50 Friday, December 24, 1982
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
40—BUSINESS CARDS
Bolivia: First S. American Govt. to Accept Refugees
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By MORTON ROSENTHAL
(Editor's note: Morton
Rosenthal is the director
of the Department of
Latin American Affairs
of the Anti-Defamation
League of Bnai Brith.)
NEW YORK (JTA) —
Thousands of Jews fleeing
from Nazi persecution made
their way to the remote,
mountainous and land-
locked country of Bolivia.
The Jewish population of
250 swelled to almost
30,000 in the years prior to
-World War II, because
Bolivia was the first coun-
try in Latin America to open
its doors to Jewish refugees.
The vast majority came
with the intention of mov-
ing from there to neighbor-
ing Argentina or other
countries. Others who
hoped to sink roots in the
land found it too difficult.
Thus, for these and other
reasons, there are little
more than 1,000 Jews in
Bolivia today, mainly in the
capital of La Paz and in
Cochamba.
The tranquility which
marked life for the 250 Jews
in Cochabamba was termi-
nated abruptly in mid-
October by threatening
phone calls and attacks on
Jewish institutions. A few
members of the community
received anonymous calls
demanding huge sums of
money to insure that their
synagogue would not suffer
the same fate as the
synagogue in Rome.
Subsequently, many
members of the commu-
nity received phone calls
threatening the lives of
their children. Bolivian
police were unable to
identify those responsi-
ble for the -telephoned
threats.
The unprecedented bomb-
ing of the Circulo Israelita,
a Jewish community center,
on Oct. 16 sent tremors of
concern throughout the
small community. Two
Molotov cocktail bombs
were detonated in the
kitchen. Four days later,
the bushes and trees sur-
rounding the synagogue
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were drenched with
gasoline and set afire. The
damage was minimal and
the flames were extin-
guished before the fire
penetrated into the interior
of the synagogue.
Although the extortionist
demanded money in the
name of the PLO, it is gen-
erally believed that the
PLO is not involved in the
plot. However, the PLO is
very much a source of con-
cern for the Jews of Bolivia.
Among those who came to
La Paz for the Oct. 10 inau-
guration of President Her-
nan Siles Zuazo was the
PLO representative in
Peru, Issam Besseiso, who
was warmly welcomed by
many members of the Con-
gress.
The warm reception for
Besseiso and the new gov-
ernment's political orienta-
tion have stirred concern
that the PLO will receive
permission to open a PLO
office, in La Paz; previous
governments have firmly
opposed this, despite in-
tense PLO lobbying. The
fact that leftist govern-
ments in Latin America
have generally been sup-
portive of the PLO lends
credence to these concerns.
President Siles Zuazo
came to power by means
of a coalition of three par-
ties — his National Revo-
lutionary Movement of
the Left (MNRI), the
Revolutionary Move-
ment of the Left (MIR) led
by Vice President Jaime
Paz Zamora, and the
Bolivian Community
Party. Moreover, the
Bolivian press has car-
ried recently an increas-
ing number of articles
supportive of the PLO.
The Jewish community is
also concerned about the
continuing threat posed by
the extreme right in
Bolivia. Pro-Nazi elements
were permitted to operate
paramilitary training
camps and publish anti-
Semitic articles while the
country was ruled by the
previous military govern-
ment of Gen. Luis Garcia
Meza. The most visible
symbol of Nazi power in
Bolivia is Klaus Barbie, a
convicted war criminal
whom the French govern-
ment unsuccessfully sought
to extradite after his true
identity became known in
1979.
Many Latin American
observers feel that
President Siles could as-
suage the anxieties of Boli-
vian Jews by clearly signal-
ling the extremists of Left
and Right that attacks upon
Jews will not be tolerated.
Although it is not known
who was responsible for the
anti-Semitic bombings, the
timing —just days after the
inauguration — may reflect
the belief of extremists that
they had a green light. De-
nial of the country does not
wish to become a center of
terrorism.
The extradition of Barbie,
these observers also point
out, would send a strong
message to Nazis in Bolivia.
The Bolivian government
has yet to act upon the re-
quest for Barbie's extradi-
tion filed by the German
government in May, 1982.
Although recent press re w.
ports state that government
officials have made it
known they consider Bar-
bie's presence a disgrace,
Barbie and his lawyer are
confident that he will not be
extradited. "He has no rea-
sons to hide, leave or fear for
his security in Bolivia," at-
torney Constantino Carrion
told the press on Oct. 15.
While
in
exile,
President Siles Zuazo,
speaking at a press con-
ference in New York in
1980, denounced Barbie's
open appearances in
government offices and
his influential role as a
source of weapons and a
link to the paramilitary
groups.
In the view of many who
follow events in Bolivia, the
extradition of Barbie to
Germany, or to France,
where "The Butcher of
Lyons" was sentenced to
death in absentia for the
murder of French citizens,
could be the prelude to a
housecleaning of Nazis in
Bolivia.
Israel Protests UNESCO Grant
to Jordan for Jerusalem Sites
PARIS (JTA) —A sub-
sidiary of the United Na-,
tions Educational, Scien-
tific and Cultural Organiza-
tion (UNESCO) was ac-
cused by Israel last week of
abusing its powers to
further Jordan's claim to
the old city of Jerusalem.
Yael Vered, head of the
Israeli delegation to UN-
ESCO, charged the Interna-
- - -
_
tional Committee for the
Protection of Ancient
Monuments with making
"an illegal decision whcich
is in serious violation of the
convention" on ancient
monuments when it voted a
$160 million credit to Jor-
dan.
She said the vote was
taken without consulting
Israel and without taking
into account that Israel
has been administering
the Old City, now part of
united Jerusalem, since
1967.
Vered charged that the
committee was "dominated
by Arab and Soviet suppor-
ters" motivated by political
facottors, not a desire to pro-
tect cultural treasures.
Israel Seeking Soviet Bloc Ties
By CHARLES ALLEN, JR.
(Copyright 1982, JTA, Inc.)
In the midst of a swing
through Central Europe, I
learned from 'reliable
Foreign Ministry and jour-
nalistic sources that
medium-level Israeli dip-
lomats have made off-the-
record approaches to
selected Eastern bloc offices
about "near-term normali-
zation" of relations between
Israel and the Soviet bloc.
Israel does not have dip-
lomatic relations with
Soviet bloc countries with
the exception of Romania.
A diplomat of the Federal
Republic of Germany
told me, "Just prior to the
Israeli invasion of Lebanon,
reports of several (such)
contacts were made, and
we've taken them seri-
ously." After the massacre
of Palestinians in the Sabra
and Shatila camps in Beirut
last September, this source
averred, such attempts had
been made by "low and mid-
dle level" Israeli envoys.
These asserted repre-
sentations were made on
"third-country soil," that
is, on neutral territory
that "positively took
place in the United States
as well as Western
Europe," according to
the West German dip-
lomat.
A diplomatic source in the
German Democratic Repub-
lic told me of such probes
that "have taken place over
the years." On one occasion,
the source stated, "an Is-
raeli official said, 'We know
how active you were in tak-
ing action against Nazi war
criminals after the war.' "
While it is not widely
known in the United States,
East Germany's aggressive
prosecution of war crimi-
nals and collaborators is a
matter of record.
The Israeli official, al-
legedly, also stated that
"Jerusalem" has "always
been mindful" of East Ger-
many's stringent laws and
measures against anti- It makes sense from the Is-
Semitism in contrast to the raeli side to do so. They
"constant anti-Semitic and must keep all options open,
neo-Nazi upsurges" in West short of any- public o'ver-
Germany. tures to the PLO itself.
Thus far, the purported "Their invasion of Leba-
Israeli probes have been non is, like it or not, a mas-
quickly rebuffed. "In light of sive mistake, as events will
the Lebanon matter and the show. There is a grim
PLO (which is recognized by winter ahead in Lebanon.
East Germany), we told Her (Israel's) area of ma-
them (the Israelis) that such neuverability is seriously
possibilities simply do not reduced. They must exam-
exist at this time," the East ine other options.
German source said.
"Moreover, assume an Is-
Consensus interpreta- raeli probe toward the
tions of these rumored Arabs. Assume further that
gambits by the Israelis in comes the spring, (Premier
Europe view their moves Menahem) Begin and (De-
toward East Germany as fense Minister Ariel) Sha-
an attempted opening to ron are turned out. Assume
the Soviet Union. Even a strong condemnation from
before, my departure the special board of inquiry
from the U.S., uncon- into the camp massacres. Is-
firmed reports of Israeli rael must absolutely have
demarches toward Mos- ready an opening of its own,
cow had appeared in the no matter how small, to the
press. East."
When asked to evaluate
It is of relevant interest to
such reports, a Dutch jour- note that other Berlin-
nalist in an Eastern Euro- based journalists — notably
pean capital opined: "Yes, I from Italian, French and
think that such low-level Swiss media — told me of
soundings have been taken. similar reports.
Jews' Excommunication Hit
SALEM, Mass. (JTA) —
The decision of three Or-
thodox rabbis in the Boston
area to constitute them-
selves a rabbinic court (bet
din) to excommunicate a
number of local Jews, in-
cluding all signers of a June
advertisement in the New
York Times critical of Is-
rael, evoked sharply nega-
tive reactions from other
local rabbis.
Rabbis Marvin Antelman
of Newton, Herbert Gilner
of Long Island and Jehu
Eaves of Boston met in a•
hotel in Tewksbury and ex-
communicated the Jews,
who included Rabbis
Everett Gendler of Andover
and Ira Axelrod of Brandeis
University; Massachusetts
Institute of Technology
Prof. Noam Chomsky; and
Nobel Laureate Salvador
Luria.
Excommunication is a
rarely used judgment in
modern Jewish life, and the
event attracted widespread
attention in area daily
newspapers.
Wounded Israeli
Student-Soldiers
to Get Grants
NEW YORK — Forty-
eight Israeli university stu-
dents seriously wounded in
the fighting in Lebanon will
receive special grants from
the Memorial Foundation
for Jewish Culture, accord-
ing to Dr. Jerry Hochbaum,
the foundation's executive
director.
There are 5,400 syna-
gogues in North America.