2 Friday, December 16, 1983

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Purely Commentary

The Freedoms That Are
Abused in the Holy City
When Terrorists Run Amuck

Terror struck Free Jerusalem. There is a special sig-
nificance in capitalizing Freedom. The Holy City is among
the most democratically administered communities in the
world. Under Jewish supervision, there is free movement
there and also free speech.
This is the city where Arabs who are antagionistic to
Israel are publishing newspapers that malign and insult
the administration that grants them the right to publish
and to be obstreperous.

Jerusalem is the city where nearly half of
Arab
population votes in municipal elections, in spite of the
journalists operating in a Free City who urge their fellow
Arabs not to vote while Jews are the City Fathers.
Jerusalem is the Holy City where irrational Jews also
have full rights to attack their fellow Jews like Mayor
Teddy Kollek with whom they differ.
Perhaps it is because there is so much freedom that so
high a price was paid when at 12:50 p.m. on Dec. 6 a bomb
exploded on a bus filled with men, women and children,
four having been killed outright and some 56 wounded.

There was a serious lesson in that tragic occurrence.
The former minister of police during the Labor govern-
ment, Shlomo Hillel, commented on the horror. He said
that because of a decline in successful terrorist attacks,
Israelis had become complacent. He pointed out that the
bus that was bombed did not go through Arab neighbor-
hoods, indicating that the Arabs have the freedom to go
everywhere they choose in Jerusalem. He added:
"It's a risk we have to take upon ourselves. Any Arab

By Philip
Slomovitz

Bombing of Civilian Bus Puts Arabs to the
Test and Their Sentiments Often Recall the
Poison Spreading Among Anti-Zionist Jews

from East Jerusalem, from anywhere as a matter of fact,
can just walk into the streets and come on any bus to
Jerusalem, to Tel Aviv, to Haifa, to anywhere. This is what
we intend to do and this is a part of the price that we have to
pay."
Such is the price for freedom. Such is the aim for abso-
lute democratic principles. Therefore, condemning an out-
rage resulting from abuse of such ideals must come from
the ranks of those people whose demented minds use free-
dom in order to abuse it.
One wonders: do the guilty read an explanatory state-
ment like Shlomo Hillel's? Does Arab leadership admit to
the faults that drag their people into a bloody gutter?
There is a serious lesson to be taught — and learned!

An Approach to Decency
Marred by Poisoning
Atmosphere With Hatreds

Arab spokesmen in Israel have risen to the occasion
with decency in a joint statement condemning the bombing
of a bus in Jerusalem. Six mayors and an editor of the Arab
language newspaper appearing in Jerusalem, all suppor-
ters of the PLO, rejected resort to such methods in their war
. against Israel. This was the first time that leading Israeli
pro-PLO Arabs had condemned a terrorist act. But in a
report from Tripoli to the New York Times, Joseph B.
Treaster quoted Ahmed Abdul Rahman, head of the PLO
news agency Wafa and a senior spokesman for Yasir
Arafat:

Any operation inside the occupied territory,
we say we are responsible for. We always say we
are responsible because we are the resistance.

Although Rahman added that PLO policy is not to

attack civilian vehicles, the record speaks for itself. His
claim that the vehicle must have been viewed as a military
object carries no weight in the obvious aim to do harm as
long as the targets are Israeli and Jewish. Rahman's first
declaration in his role as Arafat's press representative was
to claim responsibility for the bombing.
Thus, the terrorist poison is evident and the blame is
apparent. The weakening of the apologies by the Arab
leaders who finally rose to the occasion in condemning the
bombing outrage in Jerusalem therefore demands more
action on their part to reduce the terrorizing hatreds and to
strive for neighborliness in the Jerusalem that treats them
as fellow Israeli citizens under the mayoralty of Teddy
Kollek.

How About the Jews Who
Comfort Israel's Enemies?

The question may well be posed: why so much em-
phasis on the Arab antagonists when Jews provide major
comfort to the vituperous critics?
When Jews appear as Jews to assail Israel and Zionism
and the American Jewish community as part of the
partnership in the Israeli defensive movements, it is cause
for concern. The attempt to place an anti-Israel proposal on
the April ballot in Ann Arbor appears to be the brainchild
of the Jewish propagandists against Zionism in alliance
with the Arab groups who continue to wave the PLO flag.
It is difficult to believe that a responsible governing
council of an intellectually-oriented community like Ann
Arbor, or any American community for that matter, would
give ear to hate-inspiring elements. The Jewish elements
in such nefarious tasks are really the ones put to the test,
and the Jewish community will surely know how to judge
them.

Commenting on Farmington Schools Controversy

Evangelism Rejected by Eminent Catholic Scholar Sister Carol

Sister Carol Rittner, pro-
fessor at Mercy College in
Detroit and active in inter-
faith affairs, commented on
evangelization and reli-
gious groups in the public
schools in a letter that was
published last week in the
Farmington Eccentric.

Her letter, which follows,
dealt with the Campus Life
organization, a Protestant-
sponsored group which has
been trying to gain student
adherents at North Far-
mington High School. The
administration of the Far-
mington Public Schools will
propose a policy next week
m the subject of religion in
the schools.
Sister Carol's letter
stated:

"During the past few
weeks I have followed with
interest the various stories,
comments and discussions
about Campus Life. While
the legal issues surround-
ing the presence of a group
like Campus Life on the
grounds of a public school
are important, albeit com-
plex, I am particularly con-
cerned about the issues af-
fecting interreligious
dialogue and understand-
ing that the Campus Life
controversy raises.

in a public school setting
or at its sponsored activi-
ties, non-Christians and
many Christians per-
ceive they are being
co irced in terms of a par-
ticular religious belief. In

a predominantly Chris-
tian society, the Christian
majority must not coerce
anyone, whether minor-
ity or non-believer, into
belief or acceptance of
the Christian religion,

denominational or non-
denominational. It is, it
seems to me, one of the
principles of religious
freedom in a pluralistic
society.

"Let us try to remember

'that as we continue to dis-
cuss and come to an under- .
standing about each other's
perspective about Campus
Life and its activities in the
public high schools in our
community."

Sovtet Jews Continue Emigration Struggle

By MOSHE RON

It seems that the securi ty
organizations in the Sovi et
Union have nothing bett er
TEL AVIV — There are to do than confiscating i
many proud and courageous nocent- books. There was n-
Jews in the Soviet Union time. in Moscow when a
who do not bow and give in, mass murderer who had ki a
1-
in spite of their persecution. led more than 20 wome
n
They go their Jewish way was loose. The press did n
ot
through muddy Russian write about him in actor
d-
fields.
ance with prescribed polic y
One has written to a girl that all is well which is fre
e
in Kibutz Saad for many from capitalism. The secu
years. He writes to Sara rity forces, so keen to confis
Hamel openly about his cate books and persecut
woes, his sorrow, hardships innocent people, were help e
and persecutions. He is not less against the mass mui
ready to give up his Jewish derer.
identity in a country in
Jewish fighters are
which there is a permanent soldiers in the mass of
hatred campaign against people who wish to leave the
Jews.
Soviet Union at any price
In his last letter he wrote: and go to Israel. It is a heroic
"As you know, I have been fight with much self-
exiled to the city of Gorki to sacrifice. One has to know
which even the famous the Soviet reality in order to
fighter for freedom and understand and value the
peace, Nobel Prize winner courage of these Jews.
Andrei Sakharov was Prison, exile- and unem-
exiled. This may be an ployment are ready for
honor, but no comfort. My them, but they are not easy
wife and I were threatened to break.
that they would send us to
There is a Jew and his
Siberia, but we were not in- wife living in a country
timidated.
town. He keeps his Jewish
"For me it was worse identity and declares openly
that they have confis- that there is no police force
cated all my books in He- in the country capable of
brew which I love with breaking him. Before his
my whole soul; books by exile the authorities called
Rabbi Kook, Bialik, him in dozens of times for
Yehuda Halevy and the questioning and demanded
Bible that I have been a signed declaration that he
reading every day and in i m; ould nO- longer meet with
which I have found much ot hers to study the Hebrew
comfort in my bitter la nguage and Jewish his-

The Jewish News Special
Israel Correspondent

SISTER CAROL

personal relationship
with Jesus Christ and
promotes scripture as the
only reliable guide to
life.'

"How to respond to the
presence on public school
property of non-student
representatives of Campus
Life, as well as to the activi:
ties and publicity of the
group in public schools is
problematic and potentially
divisive in a pluralistic
society in which Christians
are a majority.
"What we Christians of
all denominations or none
need to become sensitive to
are the anxieties — even the
anguish — of many non-
Christians in America.
Non-Christians, that is,
Jews, Bahais, Moslems and
otthers, as well as many
Christians, believe that
young people have a right
not to be confronted in the
public school or at their
sponsored activities by
ministers or others whose
main objective is evangeli-
zation: to emphasize 'a per-
sonal relationship with
Jesus Christ' and to pro-
mote 'scripture as the only
reliable guide to life.'

"According to my
understanding about
what I have read in your
newspaper, Campus Life
is an organization whose
philosophy and raison
d'etre is rooted in fun-
damentalist, evangelical
Christian theology. While
it is non-denominational
in affiliation, it is clearly
`Christian' in orientation:
`Funded in part by Pro-
testant churches, Cam-
pus Life is part of the
Youth for Christ move-
"When evangelization,
ment which emphasizes a even if subtle, takes place

fate." to ry. He refused.

In Gorki, he found a
few Jews living in a re-
mote part of the town
concentrated around the
synagogue. At first they
treated him with suspi-
cion that he might be a
spy, but now he is a full
member of their commu-
nity. Every Shabat he
attends the prayer serv-
ices which connects him
with the Jewish people
and religion, and
strengthens his longing
for Israel. On Shabat, he
has the traditional meal
with halla, wine and
Shabat songs.

This tragic situation is
overcast with the shadow of
Soviet Jews who • have suc-
ceeded in leaving the Soviet
Union but did not go to Is-
rael. Their action damages
the whole question of the
immigration of those Soviet
Jews to Israel and hurts
those who are persecuted for
their tenacious demand to
be allowed to emigrate.

Of course, the absorption
difficulties of Soviet Jews in
Israel are always brought
up, but these must be, to a
great extent, ascribed to the
Soviet regime which edu-
cates its citizens to refrain
from all personal initia-
tives. Soviet - i-mmtgrants
are mostly not ready to take
upon themselves a personal
responsibility like immig-
rants from the Free World.

One thing is sure: the
dream of immigration from
the Soviet Union has not
been realized. Therefore, all
who continue the fight for
free emigration to Israel
under the most difficult
conditions in the Soviet
Union should be cherished
and honored.

The case of the Soviet Jew
who sends letters to Sara
Hamel should serve as an
example and torch for all
skeptical and cynical minds
in Israel and for Jews all
over the world.

Newscast SlurS Lead to Firing

TORONTO (JTA) — The
Canadian Television Net-
work (CTV) has dismissed
its correspondent, Brian
Nelson, for an unauthorized
appearance on a television
newscast in Abu Dhabi
where he read a script that
referred to Israeli Premier
Yitzhak Shamir as a "ter-
rorist" and to Israel as "the
Zionist entity."

The privately-owned

network said it was taking
disciplinary action against
Nelson's field producer,
Barry Barnett. Nelson con-
firmed that he was fired and
said he would consult a
lawyer.
Marjory Anthony, vice
president for network rela-
tions, said that by agreeing
to appear on the newscast,
Nelson acted irresponsibly

and v!

network

