friday, May 2, 190 Mt UMW!! IWINH NEWS Open Letter to Vanessa Redgrave By EVA BARTOK (Copyright 1980, JTA, Inc.) (Editor's note: Eva Bar- tok, internationally known actress, has made numerous films in Great Britain. The Hungarian- born film star issued this open letter after Vanessa Redgrave called for a boycott of Israel. Ms. Bartok gave this letter to Herbert Luft, the Jewish Telegraphic Agency's film critic, asking that it be made public.) On March 31st, you asked - --heBritish Actor's Equity to stitute a veritable boycott -against the state of Israel. There were only 200 mem- bers at that meeting — I was not one of them. But some of us — some of the 26,300 members who were absent must speak up. We must not be guilty of si- lence, for silence is a form of assent. And I, especially — I whom Britain took in, shel- tered and adopted — I who prize my status as a British subject more highly even than if I had been born there — I especially must speak out when I see any attempt to suppress human rights. You claim that the "rights of the Palestinian artists are inseparable from the rights of the Palestinian people." Fine. Then what about the "inseparable rights of the British artists and people?" What about the rights of the Israeli ar- tists and people? What about the rights of everyone on this rapidly shrinking globe? What about human rights? Why were you not de- fending the rights of the embattled Hungarian youth and workers in 1956? Of the Czech youth and workers a short time later? Of the Polish youth and workers only a few years ago? Of the Afghan youth and workers at this very moment? Could it be because you were never on the spot" when their rights were being — bloodily — suppressed? You see, I was. I was both a child and an adolescent under the rule of the Nazis in Hungary. I was in my early teens when the Rus- sians "liberated" that al- ready devastated country — I was there: I saw them both at work. The slogans — the Envoy Released TEL AVIV (JTA) — Is- l's Ambassador to Col- bia, Eliyahu Barak, re- turned home Monday after a two-month ordeal in the Dominican Embassy in ogota where he and a score 4-41V f other diplomats and foreign nationals were held - hostage by leftist revolu- tionaries. The hostages were finally released last weekend. r Soviet Sit-In BRUSSELS (JTA) — Some 100 Jews staged a 100-hour sit-in last week in ,front of the Soviet Embassy to protest Soviet mistreat- ment of Jews. flags changed, but the goals remained the same: the crushing of the individual human being — together with all his rights. Vanessa, history is an endless repetition of "new" leaders taking power — leaders full of so-called "new" political ideas. They promise to stop wars, feed the people — they promise equality, prosperity and "inseparable human and ar- tistic rights." But what is the reality? Ask Solzhenytzin about his "human and artistic rights." Ask any number of muzzled Russian, Czech, Polish, Hungarian, Bulga- rian or Romanian artists. For that matter, ask a Rus- sian Jew of today. Surely, you remember Stalin's attitude towards them. Surely Vanessa, you must know that if there were no state of Is- rael, their fate — even today — could easily be a repetition of the Holocaust. A Holocaust which, I must remind you, would probably not have happened had there been a state of Israel in 1938. Was there ever a dictator- ship that did not suppress the very people they pur- ported to defend? I am in ac- cord with the well-known writer, Henry Miller, who once said in an article, "We do not want followers of this or that political leader, be- lievers in this or that ideal, however noble. We need in- dividuals who can work with their fellow men with tolerance and understand- ing." Here in the United States of America that tolerance was extended to you just re- cently when the Screen Ac- tors' Guild supported the producers who cast you in the part of a Jewish concen- tration camp survivor in "Playing for Time" for CBS Television. They upheld your artistic rights, Van- essa, in spite of vehement opposition from many sources — opposition which has grown out of the con- troversy you caused a few years ago when you made pro-Palestinian, anti- Israeli comments upon the acceptance of your Academy Award. Do you really think that there are no supporters of Israel — both Christians and Jews — among the members of the Screen Ac- tors' Guild or the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences? Or do you think that because they supported your human rights that they concur with you? I as- sure you, they do not! But they do practice what they preach. It is a shame that you cannot extend the same tolerance and respect for human rights to the people of tke young state of Israel. The basic "hu- man right" is the right to live. While people are still having that right taken away, violently — on both sides — neither one of us should be supporting their murderers. The youth of the world can make their own judg- ment. But, hearing your words of support for the PLO — the words of some- one whose talent they ad- mire and respect — how can they not become confused? They are confused enough already. Here again, I speak from experience, having given a series of talks spon- sored by the Department of Humanities at universities throughout the United States of America and Canada. Yes, they are con- fused — but the questions they ask and the comments • they make show clearly that they are seeking higher values for mankind.- I as- sure you, they don't want violence; bloodshed or ra- cism. What they want is the brotherhood of man. I can't believe that the youth of England is any different from their North American brothers and sis- ters in their longing for a better world: so I would like to make a proposal to you. If you do not agree with what I have said here, why don't we put our respective points-of-view before the youth — the people. Let them be the judge of which one of us speaks with their voice. It will be easy to ar- range — via TV satellite, if necessary. What do you say, Vanessa? 14 Clothier 126 S. Woodward, Birmingham Mon., Tues., Wed., Sat. 10-6 Thurs. & Fri. 10-9 FOR THE ULTIMATE IN FASHION-RIGHT FORMALWEAR RENTALS & SALES Celebrate the occasion with a fresh ap-. proach to formatwear. Featuring an exten-. sive selection. The newest styles and colors. FEATURING Westwood, Newport, Woodstock, Windsor, Tux Toils, 21 Colored Shirts, Flared Pants, Volare Boots • WEDDINGS • PROMS • CRUISES • EVERY IMPORTANT SOCIAL EVENT • 1980 R.J. 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