2
.
Friday, April' 24, 1981-
- THE
NEWS
Purely Commentary
The American Jewish Committee'S 75 Years of Vigilance;
Public Action Needed to Halt U.S. Arms Sales to Saudis
By Philip
Slomovitz
American Jewish Committee at 75 A Record of Historic Significance
American Jewry can anticipate with pride that the 75th anniversary of the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee, now being observed, should be an occasion for participation by all
Americans, by the state of Israel and world Jewry. The record of services rendered by this
movement marks pioneering tasks in defense of just rights for Jews everywhere as well
as establishing precedents for the protection of civil rights for all citizens, regardless of
race, color or religious faith.
It was as an aftermath of the years of horror in czarist Russia, following the Kishinev
pogrom, that this important movement was called into being.
From an organizing group of 50 people who were prominent in Jewish ranks in this
country in the first decade of the century, the AJCommittee's enrolled membership has
grown to 50,000. This attests to recognition and acceptance that became evident in an
evolutionary fashion. They were originally referred to as the Yahudim because the
leadership was from the German emigres who were judged as being assimilationists. A
study of the AJCommittee presidents listed on this page points, however, to personalities
of great distinction in American life.
Indeed, for decades they worked as a committee rather than as an organized demo-
cratic community. Many viewed them as anti-Zionist, although the AJCommittee repre-
sentatives could be better classified as non-Zionists than as anti-Zionists. While they
were not Zionist to start with, they were cooperative when the Balfour Declaration was
issued; they aided in welfare tasks through Hadassah, were cooperative in the creation of
the Hebrew University, their voices were heard when there was need to support the early
pro-Palestinian Jewish movements in support of colonization and in demands for an open
door policy for Jewish settlement in the Yishuv.
A battle raged over democratization when the American Jewish Congress was
founded as a force democratizing the Jewish masses. At the founding of the United
Nations in San Francisco, the AJCommittee spokesmen under the leadership of Jacob
Blaustein were primarily concerned with the struggle for human rights. Zionists under
the leadership of Stephen S. Wise were adamant in demands that Zionism and the
aspiration for Jewish statehood receive equal emphasis in Jewish representations.
The basic principle of support for Jewish aspirations in Eretz Israel was, however,
already a basic principle for the AJCommittee, Louis Marshall having joined Chaim
Weizmann in establishing the Jewish Agency for Palestine, now the Jewish Agency for
Israel, in Zurich, in 1929. This served as a basis for AJCommittee idealism.
Now the AJCommittee is a leading factor in defense of all just causes, protection of
Israel and her people, and of the Zionist ideal, predominating in the movement's activi-
ties.
Christian-Jewish relations, close contacts with the Vatican, strong backing coopera-
tively for the National Conference of Christians and Jews are to the credit of the
AJCommittee. Its devoted efforts in behalf of civil rights movements give it a place of
honor in these efforts.
Fighting bigotry, regardless of who needed defense, the AJCommittee did not limit
itself to exposing the rising anti-Semitism.
When Henry Ford published the infamous Protocols, Marshall was in the forefront of
the citizens condemning such policies. Marshall authored Ford's apology for having
maligned the Jews.
MAYER SULZBERGER
1906.1912
JACOB BLAUSTEIN
1949.1954
MORRIS B. ABRAM
1964.1968
LOUIS MARSHALL
1912.1929
CYRUS ADLER
1929.1940
SOL M. STROOCK
Jan.-Sept. 1941
MAURICE WERTHEIM
1941-1943
JOSEPH M. PROSKAUER
1943-1949
qVffiVir
IRVING M. ENGEL
1954.1959
HERBERT B. EHRMANN
1959.1961
ARTHUR 1. GOLDBERG
1968.1969
PHILIP E. HOFFMAN
1969.1973
FREDERICK F. GREENMAN
Apr.-June 1961
ELMER L. WINTER
1973-1977
LOUIS CAPLAN
1961-1962
A. M. SONNABEND
1962 1964
RICHARD MAASS
1977-1980
MAYNARD I. WISHNER
1980-
The AJCommittee remains a major participant in the battle against and in exposing
the Ku Klux Klan.
It assisted migrants to this country and actively opposed legislation restricting
immigration of the oppressed to this country.
Taking a deep interest in the fate of Jews everywhere, whether in Latin American,
Moslem or East European countries, the research departments of the AJCommittee
conduct thorough studies of conditions affecting Jews everywhere. The Institute of
Human Relations keeps abreast of events affecting Jews everywhere and imparts the
information it gathers to activists in the interest of protecting Jews in lands of oppres-
sion.
It is a long record and a continuing one. The very essence of AJCommittee work
today lends it greater democratization because it shares its findings with Jewry and
mankind.
The record of achievements earns for . the American Jewish Committee the good
wishes of American and world Jewries on the movement's 75th anniversary.
A Time for Action to Get Ear of the President in Impending Calamity Confronting Israel
The strategic risks in the arms package for Saudi
Is it possible that what was expected to be an era of Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Patrick Moynihan
Arabia justify rejection of it.
glory in the new Administration is becoming a mixed bless- and their associates, continue to warn of the dangers. U.S.
The challenge is apparent. The duty to act is mandat-
Senator Joseph R. Biden of Maryland, also a member of the
ing?
Must one believe that the State Department policy of Senate Foreign Relations Committee, is equally horrified ory. Responsible leaders of all faiths must act in an effort to
appeasing oil-providing Middle East countries will turn a by the new threats. He expressed them in a New York
desert into an arsenal that could undermine the very exist- Times Op-Ed Page article, "Stop Arms for Saudis," in which reach the President to prevent calamities.
Meanwhile, there is the duty of every responsible citi-
he stated in part:
ence of the Jewish state?
zen also to act, to strengthen the hands of the members of
Most
troubling
is
the
proposed
sale
of
AWACS
Several scores of members of Congress can't be wrong
Congress who are protesting the inhuman approach to the
— Airborne Warning and Control System aircraft
in their distress over the planned mass provisions of deadly
Middle East situation to ask the President to halt such
— which carry highly sophisticated computers
arms for Saudi Arabia, presumably as a weapon to prevent
policies.
and
radar
for
intelligence
collection
and
aircraft
Russian domination of the area. Knowledgeable students
The demand for action is imperative and the protesting
command and control in wartime. In Saudi hands,
the Middle East, • aware of the capabilities of those to be
voices
of Americans must be heard. Let there be firm action
the planes would, as one Israeli military expert
armed to be able to resist a Soviet intrusion, are laughing
NOW in protest against the calamitous in the State De-
said,
"let
them
strip
our
most
secret
defenses
to-
up their sleeves when they visualize, the nation that judges
partment Middle East policies.
tally naked." It would also expose sensitive
only in terms of a jihad, a holy war against Israel, as having
American
technology,
vital
for
the
air
defense
of
matured to man the guns they seem certain to receive. As a
Europe, to the riks of espionage, defection, war,
chief supporter of the murderous PLO, Saudi . Arabia is
and overnight change in government.
known to have only one capability: to advocate Israel's
TEL AVIV (JTA) — the new party will enter
We should have learned from the fall of the
destruction.
Former
Finance Minister in the June 30 Knesset
Shah that our sophisticated military equipment
It is understandable, therefore, why Senators Carl
Yigal
Hurwitz
informed elections.
should not be entrusted to unstable regimes. The
The Telem list has been
Levin and Donald Riegle, Congressmen William Brodhead,
members
of
his
Rafi
faction
Phoenix missiles sold to the Shah are now consid-
William Broomfield, James Blanchard, among the more
that he is now prepared to drawn up and it is unlikely
ered compromised. If the AWACS offered to him
than 150 members of both houses of Congress, should have
join Telem, the new centrist that the original members
had actually been delivered, how secure would
spoken firmly in condemnation of the Haig policies of giv-
political party headed by of the party will forego their
we be today?
ing massive arms to the Saudis, the ultimate result to
former Foreign Minister safe seats to accommodate
It
might
appear
that
the
presence
of
hundreds
Rafi.
become weapons only against Israel.
Moshe Dayan.
of additional American technical specialists
During the 1980 Presidential election campaign, when
Hurwitz,
who
hacl
prey-
Meanwhile, an American
would provide us with some leverage over Saudi.
the relative attitudes of the candidates toward Israel were
iously rejected Dayan's ap- Zionist leader has objected
use
of
the
offensive
equipment
involved
in
this
being studied and judged, a cynic speculated:
proaches, reversed himself strenuously to the use .' he
sale. But, again, our Iran experience should teach
"If Carter is re-elected, pressure on Israel will be im-
's
after Dayan agreed to mod- name Telem by El:
us
that
at
best
any
such
leverage
may
prove
slight,
mediate; if Reagan is elected, it may take a full year. In the
ify
a
plank
in
the
Telem
new
party.
Faye
Sc
enk,
and that at worst a change in government or the
ultimate, differences -will vanish."
election platform dealing who heads the World
outbreak of another regional war could entrap
Is the cynic-turned-prophet proving correct in his
with Jerusalem which Zionist Organization's
both
our
personnel
and
our
policies.
speculative pessimism? Is the traditional State Depart-
Hurwitz had found objet- organization department,
Even
with
this
new
equipment,
Saudi
Arabia
by
ment Arabist policy emerging as a new threat to Israel?
pointed out in a letter to
tionable.
itself
can
never
deter
or
defeat
a
determined
If this is so, where are those who can reach the ear of
The immediate outcome Dayan that Telem, an ac-
Soviet
attack.
But
neither
can
America
construct
President Reagan, to indicate to the fortunately recovering
of Hurwitz's announcement ronym for "Movement for
a permanent alliance and coincidence of interests
President how menacing the situation has become in the
may be a split in Rafi, the State Renewal" is also an
by
acquiescing
to
every
Saudi
request
for
added
pro-Saudi plans of Secretary of State Alexander Haig.
faction that quit Premier acronym for "Movement for
weapons.
We
cannot
and
should
not
expect
our
This is, indeed, a time for all who are concerned about
Menahem Begin's Likud Zionist Fulfillment," a body
security relationship to be any stronger or
the peace of the world to reach the President with the
coalition when Hurwitz res- established on the U.S.
broader
than
our
range
of
consensus
with
the
admonitions of the impending dangers, with urgent appe-
igned as finance minister West Coast three years agao
Saudis on other foreign policy issues. Those who
als not to permit the tragedy of an armed Saudi Arabia
composed of Americans
last year.
worry
that
the
Saudis,
if
rebuffed,
might
turn
threatening Israel's existence to be given even the min-
Rafi members are still pledged to settle in Israel
elsewhere
for
friends
and
weapons
should
recog-
utest of encouragements.
not satisfied with the within a specific time. -
nize that they will still be free to do so after the
The warnings against the new State Department
Telem platform and de-
sale.
It now has some 2,000
policies are multiple. The Michigan members of Congress
mand, morever, at least
United
States
security
requires
more
than
list members in the U.S.
have spoken firmly on the subject. Senator Rudy Boschwitz
four
safe
seats
on
the
promises of friendship and hopes of cooperation.
of Minnesota, a ranking Republican member of the Senate
Hurwitz to Join Dayan Party
• -