THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Can Carter Administration Halt Brother Billy's Antics
tion. And more and more
By RABBI MARC
TANENBAUM
(A Seven Arts Feature)
"Am I my brother's keep-
ter?" Cain spoke those cyni-
cal words after he slew his
brother, Abel, and then was
banished as a vagrant with
the mark of Cain on his
head.
Many people are wonder-
ing aloud these days
whether Billy Carter has
not inflicted the mark of
Billy" on the forehead of his
brother, President Jimmy
Carter, and his administra-
people are asking why this
Administration and the
Congress appear to be so
impotent in stopping Billy
from conducting his own
American foreign policy,
not to speak of preventing
his disgraceful public at-
tacks against Jews and
other fellow-Americans.
It was morally troub-
lesome enough that Billy
Carter tried to exploit his
brother's Presidency selling
"Billy Beer." And many did
not think it endearing that
good old' Billy attacked
with impunity the intelli-
gence and integrity of vir-
tually every member of the
White House staff.
Not too long ago, Billy
Carter ridiculed the
sports figure Phil Niekro
as a "Polack," and re-
peatedly he has maligned
the Jewish community in
slanderous words
suggestive of Ku Klux
Klan mentality.
Worse than that, behind
his deceptive clowning it is
now revealed that he has
been engaged in a covert re-
lationship as a foreign
agent for Libya — one of the
greatest supporters of ter-
rorist groups in the world
today.
The time has come for the
White House, the Congress,
the mass media and the
American people to treat
Billy Carter for what he is
— not just a good-natured
loud-mouthed buffoon, but
potentially as a public
menace who must be held
responsible for his words
and deeds.
Friday, August 15, 1980 15
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Recently Professor Leonard Fein of Brandies University, a well known dove, held a press conference
in Jerusalem where he announced that he and dozens of other prominent American Jews were adding
their names to a previous statement drafted by Peace Now which was headed "Their way isn't ours" and
was signed by 250 Israelis. The statement, which has been widely publicized, suggests that the erosion of
support for Israel in America and in the United Nations is due to the policies of the Israel Government.
ZOA ACTION GUIDELINES
Begin replies: Don't give comfort to our enemies
A public service to our community, the Zionist Organization of America — Detroit District — Sidney Silverman, President
Dear 'Professor Fein,
What did they rejoice about? Are
I know that you enjoy a complete we not all in the hands of Divine
command of the Hebrew tongue
Providence? They craved my
and I have, therefore, no compunc-
death. It transpires that the Maker
tion in replying to your letter of of men and the Creator of soul's has
July 4 — which reached me yester-
not, for now, hearkened to their,
day — in the language of my call.
thoughts and feeling.
I venture to say that I have serv-
Every since I learned Zionism
ed the Jewish people for more than
from Ze'ev Binyamin Herzl and 50 years. My old eyes have seen
Ze'ev Jabotinsky I believe with all
much: two world wars, seven other
my heart that Eretz Israel belongs wars, jail and concentration camp;
to the whole Jewish people and not
five years underground — depriva-
only to those Jews who live in it.
tion, starvation and more.
Hence, I have no objection to Jews
Given this experience — which
who live in the diaspora criticizing
you will admit is not small — I per-
the policy of the Israel Government
mit myself to express astonishment
of the day; by its very democratic
why a man like you has to organize
nature, it is transient.
American Jews in order to publish
The fact is, and one can of course
a statement which lends — not, God
find reason for surprise at this,
forbid, intentionally — comfort to
Jews abroad and especially in the
those who gleefully declare: "Look,
United States did not exercise this the Jews of America are turning
right during the office of previous
their backs on Israel."
governments. Was it that they
Why should one act thus in the
never had any cause to criticize particular times that confront us?
their policies, their commissions, Do you not see what is happening in
omissions, whereas in these days
Copenhagen? Did you not read the
there are some Jews who feel they Fatah Damascus resolution? Don't
can bountifully indulge in this you hear the speeches from the
right? I make no complaint, but of
rostrum of the United Nations? Do
itself the fact is worthy of note.
you, with your intelligence, not
However, there is a distinction perceive that the whole purpose is
between words of criticism and to squeeze us into a thin strip of
aggressive abuse. I felt that what territory in preparation for "The
we face is not the exercise of the Day?" What else has to be rendered
right of dissent but a verbal aggres- in writing or orally to make you and
sion which, in itself, would warrant your colleagues understand that we
sharp criticism of its author. I do are fighting for our lives?
not wish to go over those remarks
You employ a certain turn . of
but perhaps you will be good phrase : you say you are against a
enough to look at them 'again. With "Greater Israel." I shudder at
this in mind I enclose, herewith, these words. This spuriously-
he Jerusalem Post clipping. applied expression takes us back to
lease read it.
the Nazi days. The British used to
All my life, Professor Fein, I contend that that demon
ave been an anti-chauvinist. I slaughterer wanted to establish a
Ave nothing in common with Mon-
"Greater Germany." There are
sieur Nicolas Chauvin of the Englishmen now, anti-Zionist and
Napoleon III era who heaped praise anti-Jewish — Mr. Ian Gilmor
on everything France did. I know
[Lord Privy Seal and Foreign Of-
the shortcomings of our people, its fice spokesman in the House of
petulance, the drop-outs, the Comm,ons] is one of them — who
yerida, its penchant for undeserved assert that the writer of this letter,
hatred — "sinnat chinnam" in together with his friends, want to
Hebrew — which has pursued it create "a Greater Israel." The in-
from ancient times until today. You nuendo is clear. The purpose is
might, perhaps, register the fact beyond doubt. Must Jews,
that according to the testimony of professors among them, lend
Israeli citizens who wrote letters on credence to this nonsense, this in-
the matter to the editors of citement? What "Greater Israel?"
"Ma'ariv" and "Hatsofe," the
The whole territory between the
Peace Now demonstrators in front Jordan River and the sea is 70 kms.
of the Prime Minister's Office, wide, or, in the AmericAn'terms you
whose path you accept and whose -well comprehend, 40 miles. Is that
doctrine you spread, jumped for joy what you call a "Greater Israel?"
on learning that I had suffered a Western Eretz Israel being smaller
heart attack and was hospitalized. than Belgium, would one talk of a
Does that not deserve to be labelled "Greater Belgium?"
"sinnat chinnam" with the added
True, there is the problem of the
adjective unbridled?
Palestinian Arabs. You are among
.
st
S
those who call them Palestinians.
Do you not remember the Pream-
ble to the Mandate given to Britain
over Eretz Israel (Palestine) — or,
as Herbert Samuel contrived to call
it, Palestine (E.I.) There it is
written: "Recognition having been
given to the historical connection
between the Jewish people and
Palestine..." Note: "the Jewish
people and Palestine."
Dear Professor Fein, in those
days every intelligent human being
knew, understood and remembered
that Palestine is the foreign name
given for Eretz Israel. One could
verily read the above-quoted
sentence: "...the historical connec-
tion between the Jewish people and
Eretz Israel." And now, I, who am
not willing to hand over parts of
that Eretz Israel to foreign rule, to
foreign sovereignty — I am called'
by you who advocates progress,
"chauvinist"?
Yes, indeed, as stated, there is
the problem of the Palestinian
Arabs. Never did we seek to do
them wrong. The absolute historic
truth is that they inflicted on
themselves all the wrongs done to
them. By their own hand and that of
their leaders they suffered. You
should know that as long as we
fought the British for the liberation
of Eretz Israel from colonial rule
there was total peace between Jew
and Arab in the country, and then,
on the morrow of November 29,
1947, they, the Palestinian Arabs,
attacked us to literally annihilate
us. And then, on the day following
the declaration of our in-
dependende, regular armies in-
vaded our country from the north
and the south and the east to
destroy us:
The fact that neither succeeded is
no historic injustice; it is historic
justice. Indeed, ponder for- a mo-
ment what would have transpired
had we not repelled those who at-
tacked us, bent on erasing the
memory of Israel in Eretz Israel in
the generation of the Holocaust.
The truth is that my colleagues
and I wish, to the extent possible, to
redress that wrong, which the
Arabs brought upon themselves
when they strove to deprive us not
only of the land of our forefathers
but also of our lives. Hence, the idea
of the autonomy for the Arab in-
habitants of Judea, Samaria and
the Gaza District, which is totally
our idea.
It was not the Americans who
proposed autonomy, nor the Egyp-
tians. It was we, the Jews, the
Zionists, the disciples of Ze'ev
Jabotinsky, who proposed this
humanitarian idea. It was accepted
in Washington and in Cairo both
(and we shall let no man distort it).
By the idea of the autonomy, for
the first time in their history the
Arabs will be able to live together
With us in Eretz Israel in peace, in
understanding, in freedom, in
mutual respect and advancement,
they themselves conducting their
own affairs. Security alone we shall
reserve, for were we not to do that,
not only would our brethren and
children be killed but peace itself
would be murdered and bloodshed
would be permanent. For into the
vacuum that would be thus created
would enter the PLO which, as
decided upon in Damascus, seeks to
liquidate — liquidieren — the
"Zionist entity," i.e., the State of
Israel. .
Is not this, our course, worthy of
the support of a man who considers
himself progressive? Is this
chauvinism? Is progress embodied
in the man who wants a "Palesti-
nian state," ruled by the PLO, a
jumping-off ground for the destruc-
tion of Israel with the help of Arab
states, the billions of petro-dollars,
the use of the oil weapon and even,
perhaps, the atomic bomb, the full
might of the Soviet expansionist
empire which stretches from Leip-
zig to Kabul?
If that is progress, Professor
Fein, I fail to understand what is
reaction. Indeed, it is my duty to
say to you that a "Palestinian
state" — a 22nd Arab state — is the
basest expression of dark reaction
which is on the rampage in our
today's world, no less than it was in
the thirties and which uses the "Big
Lie," as camouflage and mis-
representation so that professors,
too, are its frequent victims.
Having said all this, I have the
honour to add. one thing more. Yes,
indeed, in keeping with my convic-
tion, Jews have the right to criticize
the government of Israel In which I
serve as prime minister — at any
given moment, any' second, any
hour, day and night. But I, too, have
the right to ask of them to unders-
tand one thing at least: On matters
that relate :to the national security
of the little nation in Eretz Israel,
please refrain from proffering ad-
vice, at least in public, within
earshot of our enemies who con-
spire to do us evil. Remember,
please, the simple fact that we care
for our children and grandchildren
— and they, these little children,
live here.
I ask your forgiveness for the un-
due length of this letter, but I could
not refrain from some measure of
emphasis in these exceptional
times. And may God grant us
strength to withstand the tests of
the future that await us all.
Yours sincerely,
MENAHEM BEGIN