80 Friday, May 15, 1981

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Ezer Weizman's Personal Accounting of His Role
in the Peace Negotiations and His Rift With Begin

o

Ezer Weizman became a trary, I fully understand
stormy petrel in the their point of view. In our
Menahem Begin -govern- achievement-oriented
ment in which he served as society, what counts is
Israel's minister of defense. what you are, not who
He had an important role in you are.
"I see things differently.
the peace negotiations with
Egyptian President Anwar Nevertheless, it occasion-
Sadat and the two became ally crosses my mind to
good friends. He encouraged wonder: was I right in res-
the re-election of President igning? I gave up a life's
Jimmy Carter and was se- dream; was that a mistake?
verely criticized for it. He
g
- elf-
painful
"This
differed with Begin and op- interrogation is conducted
posed him on important Is- in the clear memory of a
raeli-domestic issues.
night of glorious splendor:
He explains his many ac- May 17, 1977. That night
tions and viewpoints in my hopes had burned With a
"The Battle for Peace" white heat; 583,361 citizens
(Bantam_ Books), an au- of Israel had given their
tobiographical account of votes to the Likud, elevat-
the years under dispute.
ing it to power after 30 years
Weizman- pays a glowing of opposition. Our suppor-
tribute to Begin the ters — as well as many of
peacemaker when he states: those who voted for other
"Menahem Begin led parties — had hoped that we
Israel to its first-ever would lead our country well;
peace treaty. I disagreed that we would make Israel
with his way of going into a spiritual and cultural
about it, but his achieve- lodestar. for Jewish com-
ment cannot be belittled: munities all over the world;
it was he who piloted our that its economy would
ship into the haven of flourish and its society be-
peace. The Jewish people come something of - which --
will always be indebted they could be proud.
to him for that.
"As for us: the victorious
"However, no sooner had Likud and its leader
the treaty been signed than Menahem Begin had vowed
Begin gave up promoting to 'do well by the people.'
the peace process. Instead of
"Three years later,
forging ahead, leading Is-
what
remained of all this?
rael into a new era, he -with-
drew into his pipe dreams. The bright flares of hope
At the same time, he began had spluttered away,
to treat this peace we had leaving no more than
struggled for as something flickering embers and a
plunge of darkness. Is-
banal, almost despicable.
"I was increasingly dis- rael now held the world
satisified with Begin's re- record in annual infla-
treat from decisions he him- tion rate — overtaking
self had authorized. Finally, Argentina and Turkey.
I no longer found it possible Our foreign balance of
to serve in the cabinet he payments had deter-
iorated. The economic
headed . . .
"People offer me their crisis had undermined
comments on my resigna- the basic values of our
tion. 'Weizman — that was society. There was no re-
a stupid thing to do!' they spect for work — just as
say. I ought to have bowed there was no faith in our
__my head a little or kept my currency.
"By 1980, the state of Is-
mouth shut a little or
waited a little . . . If I had rael found it hard to look in
heeded their advice, they the mirror. The reflection
assure me, I would have was less than attractive.
Pursuing policies that
gone even higher.
"Weizman," they say, turned friends into enemies,
we had isolated ourselves
"You blew it!"
internationally and even
"Maybe.
political alienated Jewish com-
if
"But
realities in the state of Is- munities whose support had
rael in 1980 are such that until now been unswerving.
"I was a member of that
silence is the golden key
to a top government government. I'd shared the
office, I prefer to spend credit for its successes; I had
my_ time at home. Power to bear the blame for its
is only a means, not an failures. With the latter
aim, and I am not pre- outweighing the former and
pared to buy it at the growing conviction that
my continued membership
bargain-basement
prices. Those who cen- in the cabinet was benefit-
sure me for resigning ing no one, I considered res-
usually gauge the matter ignation."
Weizman demolishes the
with their own private
yardsticks. I cannot tactics that followed the
blame them. On the con- election: the Begin au-

-

Land. Over 90 percent of
the emigrants decided to
try their luck in the
United States — a land
whose banner was
emblazoned with the
principles of freedom
and equality that offered
newcomers, after cen-
turies of enslavement,
discrimination, and per-
secution, the opportunity
of using their talents and
energies.
"The manner in which the
Jews have integrated into
American society is one of
the great success stories.
The United States wel-
comed them as Jews. While
the Jewish communities in
Europe were forced to take
the route of assimilation to
be accepted by the society
about them, American Jews
did not have to abandon
their religion, their origins,
or their people.
"It is gratifying that most
of the five or six million
American Jews identify
with Zionism and the state
of Israel. In good days and
EZER WEIZMAN
bad, Israel largely depends
critical of the failure to on the economic, political,
follow his advocating and moral fortitude of U.S.
closest relations with Jewry.
Sadat, of cooperating
"The American electoral
with the U.S., and he as- system gives the larger
sails a "depression" . states in presidential con-
mood with which Begin is tests a great deal of clout.
credited in handling With the Jews concentrated
foreign affairs.
• in the more populous states
The fact that Begin had — New York, Pennsyl-
not met with Sadat from vania, Illinois, Michigan
1977 to 1980 is the conster- and Texas — the "Jewish
nation described by Weiz- vote" was long believed to
man, and President Carter be an important key to polit-
again is credited with hav- ical power. Many Israeli
ing labored toward effecting - cabinets thought they could
good relations.
use the 'Jewish vote' to put
Weizman's support of the pressure of truth to this:
Carter candidacy, the mat- - many American official de-
ter of settlements, the atti- cisions were influenced by
tude of American Jews the activities of the Israeli
emanate into an evaluation lobby in Washington or by
of American Jewry. His the political activism of
judgment may be a source of Jewish organizations acting
great interest arousing dis- on signals from Jerusalem.
pute as to the realism of the
"I have never under-
image of the American Jew valued the Jewish vote;
portrayed by Weizman. but we must not overrate
This is his evaluative judg- its importance — particu-
ment of the Jews of America larly since American
and their political leanings Jews are not at Israel's
as well as their attitudes unconditional beck and
toward Israel:
call.
"My own attitude toward
"I believe that American
American Jewry has always Jews would be prepared to
been ambivalent. On the do battle if they felt Israel's
one hand, the world's existence imperiled. They
largest Jewish community would fight to prevent any
enjoys my admiration and harm to vital Israeli inter-
respect. On the other, I am ests — as they perceive and
sorry that this cargo of define `vital Israeli inter-
human resources was un- ests.' But I do not believe Is-
loaded on the wrong shore.
rael will succeed in enlist-
"When waves of Jewish ing the political power of
emigrants fled Eastern American Jews for the
Europe at the end of the achievement of objectives
19th and beginning of the they themselves do not fully
20th Century, no more share.
"One of my main dis-
than a tiny trickle
reached the Promised agreements with the prime
minister was over my warn-
ing that U.S. Jews would re-
ject any attempt to make
use of them as a means of
forcing their administra-
tion to consent to a settle-
ment program that had no
clear military purpose. I
saw no point in placing
them in such a dilemma
over their support for Israel.
Begin, of course, thought

tonomy plan, the settlement
endorsements. He accuses
Begin of failing to cooperate
with his cabinet members,
of leaning toward the Na-
tional Religious Party, of
having a foreign policy of
"us Israel against them the
Gentiles." Thus he believes
there should have been
more positive gestures for
cooperation with Sadat.
Weizman is severely

otherwise. Sometimes he
seemed to see American
Jews as an integral part of
the state of Israel.
"In the event of a conflict
between American national
interests and Israeli na-
tional interests, I do not be-
lieve that American Jews
will automatically rally be-
hind Israel.
"I found backing for
this assessment in the
arguments over the
three-wayAeal on planes
when the Carter Ad-
ministration had pro-
posed to supply planes to
Israel, Saudi Arabia, and
Egypt as a single pack-
age. The Israeli govern-
ment decided to recruit
American Jews for a
campaign against this
linkage of plane deliv-
eries to Israel and to the
Arabs.
"The Israeli lobby in
Washington set to work to
try and foil the deal, but it
functioned hesitantly and
with reluctance. The Carter
Administration contended
— with considerable justice
— that plane deliveries to
all three countries were
part of a regional defense
plan and of U.S. global
stategy. In attempting to
block arms supplies to
Saudi Arabia, the Jews
were widely perceived as
supporting petty Israeli
interests over global
American interests. I was
not surprised that the Is-
raeli lobby failed in its cam-
paign.
"The 1980 Presidential
elections delivered a further
blow to the belief in the
power of American Jewry.
From an Israeli viewpoint,
Jimmy Carter had been a
good president. He was the
prime mover in the conclu-
sion of the Camp David
agreements and in the
Israeli-Egyptian peace
treaty that resulted. He
granted Israel lavish eco-
nomic and military aid.
"There was no reason why
American Jews should not

have supported him, as they
had supported other Demo-
cratic candidates like Hum-
phrey, Johnson, and Ken-
nedy and Carter himself
in 1976. But that was not
how it worked out. Only 54
percent of Jewish voters
opted for Carter — a rela-
tively low proportion of
Jewish backing for a Demo-
cratic candidate.
"If I do harbor my con-
cerns, they are over the
future development of
the Jewish community in
the United States. I am
worried by statistical
data indicating that the
rate of intermarriage is
very high and that the
Jews are an ethnic
minority in the United
States whose numbers
are dwindling from year
to year.
"It is difficult to predict
the relationship between Is-
rael and U.S. Jewry in the
years to come. American
Jews have been — and will
be — the warmest and most
faithful friends Israel has
anywhere in the world. I
know they will do every-
thing possible to guarantee
Israel's existence, security,
and integrity. They have
proved that by years of
Zionist activity, generous
donations, and political
backing.
"However, we in Israel
must not overestimate their
ability to help us; nor can we •
expect them to do anything
to harm their standing
within the United States,
the country they view as
their native land."
Ezer Weizman's "The
Battle for Peace" is a debat-
able personal document. It
is also a most informative
one. It will be read with
great interest and will
arouse discussion.
It merits serious consid-
eration in discussing the
merits of the Camp David
accords and will add to the
consideration of its possible
failures or successes.

.

—P•S•

Refusnik's Release Is Sought

Yitzhak Shkolnick's wife and daughter are shown
demonstrating at the Western Wall in Jerusalem for
his release from the Soviet Union.