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.