50 Friday, December 24, 1982 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 40—BUSINESS CARDS Bolivia: First S. American Govt. to Accept Refugees Removal of all types of Wallpaper INSURED ARNOLD GOLDIN 356-0499 MASON RY Brick, block, stone. Waterproofing. Free Estimates - Licensed. g Kirby Const. 363-9714 LEO SIMKO'S Sewer & Plumbing Service Free Estimates No job too small 557-8730 BE ENERGY WISE Replace broken & steamed-up insulated glass. All types of glass & mirror work. 545-4913 FEINBERG CARPET SERVICE Repairs, Sales & Installation 398-3149 Guaranteed low prices. AGS MOVERS Quality work. Household movers . . . offices, pianos and appliances. Local and statewide. Packaging. Free Estimates. 757-3429 APPLE PAINTING & WALLPAPERING Quality work at affordable prices. Experienced. References. • Call 547-4564 544-4315, after 6 PM CARPENTRY • Rec Rooms • Basement Floors Tiled • Suspended Ceilings Installed • Closet Organizing • Misc. Repairs • Custom Formica Work References Very Reasonable CALL RON COHEN 661-4576 TELEVISION SERVICE All work guaranteed Licensed Very Reasonable Call HAROLD COHEN 968-7482 R & S PLUMBING & APPLIANCE SERVICE • • • • • • • • • • • Sewer Hot Water Tanks Faucets Toilets, etc. Appliance Repair Washers Dryers Stoves Dishwashers Outlets Lamps . Free Estimates. Evening Hours Available 559-1581 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 40—BUSINESS CARDS WALLPAPERING & REMOVAL Painting Excellent workmanship at reasonable rates. Free Estimates 559-0492 FINEST CUSTOM PAINTING Drywall and plaster repairs. Wallpaper removal. Wall wash • ing. Work myself at competitive prices. For details call eves. 5443118 53—ENTERTAINMENT FREDDY SHEYER Duo. $35 hour. 542-3359. VERSATILE sophisticated party music. Call 893-9667. CARICATURES BY JULIUS For Parties or Business 293-1723 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.