a: 2 Friday, October 22, 1982 • THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS Purely Commentary A Newspaper Duped and Its Editorial Stupidities Attention was called last week to the FORUM OF SHAME published in the Detroit News. The editors of that column now provide proof they have not only blundered and sinned: they failed to judge decently and honorably and have added insult to injury. First they published a letter signed fictitiously by a Jewish-sounding name. That was bad enough. Pursuing the guilt, under an admission of having received an ava- lanche of protests, they quoted again in the already dis- graced Saturday FORUM excerpts from letters from Jews. The editors of that disgraced page and its title could have enumerated the protests, telephonic and mailed. Perhaps they might have listed the number of subscription cancella- tions, and possibly advertising cancellations. What was necessary was an apology from the news- paper that must do penance. The Detroit News editors failed to do so. Instead they added insult to injury by adher- ing to the assumption that it was a mere exchange of views of readers writing and others differing. And the Detroit News failed to publish letters from non-Jews who condemned the Forum's hyocrisy. Under date of Oct. 12, the eminent Michigan Catholic dignitary, the distinguished scholar Dr. Carol Rittner, wrote a letter to the Detroit News. It could and should have made the Oct. 16 FORUM page. Instead of printing ex- cerpts apparently intended for a whitewash, the following should have been a MUST as part of the newspaper's pe- nance: Editor Detroit News 615 West Lafayette Detroit, Michigan 48231 Dear Editor: Angry, that's what I am, purely and simply and clearly angry! After all that has been in the media these past weeks — Jews, only because they are Jews, murdered and maimed in Vienna, Brussels, Paris and Rome; the hearing and depor- tation of Archbishop Valerian Trifa here in De- troit — why would the Detroit News print an in- flamatory, historically false, libelous letter from a person in Elkins Park, Pa., alleging that "the ex- termination of six million Jews by the Nazis was legally justifiable and necessary?" Such irres- ponsibility on the part of the Detroit News is noth- ing short of stupid and morally repulsive. Do not tell me that "the letter was printed in error . . . by mistake." After you received the letter and read it, did you "by mistake" fail to rip it up and throw it in the wastecan? Did you "in error" pass it on to the person who selects the letters that will be printed? Did that person "by mistake" pass the letter on to the linotyper who "in error" passed it on to the proofreader who "by mistake" found no errors in the letter? Not only have you achieved no communal good by providing the fictitious "Myron Silber- man" with a forum for his demented and twisted views, but you have dishonored the memory of the Six Million Jews murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust, demeaned the deaths of millions of non-Jews who also perished at the hands of the Nazis, and insulted and slandered the Jewish community in Detroit and worldwide. More, you have disgraced the American tradition of a free press that is also a responsible press. You owe the entire Jewish community a pub- lic apology, all of us an assurance that such jour- nalistic irresponsibility by the News will cease immediately, and yourselves a remedial lesson in what constitutes responsible journalism in a free society. Sincerely, Sister Carol Rittner, R.S.M. Sisters of Mercy 29000 Eleven Mile Road Farmington Hills, MI 48018 The eminent Catholic nun expressed anger under- standably. Her sense of justice was horrified. That's how the editor of guilt should have been self- judging. Both Detroit newspapers have much to learn from each other on the matter of glorifying correspondents. Sister Carol teaches a good lesson. * * * A Cartoonist's Message Media aren't all evil; neither are all cartoonists brutal. The Cleveland Plain Dealer carried a four-column- wide cartoon with the message: "Jews Protesting Israeli Involvement in the Beirut Massacre," with a large crowd carrying a placard that reads: "Begin Must Go." Under- neath it are the following: "Arabs Protesting 1972 Olym- Adding Insults to Stupidities: How Decencies Are Dragged Into the Gutter by Journalistic Stupidities ... The Lessons in Fair Play Provided by an Eminent Catholic Dignitary pies Massacre . . ." with a blank space; then "The Maalot School Massacre," also followed by a blank space; "The Jerusalem Bus Bombing," . . . with a blank space. The contrast is evident. That's how this history lesson is recorded. * * * The Vatican Has Its Own Critics ... Most Heartening Evidence of Fair Play Interfaith relations are so vital in this modern age that when there is the merest disruption it is painstaking. Jews and Catholics have a common accord as fellow humans; in this country as fellow Americans. That accord was ecumenically strengthened in recent years. It was harmed a bit by the Papal embrace with Arafat. Any wonder that Italian Jewry was additionally out- raged by such cordiality to a terrorist when it was followed by the dastardly act which occurred at the synagogue in Rome? The protesting by Jews over the blunder by Pope John Paul II created heartache — that the resentment became a necessity. That is why it was so vital that Catholics should do the protesting. In some communities, nuns and priests wrote protesting letters to their newspapers. The top role in such an expression of protest goes to Monsignor Joseph G. Bailey of Madrid, N.Y. He commented on letters defending Pope John Paul II and his reply, under the title "Pope Pius II and the Holocaust: A Damning Appraisal," appeared in the NYTimes Oct. 12 and must be quoted in its entirety in the best interests of Vatican-Jewish relations: As a Catholic priest, perhaps I should be in- clined to applaud the effort of Virginia Offer (let- ter Oct. 1) to defend Pope Pius XII against the charge that he failed to help the Jews in World War II. But in view of the historical evidence now available, I can only say she distorts the record and whitewashes Vatican diplomacy at the time of the Holocaust. The case against Pius XII did not originate with Rolf Hochhuth's play "The Deputy." It began with churchmen close to the Pope himself. That Pope John Paul's audience with Yasir Arafat should have provoked a renewal of the accusa- tion on the part of the Israeli Cabinet official is unfortunate, but it may suggest that we Catholics have some long-overdue soul:searching of our own to do even while Jews are going through their present spiritual agony. Miss Offer refers to the recently published "Acts and Documents of the Holy See Relative to World War II," which she is convinced lays to rest "the myth that defames Pius XII." Would that the record were as simple as that. John Morley, a priest and historian at Seton Hall College, has drawn a very different conclusion in his recent book, "Vatican Diplomacy During the Holocaust." Surely Father Morley had no reason to initiate a polemic against the leaders of his church. His appraisal- is very sober and re- strained. But it is also damning. He first sets forth the aims of Vatican diplo- macy as stated by papal diplomats themselves. His final conclusion is that Vatican diplomacy did not live up to those aims. "It must be concluded that Vatican diplom- cay failed the Jews during the Holocaust by not doing all that it was possible for it to do on their behalf. It also failed itself because in neglecting the needs of the Jews, and pursuing a goal of reserve rather than humanitarian concern it bet- rayed the ideals that it had set for itself." During World War II, the Vatican had nuncios in France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Switzerland (the Nazis expel- led those in Belgium and the Netherlands before the war ended). So there is no doubt that the Vati- can had its own men on the scene who knew what was goihg on. But Morley concludes: "This study of the Vat- ican and Jewish sources has revealed little evi- dence that the nuncios manifested any consistent humanitarian concern about the sufferings of the Jews during the years 1939 to 1943. This research has indicated that the Vatican diplomats only rarely acted on behalf of Jews as Jews, and this usually only for specific individuals." The nuncios continually intervened on behalf of baptized Jews. In fact, the Vatican was gener- ous in helping converted Jews financially and ar- ranging for their emigration. The nuncios re- peatedly complained about the racial laws as they affected baptized Jews, "but there is no evidence to show that they attacked the basic injustice that motivated this legislation." What. about Pius XII? There is no doubt that the actions and decisions of the nuncios were di- By Philip Slomovitz rected by the Pope himself. He can hardly be exonerated from complicity in the official silence: "An attitude of reserve and prudence, joined with a desire to offend no nation, particularly Germany, placed a straitjacket on Vatican diplo- macy and made it little different from the dip- lomatic practices of civil states." In this the Pope "failed not only the Jews but also members of the Church who suffered brutal treatment from the Germans. Moreover he caused Vatican diplomacy to fail by forcing it to make a mockery of its claims that it was an ideal form of diplomacy dedicated to justice, brotherhood, and other similarly exalted goals, when in practice it made little attempt to work toward any of them." So perhaps we Catholics should be on our knees during this time of Yom Kippur rather than sounding off in self-righteous anger about the bad will of our accusers. Such sentiments must be treated as leading to strengthened Vatican-Jewish relations. Truth must serve as the best weapon for that purpose. * * * The Morality of It Israel's, inter alia Jewry's, morality has been ques- tioned. Israel suffered miserably from the Lebanese operation, undergoing tragedies commensurate with the other vic- tims of terrorism. Surely, there will be enough people of decency to con- firm that Israel's policies were and remain to avoid and prevent harm to innocent people, to protect women and children. While adhering to it, Israeli soldiers were war victims. American Friends of Israel had a message to the world on the morality matter, under the title, "The Real Israel" in a paid advertisement in the New York Times (Oct. 11). Sadly, such messages reach the public only in such fashion — -by means of expensive advertisements. That message contained the following: The fact that the world was shocked by the possibility that Israel might not have done its ut- most to prevent the massacre in the refugee camps demonstrates the high moral standard that the world attributes to Israel. The more sincere the shock, the more clearly was demonstrated the level of expectation from Israel — because Israel is expected not to permit, under any circumstances, what other nations of the world freely allow: the bloodshed of inno- cents. The criticism leveled against Israel was, paradoxically, a demonstration of faith in Israel's moral standing, a public acknowledgement that the moral standards of Israel are higher — far higher — than those of other nations. This fact Israel has been proving since its in- ception. In all its wars. In its most recent war. This is the real issue: the world expects more from Israel. In launching an investigation into its own conduct, Israel has taken upon itself the chal- lenge that its own high level of morality demands. There is morality, decency, humanism — all put to test. Hopefully, the appeals for justice and sensible judg- ment will not fall on deaf ears. Ancient and Modern in the Hills of Galilee The ruins of the Crusader castle of Judin are shown in western Galilee with Kibutz Yehiam. sur- rounding it.