equally
Bar-Ilan. Others are ob-
tained from other
committed.
Orthodox Judaism seeks to inculcate a sense of
laboratories or from ex-
modesty, self-discipline and family purity in rela-
pediticins by the staff into
tions between the sexes, and it militates against
the field. Films on a
the wanton permissiveness so prevalent in many
variety of subjects are
segments of our society. Drafting women and hav-
available on loan, as are
such instruments as
ing them occupy the same barracks as men (as in
audio-visual aids and
many college dormitories) and fight in isolated
posts over extended periods creates tensions and
laboratory equipment.
Scientific reprints for
temptations which are morally unwholesome.
students and publications
The principle of equality should be governed by
for teachers dealing with
innovations in biology
teaching in secondary
schools are also available.
A major part of the cen-
ter's activities are special
in-service training courses.
These aim at introducing
teachers to new concepts
and techniques, including
those based upon selected
parts of the syllabus and
new films. Laboratory
assistants are trained in the
use and maintenance of
equipment and live matter
sent by the center.
Summer vacations arP -
used for intensive course
lasting one to three weeks.
All throughout the year,
special one-day courses an
held.
Once a year, a full-day
gathering of biology
teachers and their pupils
from the upper biology
classes is held. Selected
projects executed by
senior biology students
are presented and dis-
cussed. The projects cho-
sen by a teachers' panel
are awarded gifts of
books.
The study days encourage
teachers and pupils to con-
duct individual research.
Projects are guided by re-
search workers all over Is-
rael.