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June 15, 1984 - Image 4

Resource type:
Text
Publication:
The Detroit Jewish News, 1984-06-15

Disclaimer: Computer generated plain text may have errors. Read more about this.

4 Friday, June 15, 1984

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

THE JEWISH NEWS

Serving Detroit's Metropolitan Jewish Community
with distinction for four decades.
Editorial and Sales offices at 17515 WeSt Nine Mile Road,
Suite 865 Southfield, Michigan 48075-4491
TELEPHONE 424-8833

PUBLISHER: Charles A. Buerger
EDITOR EMERITUS: Philip Slomovitz
EDITOR: Gary Rosenblatt
BUSINESS MANAGER: Carmi M. Slomovitz
ART DIRECTOR: Kim Muller-Thym
NEWS EDITOR: Alan Hitsky
LOCAL NEWS EDITOR: Heidi Press
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT: Tedd Schneider

OFFICE STAFF:
Marlene Miller
Dharlene Norris
Phyllis Tyner
Pauline Weiss
Ellen Wolfe

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES:
Drew Lieberwitz
Rick Nessel
Danny Raskin
Seymour Schwartz

PRODUCTION:
Donald Cheshure
Cathy Ciccone
Curtis Deloye
Ralph Orme

© 1984 by The Detroit Jewish News
(US PS 275-520)
Second Class postage paid at Southfield, Michigan and additional mailing offices. Subscription $18 a year.

CANDLELIGHTING AT 8:51 P.M.

VOL. LXXXV, No. 16

Free trade needed

The U.S. Congress is now considering legislation authorizing
negotiations on a U.S.-Israel Free Trade Area, which would eliminate all
tariffs on products and services traded between the two countries. Such an
agreement should go a long way towards increasing the two-way flow of trade
and investment in a way that will strengthen the economies of both nations.
Already, the U.S. is Israel's largest trading partner. Twenty-three
percent of Israel's exports go to the U.S. Israel is also one of the three largest
markets for American products in the Mideast. About 20 percent of Israel's
imports are from the U.S.
Exports are vital to Israel's continued growth and self-reliance. By
strengthening the economy of America's only reliable and democratic ally in
the Mideast, an FTA between the U.S. and Israel would provide important
national security benefits for America.
But the benefits would also be economic. They would prevent a loss of the
U.S. market share in Israel, where an FTA signed between Israel and the
European community has given Europe a competitive edge over the U.S. An
FTA would expand U.S. exports in Israel, strengthen reciprocity and would
cause minimal problems to American domestic industries.
We urge Congress to delegate authority to the President to allow him to
conclude an FTA agreement with Israel. It is both good trade policy and sound
foreign policy for the U.S. and would reaffirm the bonds between two fellow
democracies.

Troublesome minority



Emphasis in media sensationalism on the troublesome factors that
undermine the morality of an qntire people fails to underscore that the
troublemakers are numerically an insignificant minority. In the amount of
harm committed, the small group under consideration in Israel's experience
needs to be exposed in the interest of truth and in defense of the basic
principles which are the inspiration for sovereignty and justice in Israel.
The constancy with which the repulsiveness of a terrorist plot in Israel
and the intolerance with which political and social issues are treated in
relation to Israel must be provided with factual studies to prove that what
appears as destructive is more a failure for rational people to suffer, rather
than an accepted Jewish ideological concept.
The fact is that in the exposing of the attempt to terrorize Arabs in Israel,
there was no evidence of a mass movement to brutalize or to dehumanize a
society dedicated to highest ethical codes.
There is cause for deep concern over occurrences which abuse high
religious principles, such as stone throwing on the Sabbath in the interest of
protecting the sacred day or, as in the latest experiences, the threats to the
security obligated for all elements in the population, Arabs as much as Jews.
It is not a bit surprising that visiting reportorial observers should give
major attention to their descriptions of what they learn in Israel to these
negatives. The regret is the emerging impression that the objectionable
tactics are representative of the Israelis as a nation. Defaulting the horrors by
indicating how few are the guilty could be a great service in proper judgment
of the social ills that often injure an entire nation.
There is a very small minority of troublemakers in Israel. They must not
be permitted to overshadow the progreniye %ethical moratly-,inspirecipeopte.

Israel is staying 'more neutral'
than U.S. in Gulf war disputes

BY WOLF BLITZER

The Jewish News Washington
correspondent

Washington — When U.S. and
Israeli officials get together to dis-
cuss the mounting crisis in the Per-
sian Gulf, there are many important
items on their agenda — not all of
which necessarily underline a shared
point of view.
For one thing, Israeli officials
are clearly not pleased by Washing-
ton's tilt toward Iraq in its running
battle against Iran. Israel, for its own
reasons, is certainly more inclined to
favor Iran, despite the viciously

The Likud government
did not want a
high profile rift with
Washington on the eve of
the July 23 elections in
Israel.

anti-Israeli attitudes of the Ayatol-
lah Khomeini.
Israel, for instance, is looking
down the road to the post Khomeini
era. It wants to have some foundation
on which to try to re-establish rela-
tions with the Iranians. Under the
late Shah, of course, Israel had a very
productive relationship, despite the
fact that Iran is a Moslem country.
Iraq, on the other hand, always has
been one of Israel's most implacable
foes.
Israeli policymakers, in recent
discussions with senior Reagan Ad-
ministration officials, have urged the
Americans to maintain a more neut-
ral stance. But the Administration is
not heeding Israel's advice, largely
because Saudi Arabia and other
pro-Western Arab states are pushing
hard for a pro-Iraqi tilt.
In fact, Washington has coun-
tered Israel's appeals by urging Is-
rael to adopt a more neutral stance,
especially when it comes to the recur-
ring matter of alleged Israeli arms
transfers to Iran. Israel, while con-

ceding that such sales occurred four
years ago, publicly insists that there
are none today.
But U.S. officials remain uncer-
tain, receiving reports regularly that
some badly-needed spare parts for
Iran's aging fleet of U.S.-made F-4
Phantoms are still reaching Iran.
Most of these reports originate in
Saudi Arabia. They, of course, repre-
sent a significant political embar-
rassment to Israel, given the contin-
ued and understandable hostility
toward Iran felt by most Americans.
There is also no great love for
Iraq in the United States, especially
following the confirmation by the
State Department that Iraq has used
outlawed gas and chemical warfare
against Iran. But the gut U.S. in-
stincts against Iraq are by no means
nearly as negative as is the case with
Iran.
The U.S. and Iraq do not main-
tain full diplomatic relations. They
merely have "interest sections" in
third-country embassies. But that is
still one step ahead of U.S.-Iranian
ties which were bitterly poisoned
during the 444-day U.S. hostage
ordeal in Teheran.
In the discussions between
Washington and Jerusalem on the
Gulf war, there is no serious consid-
eration being given to any direct Is-
raeli military role. Defense Minister
Moshe Arens made this clear at a
Washington news conference follow-
ing his May meeting at the Pentagon
with Defense Secretary Caspar
Weinberger. The U.S. defense chief,
and other American officials had ear-
lier made the identical point.
Israel is by no means looking for
any involvement in the Gulf and the
Americans, for their own political
reasons in the Arab world, are also
determined to avoid one.
Thus, the ongoing U.S.-Israeli
strategic cooperation talks do not in-
clude any contingency planning for

Continued on Page 19

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