THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
Friday, February 3, 1984 3
Arming Saudi Arabia Criticized by German Media
(Continued from Page 1)
Israeli relations. On the
other hand, the Israeli gov-
ernment was not properly
informed in advance of
Germany's intentions with
respect to the arms sales.
"They should have known
beforehand," a top aide to
Kohl said, "that we did not
come to Jerusalem to
change our decision taken
in Riyadh. Someone must
have given them the im-
pression that things were
still open and we had a dif-
ficult time explaining to
them that this was not the
case," the aide said.
German officials are also
reacting to the warning of
Yitzhak Shmuelevitz, di-
rector general of the Prime
Minister's Office in
Jerusalem and a senior aide
to Premier Yitzhak Shamir
that Israel might launch a
preemptive strike against
Saudi Arabia if German
arms are delivered.
That warning was given
to the Jerusalem correspon-
dent of the daily Die Welt
and was widely reported.
Shmuelevitz denied making
the remark (though later he
acknowledged it but com-
plained it was taken out of
context) but agreed that
arms deliveries to the
Saudis would be seen by Is-
rael from the security point
of view.
"Of course, one should
take care that the material
is not destroyed while ship-
ped or while being stored,"
one official said.
Major American Jewish
organizations and leading
figures in arts and letters
have joined in a campaign
urging the West German
government to reconsider
its plans.
Cables and letters of
protest have been\ sent to
Kohl and to Bonn's Am-
bassador in Washington,
Peter Hermes. All point
out that Saudi Arabia is
still in a state of war with
Israel and claim that the
record shows that the
Saudis finance and equip
the Palestine Liberation
Organization and other
groups bent on Israel's
destruction.
Gerald Kraft, president of
Bnai Brith International,
noted that Bonn's decision
to sell tanks to Saudi Arabia
while at the same time em-
bargoing arms to Israel "is
an affront to both logic and
history," and indicates that
West Germany is in effect
turning its back on its own
history.
"The West German gov-
ernment's argument that
Saudi Arabia is eligible for
arms sales because it is not
in a 'region of terrorism' ig-
nores the facts of thes.Middle
East situation," Kraft said.
"Saudi Arabia is and has
been an integral part of the
Arab vendetta on Israel and
is involved as a major ban-
kroller and weapons
supplier for the Arab states
which confront Israel."
Friedman,
Howard
president of the American
Jewish Committee, ex-
pressed hope in a letter to
Kohl that the Federal Re-
public will reconsider its de-
cision. "Saudi Arabia re-
gards itself as a belligerant
in the Arag-Israel conflict
and even proclaimed an Is-
lamic jihad or holy war
against the Jewish state,
and has given practical ex-
pression to these senti-
ments by providing billions
of dollars to Syria, Jordan
and the PLO to purchase
weapons," Friedman wrote.
He added, "The three
reported weapons sys-
tems (reportedly slated
for Saudi Arabia) while
ostensibly designated as
defensive,' in fact consti-
tute indispensable com-
ponents of an integrated
offensive weapons sys-
tem . . . The distinction
between defensive and
offensive is an illusive
one. The only real dis-
tinction is the intentions
of the user.
"Until the Saudis un-
equivocally renounce war
with Israel as an option, any
prudent statesman must as-
sume these weapons may be
used in a renewed Arab at-
tack against Israel."
Kenneth Bialkin, na-
tional chairman of the
Anti-Defamation League of
Bnai Brith, stated in a cable
to Kohl, "In light of the
tragic events of this cen-
tury, it seems inconceivable
that today the German gov-
ernment would be sending
sophisticated weaponry to a
country that is still fiercely
committed to the destruc-
tion of the Jewish state."
He said the German jus-
tification that "Saudi
Arabia is not in an area of
tension . . . cynically ig-
nores Middle East realities
. . . There is probably no
area of greater tension or
potential tension on earth."
Writers and Artists for
Peace in the Middle East
sent a letter to Ambas-
sador Hermes on behalf
of "Christians and Jews
representative of various
segments of the Ameri-
can arts community
(who) have watched with
great interest Germany's
return to the community
of democratic nations
during this past genera-
tion ...
"We are therefore deeply
pained. to learn that the
German government plans
to sell advanced and sophis-
ticated war planes, tanks,
missiles and electronic
communications systems to
Saudi Arabia, a regime
which has declared a jihad
against and continues to be
in a state of war with the
people of Israel, and which
is unequivocally commited
to the extinction of Israel."
The 33 signatories in-
cluded writers and authors
Cleveland Amory, Howard
Fast, Norman Mailer,
Robert St. John, Barbara
Tuchman, Elie Wiesel, E.L.
Doctorow and Isaac
Bashevis Singer; actor
Michael Moriarty; actresses
Maureen Stapleton and Jill
Clayburgh; musician Lionel
Hampton; playwright Mur-
ray Schisgal; and artist
Raphael Soyer.
Their letter appealed to
"the German people — its
* * *
religious leadership, its
academics and artists — to
raise their voices to prevent
this contemplated action.
We appeal to the officials of
the Federal Republic of
Germany to reconsider
their current plans of send-
ing munitions to Saudi
Arabia, which could again
threaten the survival of the
remnants of the Jewish
people."
which manufactures the
vests, told reporters that the
sale has been confirmed by
the government and there is
no backing out of it. He said
it would go through.
But a spokesman for the
Economics •Ministry said
the matter is still under
consideration. He added
* * *
U.S. Pressures
Sale to Syria
BONN (JTA) — The
United States is reportedly
applying pressure on West
Germany to annul the
planned sale of 30,000
bullet-proof vests to the Sy-
rian army this year. Chan-
cellor Helmut Kohl is ex-
pected to make a binding
decision on the deal shortly.
It was originally confirmed
by the government but offi-
cials said later that it was
against Bonn's policy to sell
military material to Syria.
If the contract is canceled,
West Germany would have
to pay a penalty running
into several million dollars.
A spokesman for the
Fulda-based Mehler Co.
Daily—Hospital
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SEREN KAYEMETH LEISRAR
Germans Debate Arms Sale
BONN (JTA) — Chancel-
lor Helmut Kohl's visit to
Israel has become a center
of controversy and a politi-
cal issue that _willbe de-
bated in the German parli-
ament next week. The ob-
ject of the visit was to
further improve West
German-Israel relations
which have been severely
strained in recent years.
But according to the op-
position, Kohl succeeded in
renewing friction by his
blunt insistence while in
Jerusalem that Bonn's
promise to sell advanced
weaponry to Saudi Arabia,
a country still technically at
war with Israel, is irrevoca-
ble.
The opposition Social
Democratic Party (SPD)
claims that the chancellor
created unnecessary strains
in relations with the Is-
raelis.
They say the arms deal
with Saudi Arabia, which
Kohl stresses was in-
itiated under the SPD
government headed by
former Chancellor Hel-
mut Schmidt, was in fact
rejected by the SPD.
Therefore, there was no
need for Kohl's decision
to go ahead with it on
grounds that a promise
once given cannot be
broken.
They also charge that
Kohl created false expecta-
tions by assuring the Is-
raelis that Bonn would pro-
tect their interests with the
European Economic Com-
munity and would consult
with the U.S. before selling
arms to the Saudis. The Is-
raelis are worried about
their agricultural exports to
Europe after Spain joins the
EEC.
Soviet Leader
Praises UNESCO
MOSCOW — Soviet Pre-
mier Yuri V. Andropov has
expressed support for the
United Nations Educa-
tional, Scientific and Cul-
tural Organization (UN-
ESCO), which the United
States is quitting next year.
In a letter to UNESCO
Director General Amadou
Mahtar M'Bow published
this week by Tass, the
Soviet news agency, An-
dropov expressed opposition
to President Reagan's deci-
sion to withdraw from the
organization and praised
UNESCO's work.
The U.S. decision to pull
out of UNESCO, reached
late last year, followed pro-
tests over the politicization
of its programs and dissatis-
faction with the organiza-
tion's budget. America
currently contributes 25
percent of the funds for
UNESCO.
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