12 Friday, March 20, 1981

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Atom Paver, Arab Oil. German Tanks for Saudis

By AXEL SPRINGER

(Editor's note: This ar-
ticle by West German
publisher Axel Springer
appeared in his "Die
Welt" on Feb. 26.)
What has Brokdorf, the
controversial German nu-
clear power-station site, to
do with Saudi Arabia? At
first glance it seems illogi-
cal to connect thoughts
about the bitterly disputed
building site in North Ger-
many and the desert sand in
the Middle East. But recip-
rocal forces are at work
here: because the West
German government has
failed since the early 1970s
to ensure adequate and
prompt supplies of nuclear
energy, the Federal Repub-
lic has slipped into extreme
dependence on Arab oil.
A blackmail situation has
developed which has led to
the temptation to equip
Saudi Arabia with German
Leopard tanks — a country
which has declared "a holy
war of Islam" against Israel,.
Delivery to an enemy of
Israel of the most modern
'German offensive weapons
would be among the worst
consequences of a whole
chain of harm to German
political morality. Oil
threatens to embroil our
broken people in new, heavy
guilt rooted in the past,
which is beginning to bear
foul blossom in the present
and would ripen poisonous
fruit in the future.
West Germany already
stands with its back to
the wall. Its once solid

AXEL SPRINGER

currency has softened.
There is talk of currency
control. New taxes are
being heaped on the
people. The national debt
has long risen so that it
cannot be discharged.
Unemployment is grow-
ing. There is unrest in the
population. The im-
proved "quality of life"
promised a decade ago is
turning into a tortured
economic life.
This affects almost
everybody. And ever and
again those in government
point out: the escalation in
the price of oil is the root
cause of this decline. This
creates the illusion that an
inevitable fate, a force
majeure, is causing the di-
lemma which drives to de-
bacle. But if nuclear energy
had been embraced there
would not be a way out of
these constraints.
The leaders of the gov-
ernment parties know this.
But they let their left wings
obstruct them, retreat be-
fore the pressure of violent

groups and succumb to
time-wasting, paralyzing
tacking and wriggling.
Other countries had no
such inhibitions. Whereas
in West Germany only 12
nuclear power stations are
working, France has '18 in
operation, 29 under con-
struction, 10 projected and
11 planned. By 1990, 70
percent of France's energy
requirement will come from
nuclear power.
In Britain, 33 nuclear
power stations are already
producing energy, 10 are
under construction. The
Soviet Union follows close
with 30 reactors in produc-
tion and 15 under construc-
tion; 18 others are to follow.
Far ahead of everybody in
the peaceful use of atomic
power is the U.S. with 71
working reactors and 170
planned.
Our independence in
foreign policy has long
been badly damaged, and
from Arab oil countries
blows the wind in which
the government in Bonn
trims its sails. The West
German government's
favoring of Palestinian
terror ,organizations and
the cold shoulder it turns
on Israel were the first
consequences of this
ethically blameworthy
opportunism. And, as it
always is with blackmail,
these consequences
propagate, increase and
lead perforce to disaster.
German battle tanks for a
country which threatens Is-
rael with war — whoever

had prophesied ' that 20
years ago would have been
declared insane.
When David Ben-Gurion
and Konrad Adenauer met
to take the first steps
towards reconciliation be-
tween Jews and Germans
such a prophesy could not
have been imagined even in
a nightmare. Today we have
reached this point.
It is disturbing that the
representative of the Chris-
tian Social Union in Bonn,
Friedrich Zimmermann,
has also advocated meeting
the Saudi Arabian desire for
German arms. His doubt
that Israel — if its compar-
able wishes were met —
could pay for deliveries
shows that he puts material
considerations above
idealistic obligations. Quite
different in fact with grave
misgivings was the reaction
of Herbert Wehner, the So-
cial Democratic floor leader
in the Bundestag.
Recently in this space
there appeared a pro-
found contribution by
the respected Middle
East expert, Harald
Vocke. He wrote: "Only
Israel has ceased to re-
ceive German arms for
over 15 years, because a
former Berman gov-
ernment was intimidated
by Arab threats."
And further: ". . How
does the West German gov-
ernment assess Saudi
Arabia's calls for a 'holy
war' by Islam, in which Is-
rael is to be the adversary?
Israel's vital port of Eilat is

only 25 kilometers (15
miles) from Saudi Arabian
soil. From the military base
in northern Arabia, Tabuq,
Saudi Arabian tank forma-
tions can thrust through the
south of Jordan to Israel's
Negev Desert in a few
hours."
None of those responsible
seems to blush at this. Im-
perturbably comes the con-
firmation that Saudi Arabia
now also desires "Tornado"
fighters from free Europe.
Although this transaction is
said to have been proposed
to Britain, the frightful
thought arises that Bonn
might ogle with the idea
that our fatal financing gap
might be closed this way,
the gap which has arisen
from the development and
construction of this ultra-
modern fighter-bomber.
Helmut Schmidt intends
to visit Saudi Arabia soon.•
Israel has waited in vain for
over five years for a visit
from the West German
chancellor. But he refuses to
accept the Israeli Prime
Minister Begin as his host,
accusing him of endanger-
ing peace with his policies.
Although it was Begin
who made peace with
Egypt and gave away
Sinai — for this no credit
is given to him. Thus
breath-takingly has all
this got out of balance in
the Rhine.
Among our people, who in
their great majority stand
up for Israel more firmly
than many prominent
politicians, such false de-

velopments, which destroy
our credibility, have prob-
ably led to more concern
about the price of petrol
than for morality. Spon-
taneous protest is mainly
raised against supplying
U-boats to Chile. But that
country threatens no other
with war, and U-boats can-
not be used for the repres-
sion of internal freedom.
It is certainly not one of
our most urgent tasks to
fill this wish of Chile's
it cannot be compared wi
the Saudis' requirement for
German Leopard tanks.
Have they forgotten in
Bonn that in two agressive
wars against Israel French
arms were used? And shall
Franco-German friendship
be fulfilled by our denying
our special obligation to the
Israelis and become ac-
complices in a "holy" war
against them?
This gallant, free coun-
try of the Jews could
probably have been pro-
tected if already in the
1960s the free world had
invited Israel to become a
member of NATO. This
suggestion came from a
private source, only to be
ignored.
The danger to Israel is
growing. Moscow stands
behind Israel's enemies,
and Europe — including the
Federal Republic of Ger-
many! — is helping to
enhance the risk. In Bonn
the signs of vulnerability to
oil blackmail andanti-atom
muscle-flexing prevail. And
to debts, guilt is added.

Purim: A Joyous Holiday Celebrating Freedom and Survival

(Continued from Page 1)
Haman to exterminate the
Jews. By the courage of
Queen Esther, aided by her
wise cousin Mordecai,
Haman is outwitted, de-
feated and destroyed. The
Jews were saved, wrongs
were righted and there were
great celebrations.
The central characters
in the great drama of Purim
have become symbols even
in the modern times. The
name "Haman" has come to
be associated with every
oppressor of Israel; "Mor-
decai" stands for every wise
leader of the Jews in time of
trouble; and "Esther" for
every Jewish heroine.
Purim, in fact, signifies a
festival of deliverance of
Jews from any threatened
evil.
Many communities keep
individual Purims every
year, to celebrate their own
deliverance. The Jews of
Egypt commemorated an
event in 1524 when a gov-
ernor threatened to mas-
sacre them because they
would not join in a revolt
against the Sultan of Tur-

key, who ruled Egypt. The
Jews were saved when a re-
volt took place against the
governor, and he was slain.
A book was written to tell
the story and read in Egyp-
tian synagogues on their
special Purim.
The Jews of Frankfurt
in Germany also cele-
brated a special Purim
for being saved from the
attack on their ghetto in
1614. Other special
Purims were kept in
Vilna after a rabbi in 1804
survived a gunpowder
explosion; and similar
events were commemo-
rated in Tiberias, Israel;
in Saragossa, Spain; in
Narbonne, France; in
Prague, Czechoslovakia
and in Rhodes, Greece.
It is an unusual sight to
see what is normally a sol-
emn, liturgical synagogue
service become a parody =—
but this is what happens on
Purim. Reading is often
done in a comical way with
different voices and im-
promptu dramatics. The
most famous and delightful
part of the service, espe-

cially for children, involves
the obligation to "blot out"
Haman's name. Everyone
makes a noise — yells,
stamps their feet, shakes a
"gregger" or even a tin of
nails . . . no noisemaker is
taboo and many youngsters
come up with amazingly in-
novative ideas.
At the conclusion of
"Maariv" (the evening
prayers) and again the next
morning, the Scroll of
Esther is read and it is in-
cumbent on every Jew to lis-
ten to the Megilla. It is in-
teresting that it is the only
book in the whole Bible in
which God's name does not
appear.
Observant Jews fast on
the day before Purim. It is
known as the Fast of Esther,
because she fasted on the
day prior to appearing be-
fore King Ahasuerus to pre-
sent her petition.
Purim is different from
other solemn holidays in
the Jewish calendar.
Many shops remain open.
and you are permitted to
work as usual. But you
can feel the holiday spirit

in the air. "Haman-
tashen" are eaten —
three-cornered cakes. of ,
dough, filled with pop-
pyseed or jam, represent-
ing Haman's hat. People
send "mishloakh manot"
to their friends and the
poor — these are gifts of
fruit, cookies, cakes,
sweets and ;nuts. A spe-
cial family feast, called a
"seuda" is held in the af-
ternoon.
Children, and many
adults, wear fancy costumes
and hold masquerades, par-
ties and "Purim spiels"
which are hilarious satires
and parodies — and no one
is immune from ridicule.
Although Jews are known
for their moderation with
liquor, it is even considered
a "mitzva" to drink "ad lo
yada" (until one doesn't
know) the difference be-
tween "blessed be Mor-
decai" and "cursed be Ha-
man."
•
What is important is to
have fun at Purim. Modern
Israel made one word out of
the three little Hebrew ones
and adopted vadloyada" as
the Hebrew word for their
Purim carnival.
Different ethnic groups
have their own customs.
Iranian Jews eat their meal
seated on beautiful Persian
carpets. The father wears a
turban of cloth and a belted
white gown striped with
silver.
Yemenite Jews also sit

on a carpet, chanting
oriental songs while the
father smokes his negilla
(long water pipe). Their
festive meal consists of
fresh, sweet dishes in
contrast to their usual
spiced food. The young
girls wear silver rings
and gaily dance, shaking
their tambourines.
The father of a Kurdish
family stands at the door to
welcome his guests. He
wears a jacket over wide,
bloomer-like trousers. Jews
from the Caucasus wear na-
tive robes with knives at
their belts, exhibiting an-

cient folk dances, throwing
the knives and _dancing
around them.
In Israeli kibutzim there
is great gaiety — music,
dances, theatrical perform-
ances, masks and beauty
queens, games and fun and
contests.
Although there is a link
between Purim and other
folk cultures which occur
around this time to mark
the emergence of spring,
Purim really celebrates the
joy of survival. It is also a
merry, uninhibited holiday,
with wonderful overtones of
friendship and sharing.

This Purim noisemaker from Poland hangs
Haman when the crank is turned.