2 Friday, September 24,_ 1982
_ THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Purely Commentary
A Campus Venom: Faculties
and Students Must Mobilize
on Defensive to Defy Bigotries
When 'Open Covenants'
Principle Is an Obstacle
Distressing developments relating to Israel's problems
as they affect the Jewish people, the divisiveness in some
Jewish ranks, the injected bitterness, are all so dishearten-
ing at a time when there is need for calm and for prepared-
ness for protective action, that the question unavoidably
arises: is the Jewish public relations program collapsing?
This is not an issue raised in panic. When a great
newspaper devotes eight days of propagandized accusa-
tions against Israelis and Jews, Israel and her government,
it stands to reason that there is difficulty confronting all of
the issues raised in such articles. They contain half-truths
and are warped by the venomous. They create the prob-
lematic when authors of such articles resort to interviews
with individuals who condemn and accuse, and they cannot
be dealt with individually.
The fantasies of the desert illuminate such essays.
They are like revivals of the outrageously falsified Pro-
tocols of the Elders of Zion. They are like the Dearborn
Independent of Henry Ford I days and of radio priest
Charles Coughlin in the 1930s.
Much more sickening are articles like Danny Rubins-
tein's of the Israel Hebrew daily Davar staff (NYTimes
Op-Ed Page, Sept. 14) who denies Israel ever was
threatened by Arafat, whose venomous piece is filled with
such lies as practically denying there were Maalot and
Kiryat Shmona and an Israel menaced by an army and
ammunition that could have destroyed the Jewish state,
who portrays the terrorist Arafat as the gentleman, the
diplomat, the leader recognized by humanity.
Hopefully, the filth spread by a writer for the official
newspaper of the Israel Labor Alignment is not an echo
from ranks in which party politics is more important than
the security of Jews in northern Galilee. It is for the Labor
Alignment to refute the insult to the Jewish people in that
article.
Woven of equated cloth is the legitimizing of the PLO
in Austria and Greece, the handshakes of Arafat with Pope
John Paul II and Italian leaders, the credibility given to
terror in many lands, the flirting with terror and terrorism
by George Ball and his cohorts in this country.
Indeed, there is need for unified action in Jewish
ranks, for honorable, democratic, fair play methods in
Jewish ranks to meet the challenges. They are challenges
to the self-respect of all Americans, to the honor of the
Jewish people.
Of the many problems confronted, there is a serious
one on the campuses. Therefore the reproduction on this
page of the revealing essay from Near East Report about
the enemies of justice and decency in the spheres of learn-
ing.
This is a call to action to Jewish students in the univer-
sities, and even as much to the faculties in colleges and
universities, to be equal to the menace, to be prepared to
erase it from the dignity of academic dignity.
Be prepared! Study the facts! Don't be silent in the face
of menacing situations which threaten to undermine the
American principle of fair play!
By Philip
Slomovitz
A Call to Action to All Concerned Americans, by Students
and Faculties on Campuses, to Refute the Outrageous Lies
Threatening the Basic American Principle of Fair Play
President Ronald Reagan might have averted dispute
over his peace plan for the Middle East had he asserted the
indisputable for Jewry and for Israel, that Jerusalem is not
only the undivided city but the capital of Israel. He created
non-recognized negotiability for a major item on which
there is not and can not be divisibility. in Jewish ranks. If
only on this point alone, the proposal from the White House
is unacceptable. That's a deplorable tragedy, with the ful-
lest realization of the President's sincerity.
This one is among the most unfortunate elements in a
situation that keeps creating so many heartaches.
It would have been so much more helpful if the basic
issues could be dealt with more calmly, with less publicity
and sensationalizing! President Woodrow Wilson was the
advocate of "open covenants, openly arrived at," yet there
are times when as a matter of patience "secret covenants"
are more appropriate in an effort to eliminate animosities
— if such an undemocratic procedure could be applied as a
stepping stone rather than as an applied and compulsive
policy.
This is one of the miseries suffered from dedication to
democratic diplomacy.
Nevertheless, there should be a way out of a dilemma
that causes William Safire to charge that President Reagan
took Shimon Peres. into his confidence before issuing his
acknowledgeably historic statement, and then be submit-
ted to a denial by Peres.
* * *
Liet Spread by George Ball:
Facts Refuting Misrepresentations
Ignorant, misguided Jews are in the ranks of those who
have gained a hearing contra Israel, causing heartrending
reactions to the spread of lies about existing conditions
affecting Israel.
It is not enough that they use Menahem Begin as the
target for attack and thereby undermine decent feelings
about Israel and Jewry. They go to such extremes that the
Big Lie misleads some into believing they are fact-finders.
Most venomous in the ranks is a Christian, a former
4
U.S. State Department official.
He is George Ball.
. He has become a leader in spreading the lie that
Americans are the financiers of Jewish existence in Israel.
Alfred Lipson, editor and president of the Voice of
Radom, received a hearing in a letter published in the
NYTimes Sept. 14. Touching on George Ball's argument, in
an article in the NYTimes,' Aug. 25, in which he wrote:
"Our annual subsidy to Israel . . . amounts to roughly $2.7
billion — $750 per head for Israel's 3.5 million people . . .
It is as if every American family of five gave Israel $70 a
year." Alfred Lipson provides these facts:
This statement, from a former State - Depart-
ment official, borders on dishonesty. Here are the
facts:
• The $2.6 billion total aid for Israel voted by Con-
gress for fiscal year 1983 consists primarily of military
sales credits, or loans, repayable with interest; only
$785 million is in economic support grants.
• All the money lent and granted to Israel is spent in
the United States, resulting in more jobs here and a
stronger economy. Israel's consumer purchases in the
U.S. are roughly double the amount of economic aid it
receives.
• Israel's debt service to the United States exceeds
the amounts of our economic grants. In fiscal 1983, the
excess figure will be $185 million.
• The people of Israel, among the highest-taxed in
the world, carry the burden of defense and pay for
peace. Their economic sacrifice for peace with Egypt is
estimated at $17 billion.
By giving up Sinai, Israel lost its almost total oil
independence — aside from its huge investments
there. Now it spends $2.5 billion a year on oil imports,
an amount equal to this year's foreign aid from the U.S.
I hope these facts will dispel the myth, propagated by
George Ball and other detractors of the Jewish state, of
Israel's burden on the economy and people of the
United States.
George Ball has been refuted before. He was chal-
lenged recently by MorriS Abram, and by many others. Let
the presently stated figures at least serve as a repudiation
of a shocking resort to venom that must not go unchal-
lenged.
* * *
Case Histories for Hatred:
Accumulating Miseries for 5743
It was a bad year — 5742 — and it isn't starting glori-
ously for 5743.
Many are at fault. Much is trouble-making.
The eight-day series of case histories compiled for the
Free Press is now a matter of record. The most that can be
said for it is that a seeker of truth and fact is stunned. The
writers gathered children and adults who would have been
strangers to the Palestinian situation except that they
have been briefed to make claims that are so fantastic that
it is difficult to deal with them. One wonders whether even
a fraction of the "evidence" compiled could be substan-
tiated. The major factor.in the compilation is reminiscent of
the Arabs in Israel in the days immediately preceding
Israel's rebirth. They were advised by their leaders to run
from their homes, with an assurance they would be re-
turned to become masters of what Jews had built for a
century. Only the Haifa Arabs showed confidence in what
Jews pledged and many remained.
The build-up of case-history hatreds is not easy to deal
with. Perhaps there will be fairminded Arabs who will
rationalize in the interest of decency and justice toward the
People Israel, the isolated, the threatened by 22 powerful
Arab nations, none of which has concern for the self-
flagellated in Michigan who have been gathered to con-
demn Israel.
It's a sad beginning for a New Year when the heads of
the Jewish state are themselves being suspected of abusing
privileges, of harming the American-Israel friendship.
Perhaps there will be greater self-control in that respect
with time as a teacher and healer.
These are sad days, and succor will come sooner if
Israel will speed the pullout from Lebanon and will stop
approaching an arsenal condition for the state; and if the
non-Jewish community, the media, will refrain from ag-
gravating the issues with distortions.
An Expose of Anti-Israel Propaganda on the Campuses
From Near East Report,
Sept. 19 issue
This fall, a concerted at-
tempt will be made by anti-
Israel propagandists on
America's college campuses
to keep Jewish students
from supporting Israel.
By bringing to campus
Jewish anti-Zionist speak-
ers — speakers who oppose
the very existence of the
state of Israel — and citing,
out of context, the works of
great Jewish thinkers, Arab
propagandists will seek to
reach Jewish college stu-
dents and draw a distinction
between "Jews" and "sup-
porttrs of Israel." Their goal 5
will be to disorient Jewish
students and neutralize
them as a pro-Israel com-
munity now and in the fu-
ture.
The principal organiza-
tion behind this effort is the
General Union of Palesti-
nian Students (GUPS), offi-
cially linked to the PLO's
301-member Palestinian
National Council. In the
past year, GUPS has spon-
sored a number of campus
speaking tours by self-
proclaimed anti-Zionist
Jews. The most active of
these speakers are Rabbi
Elmer Berger, Michael
Bar-Am and Hilton Oben-
zinger.
Rabbi Elmer Berger is
the president of Ameri-
can Jewish Alternatives
to Zionism, Inc., and
author of many anti-
Israel books including
"Memoirs of an Anti-
Zionist Jew" and "The
Jewish Dilemma."
Berger's topics generally
remain the same as he
travels from campus to
campus. The flyers promot-
ing his talk at Michigan
State University last April
indicated that "Rabbi
Elmer Berger will address
the issues of: Palestine, 'Is-
rael', Zionism and
Judaism." Berger per-
sonalized his appeal to the
Jewish students by prefac- Zionism, and author of
ing his remarks with the the book "This Passover
statement, "as an American or the Next I Will Never
Jew myself, and as a rabbi Be in Jerusalem."
. . .
The theme struck by
When Michael Bar-Am, Obenzinger throughout his
introduced on campus as "a remarks at the University
North American Jew who of Washington last May
lived in "Israel" and served was: "Being Jewish is not
in the "Israeli army," ap- the same as being Zionist!"
peared at the University of When he appeared at the
Maryland last April, his lec- University of California,
ture was advertised as "an San Diego, a newspaper ad-
alternative view to what is vertisement promoting his
commonly held about talk carried a drawing of a
Zionism and the Palesti- peace symbol attached to a
nian question in this coun- hand grenade stamped
"Fatah" in Arabic.
try."
When Obenzinger spoke
Bar-Am defines Zionism
as "an indeology of the rul- at the University of Utah
ing class serving the inter- •one year ago, his speech re-
ceived front-page coverage
ests of imperialism."
"A Talk and Discussion in the campus press, the
on Jewish Alternatives to Daily Utah Chronicle,
Zionism" is how Hilton under the headline "Jewish
Obenzinger's campus Activist Maintains Zionism
appearances are billed. Reinforces Racism." The
Obenzinger is introduced news story began: "Racism
as an "American Jewish is a fixture of life in Jewish
activist," a member of the communities, a philosophy
Jewish Alliance Against advocated and reinforced by
Zionist attitudes."
Each of these speakers
has made appearances
throughout the United
States, and many of their
visits are timed to coincide
with Israel's Independence
Day in May, a traditional
focal point of pro-Israel ac-
tivity on college campuses.
It is not unusual for
Hatem Husseini, the
PLO's deputy permanent
observer at the United
Nations, and formerly di-
rector of the PLO's In-
formation Office in Wash-
ington, D.C., to begin his
campus talks by citing a
quotation of Albert Eins-
tein, the "famous Jew
who was an anti-Zionist."
This quotation, dealing
with Einstein's fear of "a
narrow nationalism
within our own ranks
. . ." was, ironically,
plucked from an address
Einstein gave in 1938 to
the National Labor
Committee for. Palestine
which he entitled, "Our
Debt to Zionism!"
Husseini also frequently
cites the "anti-Zionist"
works of Martin Buber,
Judah Magnes and Ahad
Ha-Am as examples of
"anti-Zionists who were
still good Jews."
When Hatem Husseini
was interviewed by the
newsletter The Saudi Re-
port on March 29, 1982, he
was asked if he spoke on
many college campuses. His
reply was, "to some col-
leges." In fact, 17 of the 20
speeches that Hatem Hus-
seini delivered in the prev-
ious six months had been on
college campuses . .
This a clear and frighten-
ing indication of the impor-
tance placed by the PLO on,
influencing both the next
generation of American
policy-makers and the fu-
ture leadership of the
American Jewish commu-
nity.