If Begin Invited Arafat to Peace Table Will Hostilities End?

total destruction; it as-
Should Prime Minister sumes that Israel must
Menahem Begin invite maintain at least a strong
presence
Yasir Arafat, head of the security
throughout
the
West
Liberation
Palestine
Organization, to visit Bank and Gaza Strip for
Jerusalem in the footsteps the forseeable future and
of Anwar el-Sadat and offer it recognizes that evacua-
the PLO a seat at the Pales- tion of Israeli settlements
tine autonomy negotiating from these territories is
fast becoming a political
table?
An Israeli strategist- impossibility."
Basically, the facts of the
theoretician says this is not
as bizarre as it may sound Lebanon situation do not
and that, in fact, it would be change Alpher's reasoning,
an excellent strategy for Is- but would seem to give his
rael. Indeed, says Joseph proposals added feasibility.
Why should Israel take
Alpher, executive editor of
the Center for. Strategic such a startling step as un-
Studies at Tel Aviv Univer- ilateral recognition of the
sity, the Israel government PLO? For many and good
should consider extending reasons, says Alpher,
unconditional recognition among them, the rebuilding
to the Palestine Liberation of Israel's image as a nation
Organization as a major that wants peace and tran-
representative of the Pales- quility, the realpolitik of
the situation and an effort
tinian people."
Writing in Foreign Af- to improve Israel's tactical
fairs, the quarterly journal position relative to the Arab
of the Council on Foreign world and the West.
Alpher likens this pro-
Relations, Alpher specifies
that "the act of invitation posal to talk with Arafat to
and recognition should in- Israel's efforts to talk about
volve no conditions or qual- peabe with Nasser of Egypt
ifications — but neither prior to the 1967 war. "Then
should it imply concessions as now," he points out, "Is-
rael's strategic goal was to
on Israel's part."
Written before the Is- ensure its own survival
raeli invasion of Lebanon within secure borders; then
and the subsequent de- - as now, the offer to talk with
sfruction of most of the an Arab who threatened to
PLO's military effective- murder every last Jew in Is-
ness, the Alpher thesis rael was a tactic — it im-
points out that the invita- proved Israel's security
tion "acknowledges that position just a bit more, and,
the PLO and its leader- therefore, it was preferable
ship are extremist ter- to even a hint of intransi-
rorists bent on Israel's gence as an overt policy

By VICTOR M. BIENSTOCK

position."
There are fundamental
differences between the
Alpher proposals and
those advanced in Paris
by Dr. Nahum Goldmann,
Philip M. Klutznick and
former Prime Minister
Pierre Mendes-France.
The three seek mutual
Israeli-PLO recognition

they declare there must be
full national recognition by
each side.
Alpher does not concede
the likelihood of an inde-
pendent Palestinian entity
west of the Jordan nor the
possibility that Israel could
ever leave the West Bank
and Gaza Strip. He is dubi-
ous that the PLO leadership
would dare to accept an Is-
raeli invitation to negotiate
but says that even the fact of
the offer would greatly im-
prove the Israeli position.
Once again, as prior to
1967, Israel would appear
before the world ready to
talk peace and the PLO
would be the intransi-
gent, unwilling to make
peace and committed to
Israel's destruction in
terms the West would
have to recooize.
By issuing the invitation
to the PLO without de-
manding prior acceptance of
VICTOR BIENSTOCK
Security Council Resolution
and negotiations "with 242 or any other conditions,
the aim of achieving co- Alpher insists, "Israel
existence between the Is- might succeed in striking a
raeli and the Palestinian stronger blow at the PLO's
peoples based on self- terrorist and extremist
foundations than even mill-
determination."
They want to halt the tary action has achieved."
"sterile debate whereby the The invitation could have
Arab world challenges the a marked effect in Israel it-
existence of Israel and Jews self where, as Alpher points
challenge the political out, a large consensus "op-
legitimacy of the Palesti- posing withdrawal from the
nian fight for indepen- West Bank and Gaza has
dence." - now become an undeniable
The autonomy provided factor in any future negotia-
for the Palestinians in the tions over the Palestinian
Camp David accords, they issue."
But many Israelis, he
hold, is insufficient and

Rabbinic Scholars Describe Split Among the Orthodox

charged that members of Jews who do not subscribe them as "normative" on
the "modern • Orthodox to the stringent "minutiae the Orthodox community
Two Orthodox rabbinical community" were often de- and articially elevated" as a whole.
He urged the "centrist"
scholars have expressed fensive or even ashamed in standards of religious ob-
concern over what they the outside world about servance which are now community to resist the
being "superimposed" by "natural temptation" to re-
called a deepening and de- their religious practices.
"right wing" Orthodox Jews ciprocate the hostility of the
structive split between
Dr. Lamm asserted that
"centrist" and "right wing" members of the "cen- on traditional Jewish reli- "right wing" while, at the
same time, it acted to
Orthodoxy in America, dec- trist" Orthodox group, gious practice.
He said this "religious strengthen itself by uniting
laring that both groups which he said included
were to blame.
Yeshiva University and imperialism" has had "de- its own factions and de-
The speakers- were Dr. the Young Israel move- • structive effects" on the rest veloped its own "vigorous
Norman Lamm, president ment, have failed to keep of the Orthodox community. religious identity."
Rabbi Sharfman ex-
Dr. Lamm said one result
of Yeshiva University, con- pace with their "right
sidered a leading spokes- wing brethren" in bear- was "an invidious inferior- plained the rejectionism
man for "modern" Or- ing enough children to ity complex" among many and isolationism within
thodoxy, and Rabbi Sol - replace "massive" recent members of the "modern "right wing" elements as
omon J. Sharfman of Brook- Jewish demographic los- Orthodox" community. As arising from the conviction
lyn, a former president of ses. He urged Orthodox specific examples of issues of its proponents that Or-
the Rabbinical Council of Jews to be more con- which are sources of serious thodox Judaism cannot suc-
America, considered the cerned about honesty disagreement between the cessfully compete with the
"centrist" group in the and sincerity in religious two Orthodox groups, he secular American culture
American Orthodox rabbi- belief than "the trap- mentioned the permissibil- for the minds and hearts of
ity of secular studies on an Jews and that the only hope
nate. They spoke at the 70th pings" of piety.
• advanced level for Orthodox for Jewish survival is to
anniversary convention, at
Spring Glen, N.Y., of the . Dr. Lamm said the "right Jewish students or any form erect walls around the
National Council of Young wing" was tended toward an of support for Israel as a Jewish community to shut
out such influences.
Israel, an association of Or- authoritarianism which secular state.
Nevertheless, he de-
once was characteristic only
Rabbi Sharfman re-
thodox congregations.
Dr. Lamm told the 500 of the Hasidic community. fended the right of the - jected this approach, cit-
delegates that the "reason- But, he said, the source of "right wing" to follow an ing the success of the
0 able" approach of the cen- his greatest concern was the extreme and isolationist Young Israel movement,
trist camp to the issues con- tendency within "right lifestyle, and even to take in its 70 years of exist-
fronting Orthodox Jews had wing" Orthodoxy arbitrar- on itself additional reli- ence, in creating a mod-
become "cold and bloodless, ily to exclude from religious gious duties, as long as it ern Orthodox lifestyle
did not try to impose fully compatible and suc-
lacking in enthusiasm." He legitimacy those Orthodox
cessfully competitive
within America's
pluralistic society.
Conceding that the dan-
gers of assimilation were
real, Rabbi Sharfman con-
tended that only by an open,
modern approach could a
religious community con-
tinue to flourish in
America.

By BEN GALLOB

(Copyright 1982, JTA, Inc.)

adds, are deeply troubled by on the table in a negotiat-
the ramifications for Israel ing situation with Israel
of continued control over a without sharply an-
million Palestinians — ex- tagonizing some of its
tended military control by own factions as well as
force or annexation with its tome of its backers in the
potential for turning Israel Arab world.
"Indeed, the odds are that
into a dual-national state
with the Jews eventually a the PLO, if presented with a
genuine invitation to
minority in their own land.
But Alpher does not be- negotiate unconditionally
lieve that an offer to the with Israel, would either
PLO to negotiate without back down or present its
strings would simply be a most extremist demands."
Should the PLO accept,
tactical gesture to put the
PLO leadership in a dif- agreeing to discuss
ficult position and to Camp David autonoi_ _
weaken its claims on the plan, the cause of peace
West for sympathy and sup- would be advanced. If it re-
port for Palestine plied to the Israeli invita-
tion in terms continuing to
nationalist aspirations.
The offer, the Tel Aviv deny Israel's right to exist
theoretician says, would and which reject the Camp
conform to key aspects of David framework, then,
Likud policy such as the Alpher asserts, "it would
argument that a Palesti- have set itself up for inter-
than Arab state already national and possibly even
inter-Arab condemnation,
exists in Jordan.
"The logic of this position and allowed Israel to pursue
dictates that were the PLO its national interests less
to take over Jordan, the Is- fettered by international
rael government would not and internal criticism."
The invitation to the
be displeased," he points
out. "For in such a case, the PLO, Alpher says, would
West Bank problem would strengthen morale within
boil down to the relatively Israel by its affirmation of -
simple need to define the Israel's desire for a peaceful
nature of the mixed popula- solution. It would get Egypt
tion buffer zone between off the hook, since the Pales-
two sovereign states, Israel tine Arabs would speak for
themselves and Egypt could
'and Palestine."
Even if the Begin gov- concentrate on re-
ernment abhorred the no- establishing itself in the
tion of sitting down with the Arab world and on nor-
PLO to discuss autonomy, malizing its relations with
"it should be at least as will- Israel.
Because of the PLO
ing to talk with Arafat
about Jordan — which it threat to his interests,
does not control — as it says King Hussein of Jordan
it is to talk with Assad of would have to reconsider
Syria about the Golan or his refusal to sit at the
Fand of Saudi Arabia about - negotiating table. The
East Jerusalem, both of move would meet the
European 10's demand
which it does control.
The PLO, Alpher asserts, for recognition of the
contains so many diverse PLO as representative of
and conflicting elements the Palestinians.
And it would, Alpher as-
under the umbrella that its
"real lack of flexibility and serts, remove a potential
cohesion would show if its threat_ to American-Israeli
leaders, put to the test, had relations since, he argues,
to make the agonizing at some time in the future
choice between taking a the United States would
stand and risking both the otherwise have to repudiate
PLO's disintegration and its pledge not to deal with
their own personal safety the PLO.
"Unqualified Israeli
and retreating into 'safe' in-
recognition of the PLO
transigence."
The PLO, because of its could, if executed properly
inherent contradictions, and pre-negotiated with the
Alpher reasons is in "a United States and the
rather delicate equilib- Arabs for all it is worth,
rium." Arafat and his serve as a major means for
closest advisers in the Israel to realize its strategic
PLO Alpher says, "can- aims in the Middle East,"
not possibly put its cards Alpher concludes.

Lost Rabbi's Portrait Finds
Niche Next to Yale President

NEW HAVEN, Conn. — investigated the disap-
Yale University has hon- pearance of the rabbi's
c. --
ored the wish of its presi- portrait from Yale, i
dent during the Revolutio- eludes that Stiles an
nary Wars Rev. Ezra Stiles, successor did not g e
and has hung a lost portrait along. The successor
of Stiles' friend, Rabbi Haim failed to honor an agree-
Carigal, next to Stiles' por- ment for displaying Rev.
Stiles' personal papers
trait in Sterling Library.
Rev. Stiles, who required and it is believed Stiles'
all Yale freshmen to study daughter took possession
Hebrew, had met Rabbi of her father's papers, in-
Carigal of Newport, R.I., cluding the Carigal por-
only once. But he was so im- trait.
Rabbi Chiel traced the
pressed by the rabbi that
they maintained a life-long portrait to a Holden, Mass.,
descendant of friends of the
correspondence.
Rabbi Arthur Chiel of Stiles family. The portrait
Woodbridge, Conn., who was loaned to Yale.