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