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Friday, October 28, 1983

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

50th Year of Balfour Fete:
An Anniversary With Many
Lessons for the Community

Anniversaries on a communal basis are vital to an
appreciation of the past and retention of memories provided
by activism on a larger social scale.
The Detroit District of the Zionist Organization of
America has cause to feel pride in one of its anniversary
dates.
This time it is commemoration of social functions, but
there is vitality in the occasion.
With the inauguration, 50 years ago, of what had be-
come known as the Balfour Concerts; the Detroit Jewish
community was introduced to an -era of historic signifi-
cance. It was admittedly a fund-raising project, and it was
accepted as such. In a much larger sense it symbolized an
activity immersed in the seriousness of redemption.
,
Because the corn-
mencement of that project,
which soon assumed greater
than ordinary significance,
was in the year of the sub-
mission of civilization to the
most horrible of terrors in
mankind's record, it is
marked by an inerasable
place in the history of
Zionism, in behalf of which
the movement's - pioneers
started a project whose
half-century of continuity is
a chronicle of marked
achievements.
The half-century of
services, observed in respect
to the author of the historic
Balfour Declaration, gave
impetus to the labors of the
Zionist Organization of De-
LORD BALFOUR
troit, as supporter of the
nation-making and pioneering work in pre-Israel Pales-
tine, in tribute to those who madeHalutziut in Eretz Israel
their way of life.
The beginnings were philanthropic. The pursuing
tasks were the protective, the politically-aimed means of
enrolling the support for the redemption by Christians as
well- as Jews.
In the years that folloWed, what had begun as a social-
philanthropic task became the means of adopting a power-
ful program of public relations activities which gave to the
Detroit District of the Zionist Organization of America the
dignity of leadership in protecting what was soon to be the
redeemed state of Israel. In that capacity the Detroit Dis-
trict of the Zionist Organization of America gave reality for
all who are identified with the Zionist cause to echo with
pride the definition of uttered by Theodor Herzl, the creator
of the modern political Zionist movement: "Zionism is the
Sabbath of my life."
The prominent personalities who had, and many still
have, active roles in the movement are like a Who's Who in
Michigan Jewry. They have cause to feel pride in what they
are celebrating.

The Tragedy of Lebanon
and Its Numerous Lessons

So heartrending is the report on the Lebanese
tragedies, enumerated in his report from Beirut to the New
York Times (Page 1, Oct. 18 issue) by Thomas Friedman,
that ignoring it would be as inhuman as the events them-
selves.
Friedman, whose reports on the Lebanese events,
commencing with June 1982 and including the Israeli in-
volvements, has been and remains the most thorough in his
brilliant reporting.
The horrors depicted in the latest Friedman report are
hairraising. The very lengthy account of barbarities com-
mences with the following:
BEIRUT, Lebanon — Hundreds of civilians
have been killed in Lebanon in the last two
months, according to the available evidence. At
least some of the victims, judging from appear-
ances, were slain en masse in a cold-blooded and
ruthless manner, without regard to age, sex or
involvement in the fighting.
The'slayings grew out of the intense house-
to-house, village-to-village fighting that erupted
between the Druze and the Christian Phalangist
militias as they battled for control of the Shouf
Mountains and the Aleih district after the Israeli
withdrawal from the area Sept. 4. Since then, the
Christians and the Druze have repeatedly ac-
cused each other of massacring civilians.
For their part, the Phalangists have charged
that 500 Christians were killed by the Druze in
Bhamdun and 55 other villages in the mountains.
The Druze have charged that there was a major

An Anniversary of Pride for the Local Zionist
Members in 50th of Balfour Fetes . . . Lessons in
Lebanese Tragedies for Those Maligning Israel

By Philip
Slomovitz

massacre in the mountain village of Kafr Matta.
but the resulting instability is also a problem for
In addition to the mutual accusations of ruth-
Syria.
less and bloody misdeeds, both of Druze and the
There can be no question of Gemayel's dedi-
Christian Phalangists have accused the world of
cation to reforms. His position has been distorted
callousness for its seeming disregard for the
for rival factional purposes, but it is quite clear.
large-scale killing of civilians that took place in
He wants complete secularization, an end to con-
the last month.
fessional privileges and the quota system, which
They complain of press "hypocrisy" for pay-
puts religious affiliations ahead of individual
ing attention to the massacre of Palestinians in
merit in access to public jobs, and modernization
the Sabra and Shatila camps near Beirut a year
of society, relegating religious authority to reli-
ago but largely ignoring the killing of Lebanese in
gious affairs.
the mountains.
It is a bold position, but it is not in conflict
To be sure, the recent mass killings in Leba-
with the Syrian Baathist regime's non-clerical
non have received much less press attention than
and national approach. Amin, as everyone calls
the Sabra and Shatila killings. This was the case
him, carries the baggage of his unyielding father,
primarily because of the difficulties both report-
Pierre, and his murdered brother. Bashir. But he
ers and international relief agencies encountered
is trying to shed it and build a real nation on the
in trying to get at the truth about what happened
chaotic mosaic of Lebanon's factions.
at the time that it happened.
His complaint about America's approach is
Even now that passions have cooled a bit, it is
that he sees it as asking the horse to push the cart,
still extremely difficult to substantiate many of
requiring Lebanon to straighten itself out before
the massacre stories, despite discussions with
those who are pulling and shoving in opposite
Phalangist and Druze officials, the Red Cross,
directions give it a chance.
Western diplomats, the Lebanese army and some
The elderly former Lebanese Prime Minister
of the few witnesses to several of these events.
Saeb Salem remembers that when he was a
Impartial and irrefutable evidence from in-
schoolboy he wrote in his books, "Beirut, Syria."
dependent and reliable sources as to who killed
Between the two World Wars, he 'said, Moslems
whom and under what circumstances does not
resented the detachment of Lebanon from
exist at this time — and probably never will.
Greater Syria. Now there is a consensus for
"We have seen dead bodies in various places,
Lebanese nationhood. The problem is how to
abandoned on roadsides or on the terraces of
make it work between the tugs of two strong and
houses," said Michel Amiguet, head of the Beirut
adamant neighbors, Israel and newly self-
delegation of the International Committee of the
confident Syria.
Red Cross, one of the few independent organiza-
There is no ignoring facts. The Golan Heights item
tions with limited access to the battlefield.
isn't overlooked. It has even been said in some ranks that
"Obviously, civilians have paid the highest
if Menahem Begin could abandon Sinai, perhaps peace
price in this fighting," he said. "But we were not
with Syria could include consideration' of the Golan
with these people when they died. No one has a
Heights.
clear idea how many people altogether were kil-
All of which is dependent upon a loyalty to the cause of
led, how many were civilians and how many were
peace — and on this score there is a lack of response in Arab
coinbatants, and under what conditions they
ranks, creating the chief obstacle to amity.
died."
Meanwhile, also, the role of George Ball remains
While deploring the barbarities, as every person with a
among those who make peace difficult.
sense of decency must, there is a compulsion to expect
Especially, also, the constant besmirching of Israel's
another act of decency — to end the venom practiced
character while failing to take into account the in-
against Israel in relation to the entire Lebanese situation
humanities surrounding her are matters of grave concern.
and in treatments of backgrounds.
There are lessons here that truth cannot be erased from
There is no end to the animosities practiced and the
historic facts.
insults hurled at Israel in relation to earlier events and the
massacre that resulted in an official Israeli commission
The Obstructionists at the UN:
placing guilt in what was in reality a failure to act rather
Are Some Coming to Their Senses?
than the act itself.
Defeat of the effort to oust Israel from the United
The massacre in which both the guilty and the victims
Nations pointed to an increase in' the number of states
were Christians and Moslems. The Jews were on the
rejecting the venom stemming from the ranks of Israel's
periphery and their guilt was in misjudgment which caused
enemies. In 1982 the vote on a similar resolution was 75 to
a failure to act. But through the months the judgments
nine, with 31 abstentions. On Oct. 20, the tally was 79 in
were and continue in some ranks as if Israel had the major
favor to 43 in opposition, with 19 abstentions.
guilt.
The opposition is credited with several Arab states
That's how George Ball continues to fan the hatreds, as
refusing to join in the Iran-Libya-Syria combine.
he did again in "Rising Mideast Dangers" (NYTimes,
The warning by the United States that this country
Op-Ed Page, Oct. 17). Every note in that liturgy of hatred is
with a finger of blame directed at Israel. Everything occur- would withdraw from the UN if such a resolution were
adopted surely had much to do with the coming to their
ring is judged as Israel's fault. As a former assistant secre-
senses of many of the UN delegates who have hitherto
tary of state in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations,
and as a former U.S. chief delegate to the UN, Ball has been joined the destructionist ranks. The pity is that too few
Western nations joined the U.S. in the warnings that mem-
obstinate,in his score of condemnations of Israel.
bers of an international organizatiori and the would-be ;
George Ball's name continues as a glaring one in the
movement for peace must act in a civilized fashion.
ranks of Israel's enemies — and that's most unfortunate.
In any event, a stupid act haS been averted and the UN
Hopefully, he has read the Friedman report published only
was saved from disgrace at least this once.
a day after his diatribe against Israel.
Fortunately, fairness and realistic judgment is not
Teddy Kollek as a Symbol
dead. In the same issue of the NYTimes which contained
in a Fanatical Outburst
the Friedman report on the inter-racial massacres in Leba-
non, Flora Lewis discussed the Syrian involvements. She
Teddy Kollek is expected to retain his position as
analyzed the role of Syrian President Hafez Assad. She
Mayor of Jerusalem in the forthcoming municipal election.
indicated that the Palestinian elements do not enter into
He may lose the slim majority of one in the Jerusalem City
the grave situation. She points to the Golan Heights as an ' Council and that would be a calamity.
element in the debates and she stated, inter alia:
He is being hounded by the extremists for apprOving
Assad's attitude toward Lebanon is equally
sports events on the Sabbath and the construction of a
clear in generalities of Syrian interest and hazy in
swimming pool. The problems of common sense may enter
specifics. He wants de facto partition, says one
in some of the disputes, even if Halakhists go to extremes.
Western diplomat. He wants a weak national gov-
In a nation that has a six-day work week and is in need of
ernment he can dominate, says another. He wants
recreation, it is doubtful whether a swimming pool could be
an effective central government that works, as
judged as sacrilege. Even if it does not assume a mikva
long as he is firmly assured it can never work
status, there are modern needs to be reckoned with.
against Damascus, says a third.
Sports games on the Sabbath have long been a matter
There isn't the sense here of implacable oppo-
for dispute. Even in pre-Israel days, the late Chief Rabbi
sition to Lebanon's President Amin Gemayel that
Abraham Isaac Kook had given approval for such games
filters through elsewhere. Assad's latest threat to
provided tickets were not placed on sale on the Sabbath.
treat a breakdown of scheduled Lebanese "na-
It is th&sundering of the image of Teddy Kollek that is
tional reconciliation talks" as a breach of the
most to be regretted. He is admittedly a good mayor. He has
cease-fire is double-edged, like so many Damas-
attained an enviable position as a man who befriends the
cene pronouncements.
Arabs. In the 18 years as mayor he has won admiration,
It could mean renewal of murderous fighting
friendship, gratitude from Arab citizens and he contributes
if Assad is frustrated. Or it could mean endorse-
more than any other Israel leader to the creation of good-
ment of the Lebanese president's effort to pro-
will between the two kindred nations. -
mote basic reforms in hope of stilling Lebanon's
That he should be as abused by fanatics is something to
internal feuds. Syria has a heavy hand in them,
be seriously condemned.