Friday, September 25, 1981 25 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS `Orientalization' of Israel Bodes Well for State, M.E. • By ALON BEN-MEIR ST. LOUIS — When Labor Party leader Shimon Peres claimed to have a moral mandate to form a new government the day after the election, not only was he well aware of the fact that Labor had lost its man- date to lead, but that it had precipitated its own defeat. To many observers of the Israeli political scene, the Likud victory in May 197'7 was brought about because of defections from the rank and file of the Labor Party, defections which contrib-- uted to the emergence of the Democratic Movement for Change headed by Yigal Yadin. While it is true that Labor's weak performance NAPPY- NEW YEAR • Thus, it is hardly sur- prising that the Labor Party which is Ashkenazic in inspira- tion, has tried to prevent the situation from chang- ing. Unfortunately, al- though its leaders were confronted with these is- sues in the recent elec- tion, Labor still refused to recognize the prob- lems. --- The myth that the Labor BIRMINGHAM VACUUM CLEANER INC. Rainbow Square 29429 W. 12 Mile (Near Middlebelt) Farmington Hills 476-8480 CURS SERVICE OPEN 7 DAYS • 19827 W. 12 Mile • Southfield 552-8480 Buy 2 Pkgs. of VOCUUM Bags & GET ONE FREE Wry TMs Ceeen $5 OFF LABOR ON ANY VACUUM REPAIR (of $10 or ,Mote) roe crirs coupon Expires WPM $3.00 OFF PARTS 51111 P11112112 If $11 It 111115 wen this ed. en, 43041 I 5' 501111 COPIES MADE each Buy 2 Vacuum Belts & GET ONE FREE With INS Coupes Expires MOM $5 OFF ANY TV REPAIR With The Caper Espies WWII BUY TWO KEYS GET ONE FREE With lids Ad. Exp. 1W30, •1 ' '''' " • " • in 1977 can be partly at- • tributed to massive defec- tions, on the one hand, and to widespread corruption within the Labor hierarchy on the other, the Likud's 1977 victory was mainly due to the solid support the party received from Israel's "silent majority." After three decades of Labor rule, Israel's Sephardic (non- European) Jews, who now comprise some 56 percent of Israel's population — have moved to end a political sys- tem which perpetuates so- m cial conflict between the and the Ashkenazi (Euro- pean) Jews — a conflict based on old socio-economic disparities and transmuted into a struggle for political power from which the Sephardic Jews were excluded. 1 Party represented the majority of the Israelis has been finally dispelled. The results of the June 30 elec- tion demonstrated that the Israelis have not only shifted politically to the right, but that a dramatic shift towards the "Orien- talization" of the state of Is- rael is now in the making. The shift to the right (and support for Israel's reten- tion ofJudaea, Samaria and the Gaza District) seems on its face inconsistent with the simultaneous "Orien- talization" of the country. An Israel in which Sephar- dic Jews play a leading role is not likely to be any more loved by the Arabs than when it was run by Ashkenazi leaders; at least, however, it will be more understandable to the Arabs, and perhaps, even tually, more palatable as well. Hence, it is not unlikely that the two trends may contribute to a solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict, and a more equitable society. A new Begin govern- ment, which is expected to encompass Israel's entire political spectrum on the right and in which the Sephardic Jews will carry discernible politi- cal clout, may be in a position to advance a formula leading towards such a solution. Though Begin's policy may seem intransigent on the sur- face, it remains the only viable one which satisfies the national aspirations of both Arabs and Jews. In contrast, the Labor Party, after 29 years of con- tinuous rule, failed misera- bly in dealing with the Palestinians. The concept of territorial compromise, a solution advocated by Labor since 1967, was flatly re- t.,1,-, r ,- ALON BEN - MEIR jected by all concerned Is- raelis and Palestinians. The portrayal of Israel as a Western society in the heart of the Middle East further stiffened Arab resis- tance. The Jewish right to settle in Judea and Samaria is consistent with the question of sovereignty, which is to be left open and to be deter- Mined after a five-year transitional period. The "Orientalization" of Israel might have yet another salutary effect: it could change the as- sumptions that underlie current approaches to the thorny issue of Jewish settlements in Judea and Samaria. The right to settle could be ensured if it were under- stood that the settlers had to accept local (i.e., Palestinian) administra- tive controls under appropriate safeguards, much as Palestinian citi- zens of Israel are now subject to Israeli law and administration. Criti- cally, the settlers would not be regarded as aliens, but as familiar co- inhabitants of the same country. To be sure, the vote of con- fidence that was awarded to the Likud signals a fateful shift in Israel's future social and political course. Israel ••••4HAPPY NEW YEAR••••♦ WORLD IMPORTS, Inc.: SAVE . * . • Featuring: • Swiss Music Boxes • Gerold Figurines From Bavaria • Infant Music Boxes from Switzerland • Collectible Crystal Bells • • * • * (From Bohemia, Hungary, W. Germany) • Linden Black Forest Pendulum Clocks • • • • ♦ PLUS A WIDE ASSORTMENT OF FINE • • • . GIFTS & COLLECTIBLES ■ • FROM AROUND THE WORLD t v now has the opportunity to adjust more readily to the * cultural orientation of the Middle East and to become an extension of that region. Once that adaptation is made, the territorial dis- pute may become less in- tractable. 20% - (located in Birmingham Vacuum) • Evergreen Plaza, Evergreen and 12 Southfield 569-0070 • Mon. thru Sat. 10-8 • 4...............* MANUFACTURERS BANK extends best wishes to all for a happy, joyous New Year Greater Detroit Chapter CITY OF HOPE Ben Goldberg, Founder Extends Best Wishes For a Happy, Prosperous, And, Above All Healthy New Year ." • .". ' ' ''' ....... .... .........