2 Friday, Novembei 27,1981
THE Driii0iT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
When the Ugly Head of Anti-Semitism Seeks Notoriety, Respected
--Government Spokespeople Often Plummet to the Lowest Levels of
Resorting to the Charges of 'Dual Loyalty' Leveled at the Jews
By Philip
Slomovitz
(Laughter)
Jews and Israel were accused of lobbying, at a time
A: (Confused) Well, I'd have to look at the map.
when the Saudi lobby had enrolled lots of paid propagan-
It's a map in the State Department?
dists into the fray.
Q: Yeah, in the lobby. What country lies west of
It was the anti-Semitic threat and the double alle-
Many U.S. Senators, even while voting against the
Jerusalem?
that should hate infuriated officialdom.
allegation
giance
established American principle of Separation of Church
A:
What country lies to the west of Jerusalem?
It didn't. That's what angered Sen. Levin. That's what
and State, must be smarting from the slip of the tongue— if
Q: Think!
caused popular columnist Richard Cohen to write on anti-
that's the excuse — by a Southern Senator, who referred to
Q: (Anderson) I'll give you a hint: Between
Semitism and to emphasize the shockingly-outrageous re-
Sen. Howard Metzenbaum as the Senator from Bnai Brith.
Jerusalem and the Mediterranean. -
sort to the double allegiance charge implied in many of the
Sen. Lowell Weicker took care of it with great dignity,
A: You want me to say Israel? I'll say Israel lies -
Jews
in
the
U.S.
Senate
debate:
inexcusable
references
to
as is the American way, by refusing to permit an insult to
between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean.
First Ronald Reagan and then Richard Nixon
remain as a Senatorial policy.
Q: Can you explain why it is not identified on the
couched
the
AWACS
fight
as
a
struggle
between
Metzenbaum happens to have pride in Bnai Brith
map?
-
Israel and America — Reagan or Begin, as the
membership That's not the point. What's at issue is the
A:
(Annoyed) I don't have any idea.
saying goes .. .
debate Metzenbaum had with a Mobile representative who
Q: (Marvin Kalb, NBC) Is that a State Depart-
To
simplify
it
as
a
struggle
between
an
Ameri-
seemed to ache for a chance to say that the Senator who
ment map?
can President and a foreign leader with what was
happens to be .Jewish was opposing the Mobile attempt - to
A: I don't know.
perceived as a fifth column in this country, was
capture Marathon because he is a defender of Israel.
Q: Well, did the Embassy of Jordan put up the
more than simply wrong — it was an inadvertent
Venom unfortunatly creeps out. It provides a chance to
map?
way of fanning the flames of anti-Semitism.
confront it.
A: I just don't know, Marvin.
After
all,
once
the
issue
was
defined
as
a
strug-
Let the bigots speak. It is better to know the an-
Q: Well, you know it's a State Department map.
gle between the American President and the Is-
tagonists than to have to search for them in the under-
- A: I don't even know to what map he's referring.
raeli prime minister, Jews who chose to fight the
ground.
(Reporters described the location of the map.)
AWACS sale seemed to be choosing to fight their
Maybe we should adjourn the briefing tempo-
own country. Here was the old canard of dual
Oh, the Tongue's Slips,
rarily to take a look.
loyalty in a nutshell, a predicament to delight any
and the Indestructible Is
Q: (Anderson) Seriously, can you find out?
anti-Semite. A non-Jew could oppose the AWACS
A: Certainly! I'm fascinated to hear it.
Recorded, Even When Deleted!
sale on the merits, but if a Jew did the same thing,
(Offending map was removed and replaced by
he was open to charges of choosing Israel over
Its the old story: a person can have the best of inten-
one of Amman.)
America. The facts are, though, that a lot of non-
t inns. and when "kibitzing," merely to be human in levity.
Jews thought selling AWACS to the Saudis was a
To say the least, this is shocking. The abuse was cor-
Hut when the tongue slips it could be uncorrectible.
terrible idea, while some Jews (including one
rected, but the mere fact that it had made an appearance is
One often turns to parents and to one's Mother Tongue
Senator and one former Secretary of State) fa-
an indictment of the most important foreign affairs and
Yiddish), when applied to parents and one's childhood.
Mother used to say: "A klopp fargait, a vort bashtait" — "a
foreign relations department in the world.
vored it.
That Richard Nixon should have raised the
Exposing it was a blessing for decency.
wallop is curable, a word is inerasable."
item
in
the
Washington
Talk
column
bogus
issue
of
confused
loyalties,
is
no
surprise
—
The proof is in an
and really of no great importance. Time and time
of the New York Times, Thursday, Nov. 19:
Averell Harriman Remains
again in his career he defined his side as the
Senator Arlen Specter was sitting in his office
the Sober Statesman
American one and the other side as, well, some-
on Monday afternoon, listening to his "squawk
When the National Jewish Welfare Board had a con-
thing else. -
box" and the floor debate on the school prayer
vention here, some four decades ago, Averell Harriman was
Ronald
Reagan
is
a
different
matter
entirely.
He
issue. Suddenly Mr. Specter, a Republican from
a
guest
speaker.
is
the
President,
and
what
he
does
matters
Pennsylvania, heard Senator Ernest F. Hollings,
At a repast with this com-
greatly. Yet there was no protest from him when
Democrat of South Carolina, provoke an uproar
mentator and wife, during
his
staff
either
leaked
or
confirmed
the
rumor
that
by referring to Senator Howard M. Metzenbaum,
the sessions, he refused to
an opponent of the AWACS sale was more con-
who is Jewish, as "the Senator from Bnai Brith."
drink anything other than
cerned with Jewish political contributions than
Mr. Holling's remark came while he was argu-
tea.
the
welfare
of
his
country.
And,
second,
in
true
ing the case for a bill on voluntary prayer in pub-
A few days ago, inter-
Nixonian fashion, he defined the issue as basi-
lic school, and Senator Metzenbaum and others
viewed on the occasion of his
cally
a
question
of
Americanism:
"It
is
not
the
were clamoring for recognition.
90th birthday, he was asked
business
of
other
nations
to
make
American
As Senator Specter, who is Jewish, rushed out
about the PLO. He com-
foreign policy."
of his office to the Senate floor, Mr. Metzenbaum
mented:
There is in all of this an echo. The way Reagan
voiced his "sadness and embarrassment" at the
Q. What about the idea
fights is to personalize the issue. He did this with
Hollings comment. Mr. Hollings responded with
that
we must deal wiht the
the
Berkeley
students
and
then
later
with
welfare
an apology, remarking, "I said it in a moment of
Palestine
Liberation
chiselers.
This
is
his
genius,
his
way
of
simplifying
levity. I said it only in fun."
Organization
sooner or la-
issues — of making them understandable both to
Reaching the floor, Senator Specter heatedly
ter?
the
public
and
to
himself.
It
is
very
effective,
but
denounced Senator Hollings, calling his com-
A. The PLO has got to be dealt with, in your words,
when this technique is applied when Jews or, for
ments "inappropriate and offensive."
sooner or later, (but) I see no reason to rush in and
that matter, blacks, are involved, he ought to be
Several hours later, Senator Specter received a
make any relations with them.
very careful. He is tapping into a vein of hate that
phone call from the majority leader, Howard H.
Such are the sentiments of the former Governor of New
, is as uncontainable as it is illogical. History tells
Baker Jr. Mr. Baker said the Hollings remarks
York, the former U.S. Ambassador to Russia. Still a tea
us that.
were "unfortunate" and "not meant in the context
drinker? Certainly still a statesman.
After all, it's been done before.
that they came out," according to an aide to Sena-
Still sober!
The inferences are not finished. The platform given
tor Baker. Accordingly, Mr. Baker asked Mr.
Israel's enemies, the blunders in the media every time
Specter if he would agree, as Senator Metzen-
The
Threats From Above
by
and
about
Israel,
call
for
corrections.
there is a sneeze
baum had agreed, to have the entire contretemps
They arouse resentment in pro-Israel ranks. If that is dual
in Aftermath of AWACS
deleted in the next day's Congressional Record,
allegiance, then those who resort -to such an accusation
U.S. News and World Report, in a review of Washing-
an unusual step.
have much to learn about American fair play, about horse —
ton events and rumblings, carried these two telling para-
Senator Specter reluctantly concurred in re-
sense in public debates and about the basic element of graphs:
moving the remarks, but only if the Congressional
justice and common decency.
Pro-Israeli lobbyists on Capitol Hill still haven't
Record on Tuesday carried a note saying that an
given up the fight to stop shipment of U.S. radar
exchange had been deleted. Senator Baker
planes to Saudi Arabia. Their first move: Start
A Measure of State Dept.
agreed.
publishing a periodic "AWACS Watch"
The next day's Congressional Record carried,
Guilt in Suppressing Israel
memorandum to remind members of Congress
then, the following inocuous note:
Among
the
methods
pursued
by
Israel's
enemies
in
the
every time the Saudis act against U.S. interests.
"Mr. Baker. Mr. President, earlier today there
scheme to subdue and possibly to obliterate her has been to
•
• II •
was a colloquy between the Senator from South
publish maps of the Middle East with Israel eliminated.
Carolina and the Senator from Ohio, entered into
Publicly, Reagan's spokesmen vow that there .
Arab states have introduced stamps vilifying Israel by
a little later by the Senator from Pennsylvania.
will be no retribution against Oregon's Republi-
innuendo, never using the name Israel.
"After consultation with the parties involved, it
can - Senator Bob Packwood for leading the fight
In most of the Arab attacks on Israel, Israel is not
appears that there is a desire to have that col-
against
the President on AWACS. Privately,
referred to by name. The identification is "the Zionist
loquy deleted from the official record."
White House aides say anyone using Packwood as
entity."
a
reference
wouldn't have a prayer of winning a
Nevertheless, we forgive. So do the Jewish Senators.
An echo of such scheming appeared,Of all places, in the
job anywhere in government.
After all, the Senator from South Carolina is a Nice Guy.
U.S. State Department.
ing
t
is
the
latter
that is especially intriguing (reveal-
are
not
acceptable,
but
his
many
His ideas on Separation
It is exposed by Near East Report of the American
friends view him as very likable. What he blundered with is
Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as follows:
Government
officials,
those at the very top, have been
removed from the record, but Atonement is inerasable.
On Nov. 2, the day King Hussein of Jordan ar- - accused of resorting to threats to secure a POsitive vote for -
the
Reagan
policy
of
providing
massive arms for Saudi
rived at the State Department, the following dis-
The Nasty Resort to the Dual
Arabia. The threats to U.S. Senator Robert Packwood, the
cussion took place at the regular noon briefing.
Republican who heads the party's-forces to raise funds for
Allegiance Anti-Jewish Accusation
State Department spokesman was Dean Fischer.
re-election of members of Congress and the election of other
Q: (Jim Anderson, UPI) On the Middle East, this
U.S. Sen. Carl Levin properly criticized the top-
GOP
candidates, may be judged as S'oxifirm4.tion- -of The
is
not
a
matter
of
war
and
peace,
but
downstairs
in
_
ranking U.S. officials who failed to-condemn the outrage-
accusations
of resort to vex threats ta'those Itlio7difT#ed -
the lobby in the Hussein exhibit there's a map of
ous charge of dual allegiance that was leveled at Jews
with
the
Administration;
Jordan
and
the
surrounding
countries.
All
the
. -
'
during the debate on the AWACS deal with Saudi Arabia.
' Newly devehmingidtuations will surely Provide light - •
surrounding countries are-identified except that
White House and State Department chieftains may
on
supporters
would
likelo
a
subject
the
AdMipistration
the
area
west-
of
Jerusalem
remains
unnamed.
still be smarting from the notorious injection of anti-
CzAti
t
. ‘'
Can you tell us what that territory te •
Semitic threats into the debate.
'Separation' as a Principle
Cannot Be Negated by Bias
4