An Historic
Cultural-Spiritual
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THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
Commentary, Page 2
of Jetuish Events
Realities
Filled With
Tensions
as Lebanese
Situation
Beckons for
Factual Treatment
Editorial, Page 4
Copyright (g) The Jewish News Publishing Co.
VOL. LXXXI, No. 17
.
17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833
$15 Per Year: This Issue 35c
June 25,1982
Israelis Backed by Lebanese;
:1( ietiewal of Terrror Predicted
r
Community Centers
Encourage IDF Units
troops about to cross into Lebanon were
packages by the community center in
By ELIEZER WHARTMAN
Joint Distribution Committee
(Editor's note: Whartman, of JDC-Israel, toured
some of the front-line community centers affiliated
with the JDC-assisted Israel Association of Commu-
nity Centers during the fighting in Lebanon.)
Our first stop was Kiryat Shmona, a development town
of 15,000 located a few kilometers from the Lebanese bor-
der. Just south of the town we heard over the car radio that
the ceasefire with the Syrians would commence in one
hour. We hurried north to get the reaction to the news, for
Kiryat Shmona had absorbed a brutal pounding from bar-
rages of Katyusha rockets.
Unlike our visit after the last massive Katyusha shel-
ling in the summer of 1981 where we had found a town with
a shattered morale, this time everyone was buoyant.
(Continued on Page 18)
Despite bitter confrontations with members of both houses of Congress, Israel Prime Minister
Menahem Begin returned to Israel on Wednesday with assurances of continuing friendly relations
between the two countries.
With sporadic fighting continuing, ceasefire decisions being constantly broken, Lebanese leaders who
are unmolested by pressures and interference from anti-Israel antagonists are strongly endorsing Israeli
aims to assist in freeing the terrorized country from PLO and Syrian oppression.
Israel is officially providing massive aid for sufferers from the war's calamities with medical
assistance and by providing food for the needy.
Reports of monumental casualty figures are repudiated by Israel, and the Red Cross statements are
seriously resented in these refutations.
(Commenting on a private session with Prime Minister Menahem Begin, together with six other
Senators, Monday evening, in Begin's hotel room in Washington, Senator Carl Levin said he was convinced
of a chance for peace "if we will but seize it." Senator Levin said he favored U.S. participation in a
multi-national peacekeeping force. See story on Page 23.)
Friends of Israel in Michigan were urged this week to write or wire President Ronald
Reagan, urging a continuing U.S. policy defending Israel and supporting the aims of a PLO-free
Lebanon as an assurance of peace in the Middle East. Mrs. Paul Borman, Mrs. Ida Joyrich, Sol
Lachman, Sidney Silverman, Irving
Laker and associates in commit-
tees organized for such efforts, stated
that such expressions of sentiments
are vital to Israel's safety and the
hoped-for peace.
Akiva Hebrew Day School last Friday filed for re-
In New York, calling Israel's invasion
organization under Chapter XI of the U.S. bankruptcy laws.
of Lebanon "long /overdue," a representa-
Dennis Eisenberg, Akiva executive director, said the school has
tive of the Lebanese Christian community
$175,000 in outstanding bank obligations and ran a $70,000
operational deficit for the school year just completed. The school
appealed Tuesday for the withdrawal of all
projects a $100,000 operating deficit for the 1982-1983 school
foreign forces from his country and urged
year unless it is allowed to re-organize.
that a multinational force be established
Meanwhile, Yeshivath Beth Yehudah has asked the Jewish
that would include the United States.
Welfare Federation of Metropolitan Detroit for an emergency
Dory Chamoun, Secretary General of
grant of $100,000 "to keep our doors open."
the
National Liberal Party of Lebanon and
The yeshiva completed the school year this week with a
the son of former Lebanese President
$200,000 deficit and is six payrolls (12 weeks) behind in paying
Camille Chamoun, spoke at a press con-
its staff.
ference.
Rabbis Norman Kahn and E. B. Freedman told The
"For most of us Lebanese, the Israeli
Jewish News that the yeshiva is planning a campaign to
Akiva, Beth Yehudah
Fight Financial Crises
(Continued on Page 11)
Israelis in the Midst of a War
Gather Relief Aid for Lebanon
By ROBERT ST. JOHN
JERUSALEM — Israelis are amazing people, in more ways than one. While the war
was still raging in the Beirut area and young Israeli soldiers were still being killed, 60 of
the country's best doctors, busloads of nurses, a number of plastic surgeons and
truckloads of medical equipment and medicines left Israel for Lebanon — aid for the sick
and the wounded. -
Also 100 tons of blankets and clothing in good condition have been piling up this
week at 46 Magen David Adom first aid stations around Israel for shipment to the war
zone. For Arabs. For "our cousins the Lebanese."
Abie Nathan, of peace ship fame, is back from dis-
tributing $10,000 worth of chocolates to Lebanese and
Palestinian children.
More than 1,000 Israeli families have volunteered
to "adopt" Lebanese mothers and children temporar-
ily as part of the Lebanese Children Campaign.
Despite the Israeli Army's need to use the roads of
. Lebanon for military movements in both directions, per-
mission was given for the roads to be shared with an endless
caravan of trucks loaded with Israeli building material and
Israeli workmen, who will help the Lebanese rebuild shops
and homes partially or totally destroyed by Israeli shells.
Some Israelis tell me they have a bad conscience about
what they call "the excessive destruction." (I cannot recall
that the Nazis worried much about excessive destruction,
and our country did very little about rebuilding Dresden.)
But the Israelis are a strange and amazing people.
While the short war was at its height, some Israelis,
ROBERT ST. JOHN
(Continued on Page 28)
(Oontinued on Page 5)
Renewed Strife in Middle East
Brings Benefits, Politics in U.S.
By MORRIS J. AMITAY
WASHINGTON — With Israel in Lebanon, Begin in the United States, a new king
in Saudi Arabia and the PLO in real trouble, the Middle East has been front and center in
Washington. Overshadowing all other -aspects of Israel's dazzling military operations has
been the performance of her Air Force vis-a-vis the Syrians in air-to-air combat.
While American-built F-15s with their "look down shoot down" capability and
modern F-16s are technically superior in many ways to Soviet MiG-21, 23 and 25s
Israel's lopsided success highlights the skills, tactics and training of her pilots. In this
regard Israeli fighter pilots put much more time in the air than their American counter
parts — sometimes flying as much as three or four times a day.
Just as a concert pianist maintains his touch by - -
hours of practice, Israel — at great expense in avia-
tion fuel and maintenance costs — keeps the skills of
her pilots well-honed. The U.S. Air Force, on the other
hand, due to budgetary constraints and other
priorities, has been cutting down on the flight hours of
its pilots.
It is this combination of technology and human skills
that resulted in 80 aircraft downed by Israeli pilots over the
skies of Lebanon, and the astonishing 371-3 ratio in the
Yom Kippur War. And, as opposed to the exaggerated
claims of its Arab foes — Israeli pilots are credited with
"kills" upon verification by the film in their gun-sight
cameras.
The Lebanon fallout on Capitol Hill was surprisingly
mild — given the media's general negative tone, and the
Washington Post's usual anti-Israel bias. The small coterie
(Continued on Page 10
MORRIS AMITAY