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THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
Rationalizing About News
Coverage and the Commentators,
As Well as Vox Populi
A prime minister of any country will not come to Ham-
tramck or Royal Oak or Pontiac to sue an abuser for libel.
Newspapers find it easy, therefore, to publish letters from
biased people accusing the head of a state of being ready to
kill anyone in sight. This is how some readers' letters pub-
lished in the local newspapers often sound. Yet the editors
permit such garbage to gain a place in an important news
dispensing media.
Such is the pity of current experience. The pity is that
it is difficult to tackle such issues because editors make the
claim that they must publish all opinions, no matter how
they differ. Therefore, they also include trash in meeting
what is 'truthfully an obligation: to accept both sides of
every issue.
The newspapers must have absolute freedom. Editors
will not be stymied. But there is a just demand which is
always fortified by hopes that when basic truths are un-
dermined editors should use their influence either to cor-
rect them or to refrain from giving a platform to inciters to
hatred.
It took a few days for sane minds to set the record
straight regarding the most recent occurrences that
marked Israel's destruction of the nuclear reactor in Iraq
and the bombing of the PLO headquarters in Beirut. Israel
was turned into a villain, she was accused of abandoning
her moral position in the world, her prime minister was
subjected to the sort of abuse that is not accredited to
gentlemanly conduct. Some of the best known columnists
in the process emerged as barbarians.
Fortunately for the record not all newspapers were
abusive. The Wall Street Journal came forth on several
occasions with explanatory editorial comments to ascertain
Israel's rational role in the international community. In an
editorial, July 28, entitled "Over to You, Cap," commenting
on the role of Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger, who
is blamed for much of the venom showered upon the Jewish
state, the Wall Street Journal stated:
Israeli Prime Minister Begin has agreed to a
ceasefire, reluctantly and against the advice of his
military leaders, to placate the U.S. administra-
tion, and principally its military chieftain, De-
fense Secretary Weinberger. We hope Mr. Wein-
berger and other leaders of the U.S. foreign policy
establishment have some good plans afoot, be-
cause they have assumed a considerable respon-
sibility for Israel's security and the peace of the
Middle East. While presumably they are free now
to ship Israel those much-delayed F-16s, the prob-
lem goes a great deal deeper than that . . .
It is not necessarily wise for a U.S. administra-
tion to be certain that its ideas for achieving peace
are better than the ideas of the Israelis them-
selves. The fundamental Israeli approach is to
make Arab assaults costly and futile by repelling
them with superior force. It is indeed likely that
the PLO would not have agreed to the latest truce
if it had not been suffering heavy punishment at
the hands of Israeli fighter-bombers. While the
Israeli approach may have limitations over the
long term, it has short-term success.
The U.S. has a deep interest in keeping its dip-
lomatic ties with Saudi Arabia, and the Saudis
maintain a commitment to the PLO cause. But
there are fine calculations to be made in this kind
of diplomacy. And it is doubtful that the public
denunciations by the Administration of the Is-
raeli attacks on an Iraqi atom bomb plant and
PLO headquarters buildings in Beirut contrib-
uted much toward maintaining a proper balance.
Secretary Haig, to his credit, seems to have un-
derstood this better than Secretary Weinberger.
From all appearances the ceasefire works
mainly to the benefit of the PLO. Mr. Arafat
forced the U.S. and Israel to do business with him,
however indirectly. He got the Israeli fighter-
bombers off his back. He seemingly gave up very
little. Indeed, while the Israelis say they under-
stood from the U.S. that the truce would be off if
the PLO tries to resupply its forces, the PLO
claims no knowledge of any such understanding.
The U.S. says the truce doesn't bar resupply.
So aside from the longer-term future of Mideast
negotiations, the U.S. may soon be faced with the
question of what it does if the PLO continues its
military build-up, which involves heavy arms
from Communist-bloc nations. It was something
like this, Syria's insistence on putting ground-to-
air missiles in the Bekaa Valley, that helped touch
off the latest outbreak of hostilities and prompted
the U.S. mediation effort.
We ourselves hope that the ceasefire not only
holds but becomes a step toward a broader peace,
but history is not encouraging. And if the cease-
fire breaks down and leads to more fighting with
The Media and Israel's Pre-Emptive Strikes, Antagonists in
Government and Among the Commentators; Two Defensive
Assertions That Throw Light on a Very Muddied Situation
By Philip
Slomovitz
East includes data not to be ignored. Mr. Zion writes:
In September 1970, Hussein killed 10,000 Pales-
tinians and drove the PLO out of Jordan. From
that moment on, the Jordanian border has been
virtually without incident. No PLO, no trouble.
There is balm in Gilead, but nobody notices.
Indeed, President Reagan is asked to press his
"client state" Israel to establish a Palestinian
entity next door. But not a word is said about
leaning on Jordan — a client state if there ever
was one — to recognize Israel and join the Camp
David Accords.
When it comes to Jordan, the memory bank was
closed before it opened. I know people who think
it's 2,000-years old . . . –
Hussein, who took over in 1953, is considered a
benign, embattled monarch. Yet from 1948 until
1967, Jordan not only occupied but annexed the
West Bank. Without a scintilla of international
MENAHEM BEGIN
CASPAR WEINBERGER .
authority, without the consent of the West Bank
• population. And without a whimper from the
the PLO armed more heavily, the U.S. might give
the Israelis some credit for knowing what they
world.
Mr. Zion takes into account the Camp David agree-
were doing when they were overruled.
There is much more to be accounted for, and a New ments, the sacrifices made by Israel in the abandonment of
York Times Op-Ed Page article of July 31 makes a defini- the Sinai for the sake of attaining a peace pact. For the sake
tive contribution to the search and aspiration for truth and of peace perhaps there will be an influence upon public
justice. Appropriately entitling what can be properly opinion and the rational in journalism from -this admoni-
designated as an appeal to reason, Sidney Zion, a journalist tion by Mr. Zion:
who specializes on the Middle East, called attention to the
Israel did not agree to turn over the West Bank
and Gaza to the PLO. For this it is accused of
loss of life in the struggles in that area that reached the tens
intransigence. But why do it, at least until those
of thousands, their tragic status having been ignored,
who want the territories recognize Israel, not to
while the losses caused by the Israel bombing were turned
say sue for peace? Have we forgotten that Hussein
into a cause celebre. He stated in his essay, "Genesis Re-
lost the West Bank because he went to war against
written":
Israel in 1967?
The Middle East memory bank is empty again.
Have we forgotten that only yesterday the Arab
Just read the papers, watch the television. The
world condemned — and still condemns — Sadat
new Book of Genesis begins with the raid on the
for Camp David? If not, why are we continually
Iraqi reactor and climaxes with the bombs over
advised that Begin is the obstacle to peace, that he
Beiiut. The world is outraged and the world will
has isolated Sadat from the Arabs? Does anyone
not forget.
really believe that the Arab world wants a Pales-
The world has forgotten everything else, and if
tinian state? Israel's neighbors, if they want
the American news media is representative, the
peace, have a track to follow. They need only walk
world does not want any reminders. It is angry
in Sadat's footsteps.
with Menahem Begin, it is impatient, it is at wit's
History is often intolerable — just ask the
end. And so history becomes intolerable. Still, his-
Jews. It also instructs — just tell the Arabs.
tory has its claims, does it not? And a memory
The world has much to learn from the tragic events in
bank is the only bank in history that needs a run
the Middle East. Israel's position certainly commends re-
on it to get back in business. So here are a few
spect. The search for villainy leads elsewhere than has been
facts.
misdirected and Israel was utilized as the available
Israel never touched Lebanon until the Pales-
scapegoat. It just won't work and the American media must
tine Liberation Organization moved in after King
recognize it and cooperate in rejecting bigotries that carry
Hussein drove it out of Jordan in September 1970.
with them the harm of the ages to an entire nation.
Prime Minister Golda Meir warned the Lebanese
government that Israel would not countenance a
Hate Has Its Antidotes ...
new sanctuary for terrorists. Still, Lebanon gave
Regrettably Anti-Semites
the inch to the PLO and the rest is what we see, the
Never Learn the Truth
destruction of a nation. The PLO, with leftist
Lebanese forces, sacked and pillaged Christian
It's offered numerous times as an antidote to anti-
cities until Syria, fearing a radical takeover, came
Semitism — the record of Jewry's services to mankind. It
in and began slaughtering the Palestinians and
doesn't do very much good, does it?
their cohorts. After the Syrian "peacekeeping"
Advice to Jew-baiters has been dished out in many
mission had succeeded in putting the PLO under
forms, listing the long record of creative activities by Jews
in many lands. Because it is repeated, in the form of a
its control, Syria and the PLO turned their guns
message sent to Ann Landers from Father Ted Hesburgh,
on the Christian minority.
There are 32,000 Syrian troops in Lebanon and
president of the University of Notre Dame, it merits repeat-
at least three times that many Arabs have died in
ing. It was written by the late humorist Sam Levenson:
It's a free world.
that land in the last decade thanks to these
You don't have to like
peacemakers and their Palestinian allies.
Jews, but if you
During this period, successive Israeli govern-
don't, I suggest that
ments have bombed Palestinian enclaves in
you boycott certain
Lebanon. Sum up all these Israeli strikes, includ-
Jewish products like
ing the invasion of Lebanon in 1978, including the
insulin, discovered
bombing of Beirut, and still the casualties in-
by Dr. Minkoski; the
flicted by Israel are miniscule next to what the
vaccine for hepatitis,
"Arab nation" has done to its own people. The
discovered by
world hardly took note. When more than 90,000
Baruch Blumberg;
Arabs die by Arab guns and bombs, it's just one of
chlorhydrate for
those crazy things. When 300 Arabs die by Israeli
convulsions, dis-
fire, it's a Holocaust committed by a Jewish Mad
covered by Dr. J. Von
Bomber. Begin. It begins with Begin. Read the
Liebig; the Wasser
papers, watch the television.
man test for syphili
Mr. Zion then deals with the situation involving Jor-
SAM LEVENSON
streptomycin, dis-
dan. He calls attention to Jordan having been the name of a
covered by Dr. Sel-
river until Winston Churchill in 1922, as British Colonial
man Abraham Waxman; the polio pill by Dr. A.
Secretary, turned the river's east bank into the Emirate of
Sabin, and the polio vaccine by Dr. Jonas Salk.
Transjordan. He emphasizes that Transjordan is 80 percent
Good! Boycott! But humanitarianism requires
of the land mass of Palestine. Mr. Zion emphasizes: "Trans-
that my people offer all these gifts to all the people
jordan IS Palestinian," the name having been changed in
of the world. Fanaticism requires that all bigots
1948 from Transjordan into the Hashemite Kingdom of
accept diabetes, hepatitis, convulsions, syphilis,
Jordan, and he comments: "Presto! The ancient Hashemite
infectious diseases and infantile paralysis.
Kingdom of Jordan. So what? So everything. What was in
You want to be mad? Be mad! But I'm telling
every respect Palestine became a refugee camp for Palesti-
you, you ain't going to feel so good.
nian Arabs, a host country for those 'driven out' by the
It doesn't help much to repeat it. It isn't because the
Jews. And so it is viewed today. The Hussein family,
brought out of Arabia by Churchill, are the only truly anti-Semites are all bone-heads, -but because their hatred is
non-Palestinians living in Jordan today. Yet the world sees deeper than their common sense. That's why the liberals
like Fr. Hesburgh keep reminding the unknowledgeable.
Palestine as wherever the Jews live."
The expose of the Jordanian position in the Middle The Levenson message must sink in somewhere.
.