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24
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, January 16, 1981
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WASHINGTON (JTA) —
Present personnel of the
State Department's Middle
East bureau, headed by
Assistant Secretary of State
Harold Saunders, will con-
tinue to formulate U.S. pol-
icy in affairs concerning the
area from Morocco to India
including the Arab-Israeli
dispute, after the Reagan
Administration takes office.
Secretary of State-
designate Gen. Alexander
Haif reportedly has selected
most of his senior aides and
while Saunders is appar-
ently not one of them,
neither has Haig indicated
his replacement. The sim-
ple reason may be that Haig
has not yet settled on Saun-
ders' successor," a knowl-
edgeable State Department
source said.
Saunders, 50, and well
known as "even-handed" on
Arab-Israeli affairs, has
been assistant secretary
since April 1978. He suc-
ceeded Alfred Atherton,
presently the U.S. Ambas-
sador in Cairo. He was pro-
moted from deputy assis-
tant secretary for the Mid-
dle East to assistant secre-
tary for research and de-
velopment in 1975 by then
Secretary of State Henry
Kissinger.
In the latter post, he set
forth before Congress a
shift in U.S. policy
toward Palestinian
Arabs and their "legiti-
mate rights." Kissinger
dismissed it as academic.
However, the tilt toward
Arab perceptions of a possi-
ble solution to the Arab-
Israeli impasse continued to
prevail. Saunders' pre-
sentation to Congress ap-
pears in retrospect to be
considered U.S. policy ap-
proved by the Ford Ad-
ministration and not al-
tered by the Carter Ad-
ministration.
George Sherman, the
chief information officer of
the State Department on
Middle East affairs, has
been designated U.S. Con-
sul General in Calcutta, but
is not expected to take up
that post until late spring at
the earliest.
Meanwhile, Haig's con-
firmation hearings pro-
ceeded before the Senate
Foreign Relations Com-
mittee Tuesday with the
principal emphasis still
on his assosciation with
the Nixon White House.
However, in response to
senators' questions, Haig
said that if he had been in
authority in 1978 he
would have favored the
sale of 60 F-15 fighter
planes to Saudi Arabia.
In another response, Haig
said that the U.S. should at-
tempt to "develop a consen-
sus" with Western Europe
and Japan about protection
of Persian Gulf oil "but
must be prepared to act
even unilaterally to secure
our access to those vital re-
sources." He said he favored
continuing and expanding
the Carter Administration's
recent efforts to develop an
American military presence
near the Persian Gulf, but
would not indicate specific
sites for U.S. forces.
Better Israel-Greece Relations
Result of Kimche Athens Trip
(from January 15 thru 31)
Boris Smolar's
`Between You
. . and Me'
Editor-in-Chief
Emeritus, JTA
(Copyright 1980, JTA, Inc.)
A UN NEW YEAR'S "GIFT": The United Nations,
sinking deeper and deeper in to disrepute among people in
the civilized world — and considered a willing instrument
of the Arabs and the Kremlin — began the new year by
issuing a 1981 postage stamp which proclaims "the in-
alienable rights of the -Palestinian people."
Ignoring the opposition of the United States delegation
at the UN to the issuance of a stamp which is outspokeni ---
political and which shows animosity towards Israel —
well as protests by numerous American stamp dealers ---
the UN Postal Administration will place the stamp on sale
Jan. 30. A total of 5,900,000 stamps have been printed.
In a communication to stamp collectors, the UN Postal
Administration "explains" that the postage stamp is being
issued because the UN General Assembly insisted on it. It
emphasizes that the Assembly has "repeatedly endorsed"
the Arab requests for "affirming the rights of the Palesti-
nian people to national independence and sovereignty" as
well as "their rights to return to their homes and property."
Reputable stamp dealers have indicated in advance
that they will abstain from buying this offensive prop-
aganda stamp. The stamp has been condemned by "Linn's
Stamp News," the leading American stamp publication.
The weekly magazine has called on stamp collectors to
express their indignation to UN Secretary General Kurt
Waldheim. Prominent dealers have hinted that they may
stop dealing with UN stamps altogether, as a protest.
THE U.S. OBJECTION: The U.S. government,
which has been repeatedly requested to reduce its financial
support to the United Nations, has quietly expressed its
objection to the issuance of the inciting Arab stamp as soon
as the intention of printing it became known about a year
ago. It pointed out to Waldheim that the issuance of such a
stamp is an "unnecessary politicization of the UN Postal
Administration." It urged that any plans to issue the stamp
be discarded. The response was that the matter was under
review.
The awaited review became moot when, two months
later, the General Assembly, dominated by the Arabs and
the Soviet bloc, made it mandatory for the Postal Adminis-
tration "to issue a series of UN commemorative postage
stamps to publicize as widely as possible the grave situa-
tion and the inalienable rights of the Palestine people."
Earlier, the U.S. Senate passed a bill reducing the U.S.
contribution to UNESCO by 25 percent in protest against
UNESCO's activities to help the Palestine Liberation
Organization improve its ability to conduct its propaganda.
The UN receives from the U.S. government about $420
million a year, which is about a quarter of its total budget to
which the oil-rich Arab countries contribute less than 1 1/2
percent. The UN was recently criticized by more than 150
scholars, writers and world figures in an appeal in the New
York Times for being "perverted by irrelevant political
machinations crippling UN specialized agencies such as
UNESCO, International Labor Office and World Health
Organization."
An editorial writer in the Washington Post recently
termed the United Nations "an institutional outrage and
moral swamp" because of its campaign to ostracize Israel.
The issuance of the UN postage stamp in open political
support of the Arabs against Israel adds strength to this
characterization of the world body.
THE JEWISH STAND: Jewish organizations will
obviously not remain silent when the stamp is. placed on
sale at the end of this month. It is also easy to visualize the
flood of letters which the UN Secretariat will receive from
individual Jews and non-Jews incensed by the UN's pro-
vocative action. Members of the U.S. Congress will prob-
ably also have something to say, since the suggestion of the
U.S. government to halt the issuance of the stamp w
totally ignored, although -it was made a strict secret
order not to embarrass the UN publicly.
The UN Secretariat seems to feel uneasy over the pro-
tests it is now beginning to receive from collectors and
dealers. Usually the UN advertises and promotes its new
stamps through its many volunteer affiliates for worldwide
distribution. This time, little promotion will take place in
order to avoid increased criticism against the United Na-
tions.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — jure recognition of Israel.
Kimche would not say
Israel and Greece have de-
cided on a number of "con- what "concrete steps" were
crete steps" to improve rela- envisaged, citing Greece's
tions between them, accord- extreme sensitivity in all
ing to Foreign Ministry Di- matters concerning rela-
rector General David tions with Israel. But he did
Orchard Mall
Kimche, who held high- indicate that there would be
level talks in Athens last more contacts on a high
Maple & Orchard Lake Roads
level between the two gov-
week.
ernments.
These
steps
will
not
in-
West Bloomfield, 626-2750
His own meetings in
clude — for the present
time, at any rate — full Athens with Foreign
•
normalization of diplomatic Minister Constantinos
ties between the two coun- Mitsotakis and with
Campus Corners
tries. These will remain at senior officials of his
the level of diplomatic ministry were the first-
115 S. Livernois & Walton Road
representative, instead of ever on this level between-
Rochester, 651-2750
full ambassador, implying Greece and Israel. The
Greece's less-than-full de Greek government an-
nounced the meetings of-
ficially, noting carefully
that Kimche was "pass-
ing through Athens."
Kimche said his talks
with Greek officials had
If I can't. Beat Your Best Deal
been "long, profound and
fruitful." He predicted that
there would be "more open-
ness" in future relations
between
the two countries
6 Mile, 1 BIk. W. of Schaefer
and that Greece would take
account more than in the
past of Israel's views and
positions, even if it would
; ARNOLD MARGOLIS
not necessarily agree with
INTERIOR
them.
Arabs Debating Fund Allocations
DECORATO R
The Israeli diplomat ac-
SERVICE
Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi
KUWAIT — Finance
knowledged that Greece
Arabia,
the United Arab
ministers
from
five
Persian
feels it has "special rela-
tions" with the Arab world. Gulf states last week held Emirates and Iraq finance
He sought to persuade the deliberations concerning the fund aimed at helping
•SCHOOLFIELD •SELIG •SIMMONS •SEALY •SERTA •SPRING MR •LA-Z-
Athens policymakers that the allocation of financial development projects
BOY •STIFFEL LAMPS •KROEHLER •AMERICAN •BURLINGTON •BASSETT
these relations need not be aid from their $5 billion within the next decade in
•BARCALOUNGER •LANE •UNIQUE
impaired by improving ties fund to help poor Arab Arab states that have no oil
13703 W. McNichols 342-5351 Hrs. Mon thru Sat. 9:30 til 5:30
revenues.
• states.
with Israel.
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