Sartre Article Endorsed the 1972 Munich Massacre
By ARNOLD AGES
TORONTO (JTA) — French literary and political circles were stunned
recently when it was revealed that in a little known article written in 1972
by eminent French philosopher and novelist Jean-Paul Sartre had defended
the massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich.
Until his death two years ago, Sartre was internationally recognized as
one of the world's greatest figures in literature and philosophy. A playw-
right, essayist, journalist and critic, Sartre was also deeply involved in
leftist circles.
After World War II Sartre wrote "Anti-Semite and Jews," a seminal
work on the psychodynamics of anti-Semitism.
Sartre was always meticulously fair in his discussions about the
Mideast. He had been to Israel, had many Israeli friends and on one
occasion used the pages of Le Temps Moderne, a French monthly, to
Calendar
on Agenda:
Respect for
Religious
Observances
with Emphasis on
the Sabbath
bring together Arab and Israeli intellectuals for a symposium on the
elusive search for peace in the Mideast.
While critical of certain aspects of Israeli politics, Sartre was always °
careful to eschew the extreme rhetorical modes of some of his leftist allies.
Until 1972.
Then, in an issue of a little known Maoist publication called "Cause de
Peuple - J'Accuse," Sartre wrote an article which, for reasons that are
unknown, aroused virtually no comment and which disappeared quickly
from public scrutiny. The article has now surfaced as a result of Sartre
specialists in France who are collecting everything which the "master" ever
wrote.
The explosive piece was reprinted in toto in a recent edition of the Paris
_
weekly "Les Nouvelles Litteraires."_
(Continued on Page 11
THE JEWISH NEWS
A Weekly Review
Commentary, Page 2
Editorial, Page 4
of Jewish Events
SARTRE
Torah and
the Constitution:
Emphasizing
the Oral as Well
as the Written
Legalisms
Scholarly Essays
Reviewed on Page 56
Copyright © The Jewish News Publishing Co.
VOL. LXXXII, No. 17
$15 Per Year: This Issue 35c December 24, 1982
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Israeli - Lebanese Agreement
Is Facing Moslem Opposition
Yugoslav Jews Protest
Anti-Semitic Incidents
NEW YORK (JTA) — The Jewish community of. Yugoslavia
has issued a protest against recent acts "inciting open demon-
strations of anti-Semitism," it was reported by the World Jewish
Congress.
The protest appeared as a front-page editorial in the most
recent issue of "The Jewish Review," the official organ of the
Federation of Jewish Communities in Yugoslavia.
According to the editorial, entitled "Discrimination or
Threat," in the last few weeks "Jewish citizens found themselves
in a situation of being singled out and made the target of dis-
criminatory practices . . ." Given as the direct cause of this
situation "were some aspects of reporting on Near East develop-
ments and excesses which occurred . . ."
Various articles and incidents were cited by the editorial. A
recent article in the Belgrade daily "Politika" stated that "the
nation which a few decades ago was the victim of merciless
extermination is now diligently busying itself with similar deeds
toward new victims." A poster at a meeting in Belgrade on July 9
carried the slogan "Sons of Judah — we shall avenge Beirut." The
Jewish community also reports receiving_anonymous letters and
threatening phone calls.
The editorial concludes that "such occurrences can be
guarded against and averted only by resolute protection of what
are the common achievements of the Yugoslav social revolution
and of the anti-fascist War of National Liberation in which, in a
relatively great number, Jews also participated to defend human
freedoms, dignity and equality."
Since the founding of the WJC in 1936, the Federation of
Jewish Communities has been a full member of the Congress.
JERUSALEM (JTA) — There is some concern in Jerusalem that the working paper concluded
last week between Ariel Sharon and top Lebanese officials might fail to be approved by other
elements in the Beirut government. The concern was voiced Wednesday against the backdrop of
statements from Beirut referring to the forthcoming talks with Israel as talks on withdrawal and
security, without reference to the normalization aspect of the working paper which the Israeli
government stressed as a significant breakthrough.
Israeli sources have indicated that Lebanese President Amin Gemayel himself was privy (though
not apparently directly a participant) in the Sharon talks and in effect approved the document.
But the fears in Israel are that Moslem elements in the Beirut government — the name of
Premier Shafik Wazzan is cited in this connection — do not approve of the agreed working paper and
some slippage could get in.
Midweek both countries were saying the formal negotiation would begin shortly. Latest
reports from Israel Wednesday afternoon predicted the talks would start in the middle of
next week, probably at the town of Halde near Beirut. Israel wants the talks to alternate
between Halde and Kiryat
Shmona.
Despite the growing concern
over "slippage," Sharon does seem to
have persuaded the entire Israeli
political community that the work-
WASHINGTON (JTA) — President Reagan and King Hus-
ing paper, which he disclosed last
sein of Jordan re-affirmed their commitment to Reagan's Sept. 1
Thursday, is a meaningful advance
Middle East peace proposals and to their "common goals" after a
holding out the promise of peaceful
two-hour meeting at the White House on Tuesday. But a high
relations (though not de jure peace)
Administration official cautioned later that no "dramatic break-
between Israel and Lebanon. At the
through" was expected this week.
Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense
Hussein told reporters, "We look forward to continuing our
Committee meeting Tuesday, Labor
discussions in the coming days." The King met with Reagan
leaders joined with Likud men in
again before he left Washington on Thursday.
praising the document, though some
But, a U.S. official said at a White House briefing for the
of the Laborites injected a note of
media, "I would like to introduce a note of caution. I don't believe
that as a result of the meetings we're going to have any dramatic
caution, observing that the document
No Change Expected
from Hussein's Visit
(Continued on Page 5)
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Artur Rubinstein Memories of Lodz Pogrom,
His Devotion to Israel Is Recalled in Tributes
ARTUR RUBINSTEIN
On his visits to Israel, where he appeared in many concerts, at
the Western Wall on one of his visits to Jerusalem in 1967, and
during the 90-minute nationally-televised program honoring him
on his 90th birthday, Artur Rubinstein repeatedly recalled his
youth, when he witnessed a pogrom in his native Lodz, and his
emphatic reaffirmation of his pride in his being Jewish and in his
Hebraic heritage.
Recollection of these reminiscences and sentiments emphasized
the tributes to the man who was acclaimed the greatest pianist of all
time, whose death at 95 occurred on Dec. 20.
Mr. Rubinstein was one of the world's greatest concert pianists,
earning acclaim particularly for his interpretations of Chopin
works.
He made his public debut at age 7 and later studied in
Warsaw and Berlin, where his instructors were Heinrich
Barth and Max Bruch. Mr. Rubinstein made his orchestral
debut in Berlin, under the baton of violinist Joseph Joachim.
In 1906, he made his American debut, playing with the
Philadelphia Orchestra. He became an American citizen in 1946.
Mr. Rubinstein was a towering artist, a storyteller and a
philanthropist who never refused to give a gala performance on
behalf of charity, Israel or a Jewish cause. One of his last public
concerts in the 1970s was in London on behalf of the Organization
for Rehabilitation Through Training (ORT).
At the beginning of 1976, in his last year of public per-
formances, the maestro flew to Tel Aviv to record Brahms' D
Minor Concerto with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra
under the baton of Zubin Mehta. He later wrote that this
"turned out to be_by far the most satisfying of all my previous
attempts."
. Mr. Rubinstein, an ardent supporter of Israel, gave frequent
concerts there — appearing, as well, with the Israel Philharmonic
Orchestra — from the early days of the Jewish state. To encourage
and support talented young pianists, he initiated the International
Piano Master Competition, held in Israel, which bears his name.
His musical association with Israel dates back to 1924. On a
concert tour that took him from Egypt to Greece, he found a way to
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