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.