THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, March 14, 1980 23
Palestinians Not Central to M.E. Problems
By IRA HIRSCHMANN
(Editor's note: Ira
Hirschmann played an
historic role during
World War II in behalf of
the U.S. War Refugee
Board. He was a leading
figure in efforts to
negotiate for the rescue
of Jews from the Nazi ter-
ror.)
What has brought us, the
most powerful nation in the
obe, within a few short
ears to the feet of the Arab
oil lords? It is not crying
over spilt oil to look back
and examine our passive,
ambivalent foreign policy
since the post war period
that has diminished our
world stature, and served as
a virtual invitation for the
Soviets to speed uptheir un-
impeded drive to the Per-
sian Gulf.
My former position in the
State Department in the
Middle East provided me
with a grandstand seat to
witness the Soviet as an ob-
liging supplier of the vor-
acious appetites for ammu-
nition for Arab against
Arab and Arab against Jew
to keep the region in an exp-
losive state.
Witness the almost for-
gotten civil war in Lebanon,
as the Syrians threaten to
pull out their 30,000 occu-
pation troops and their vast
arsenal acquired from the
Kremlin. Can anyone pic-
ture the Middle East map,
fragile as it is today, with-
out the Soviet mischief-
making by the prodigious
sale of armaments to Iraq,
Syria, Jordan, Saudi
Arabia, Libya, PLO and
Yemen for their internecine
wars and four futile as-
saults on the fledgling state
of Israel.
In my book "Red Star
Over Bethlehem," I draw
a score-card listing each
step showing how the
Soviets backed down
when we stood our
ground; and when we fal-
tered, how the Russian
juggernaut drove nearer
to the Persian Gulf. The
lesson is inescapable.
One of the root causes of
our failure in the region has
been the U.S. choice, in the
face of history and much re-
cent evidence, to make the
so-called Palestine problem
the crucial issue around
which our entire policy in
the Middle East revolved.
It is simply not true that
Palestine is at the center of
the Middle Eastern prob-
lem. Yet it is still projected
as the main act by the Arab
feudal lords supported by
the U.S. State Department
Arabists. This was the
major blunder in the reck-
less and ill-judged British
policy that drove the
English out of the Middle
East. The parallel between
British policies then and
myopic U.S. views now
should be apparent.
Implicit in U.S. policy has
been the assumption that
because the Arab states are
concerned about their
brethren in Palestine —
which shows no evidence of
being true — they would
therefore be of one mind in
the incredibly unrealistic
aim for a comprehensive
peace settlement at the base
of our misdirected program,
fortunately interrupted by
the bold initiative of
President Sadat of Egypt.
In spite of the continu-
ing progress of the
Israel-Egypt peace proc-
ess, there is still unrelent-
ing pressure by factions
in the the State Depart-
ment to seek an illusory
comprehensive peace.
The Palestine issue has
been permitted for 31 years
to become the show-case to
obstruct and hide the grow-
ing unrest among the de-
Ontario Synagogue Weds
28 Russian Jewish Couples
TORONTO (JTA) —
Twenty-eight Jewish
couples from the Soviet
Union were "remarried"
under the hupa in Adas Is-
rael Synagogue in Hamil-
ton, Ontario recently by
Rabbi Morton Green, the
synagogue's spiritual
leader.
The ceremony was shared
by friends and relatives,
members of the congrega-
tion and the Hamilton
Jewish community and offi-
cials of the Jewish Immig-
rant Aid services of Canada
who had come to see what is
becoming a tradition in this
city of 5,000 Jews 40 miles
west of Toronto.
It was the third year in
succession that the cere-
mony has taken place, and
with more immigrants ex-
Boycott Violator pected, next year's wedding
WASHINGTON (JTA) — may be the biggest yet. The
Library Bureau Inc. of Her- initiator is Green, an Or-
kimer, N.Y., has been or- thodox rabbi who has wel-
dered to pay a civil penalty comed the newcomers into
of $10,000 after being his shul. Carol Krames, the
charged with a violation of Jewish Social Services di-
the anti-boycott law, the rector, was responsible for
Department .of Commerce the wedding preparations,
and • his teaching staff was
has announced.
The company has been responsible for the instruc-
charged with agreeing, in a tion in Yiddishkeit avail-
contract with the govern- able for those who wanted
ment of Libya, to "obey all it.
Prior to the wedding,
laws and rules concerning,
the boycott," which the de- Green spent hours inter-
partment said was a viola- viewing each couple, ob-
tion of the prohibition taining personal informa-
against knowingly agreeing tion and, when necessary,
to do business with or in a bestowing upon them He-
boycotting country. The law brew names.
was designed to protect
companies doing business Israel Tourists
with Israel.
The order requires the li- Get Tax Refund
Fredrick
JERUSALEM (JTA) —
brary, a community-owned
Jewelers
business, to pay $5,000 of Tourists will receive a re-
of BLOOMFIELD HILLS yl
the total fine, with the pay- fund of the value-added tax
646 0973
869 West on Lake Road
Tues. thru Sat. 10 to 5:30
ment of the other $5,000 to (VAT) on goods they pur-
'1..Thurs. to 9 pm; Closed Monday,
be suspended for one year if chase in the country, Minis-
Appraisals by Appointment
no further violations occur. ter of Tourism Gideon Patt
While You Wait.'
announced.
He advised customs offi-
Let the professionals
cials and the Civil Aviation
Authority that the refund is
save you time and money
to be made at the time of
on your next new car purchase!
their departure.
A special counter will be
set up at Ben-Gurion Air-
port where tourists will
have to present a wrapped
parcel and a receipt in order
1 979's still available from stock
to claim the refund.
Tourists pressed for time
will be able to drop the re-
NEW CAR ioe./
ceipt in a box, in which case
BROKER
-
''CHASES
O
~
PL
PROFESS\
the refunds will be mailed to
(Up to 23% discount on new cars.)
their homes.
968-2360
The VAT presently
stands at 12 percent of the
purchase price, but is ex-
pected
to be increased to 15
25900 Greenfield Road, Suite 139 • Oak Park, Michigan 48237
percent shortly.
Rolex
NOW ORDERING ALL 1980
CARS & LIGHT TRUCKS
IWO
Hwy
IRA HIRSCHMANN
prived Arab masses which
has obscured the smoke-
screen of the Soviets as
warmongers in the area.
The Iran explosion should
have taught us that there is
more at stake in the region
than the million Arabs who
were denied elementary
hospitality by their Arab
brothers, who have lived for
31 years of the charity of
UNRWA (supported 62 per-
cent and approximately a
billion dollars by the U.S.)
and have become the thorn
in the side of the Egypt-
Israel peace-makers.
Certainly, any notion
that U.S aid to Israel
should be linked to Arab oil
should once and for all be
laid to rest.
This so-called Palestine
— not termed the "au-
tonomy" issue — is a valid
essential piece of unfinished
business within the ongoing
Egyptian - Israel - U.S.
peace process. Seen in the
perspective of the upheaval
in Iran and the Soviet
takeover of Afghanistan,
the Palestine issue, while
-an indispensible link in the
chain connecting the peace
momentum, should be
treated today as decidedly a
side-show.
We sit 'round the Seder table each year. and celebrate The Exodus
through traditions passed down. to us over thousands of years. These
traditions have become so much a part of our heritage they are inscribed
in The Hagodah for all the world to see: the matzoh. the IvIaNishtanah':
the Aphikoman, the recitation of the plagues. the chant of "Dayenu". and
on and on through the night, closing with "Chad Gadya.•
At each Seder. however, there are other kinds of traditions... tradi-
tions which are just as strong. just as cherished. They are our personal
family traditions. UnvCrtten 5nd, unsung. they are as much a part of our
Seders as the hard-boiled eggs and bitter herbs. And among these. one of
the most popular traditions is the wine that is used throughout the
Seder evening. That is Manischewitz, of course. In millions of homes. it
just wouldn't be Passover without a bottle of Manischewi - Kosher Wine.
It is a wine that spans the generations and, somehow. symbolizes the
continuity of the family Seder. Faces may change. we grow older, some-
times there is a new youngster to •
in
ask the" MaNishtanah:'. . but always
there is the Manischewitz.
It holds a traditional and honored
place at our Seder table.
OLO
Produced and bottled under
strict Rabbinical supervision by
Rabbi Dr. Joseph I. Singer &
Rabbi Solomon B. Shapiro
Manischewitz Wine Co., NY, NY 11232
Kasharth Certificate available upon request
THE GOLD RUSH IS ON
SO DON'T SELL SHORT
At Tapper's you can dispose of your old gold and unwanted
Jewelry for:
1. IMMEDIATE CASH
HIGHEST PRICES
2. INFLATION FIGHTER GIFT CERTIFICATES
FOR FUTURE PURCHASES
3. USE YOUR OLD GOLD AS A TRADE-IN
TOWARDS BUYING NEW JEWELRY
Come in today
Tapper's, the source.
26400 West Twelve Mile Road
in Southfield's Racquetime Mall
Northeast corner 12 Mile & Northwestern Hwy.
357-5578
Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri., Sat., 10-6, Thurs., 10-9
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