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 • -