2 Friday, June 22, 1984

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

PURELY COMMENTARY

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

The glory of Israel
not to be tampered with

Democratically-oriented party-wise. With the lower case
Vengeance, says the dust jacket for the new
"d" Jews are almost unanimously identified. The
Simon & Schuster book, is a nonfiction thriller
capitalized "D" brought them into the competitive party
"that reads like a novel."
during the administration of Thomas Woodrow Wilson,
Certainly, its substance and tone have the
There is a glory in Isr.ael that is the pride of the People
under the inspiration of Democrats like Louis D. Brandeis
makings of a befit-selling yarn. The book, pub-
Israel that represents world Jewry.
and Stephen S. Wise. Prior to that, American Jews had a
lished three weeks ago, is purportedly based on
It is rooted in ethical codes that have become the heri-
marked affinity for Republicans, with a liking for "Teddy"
the first-hand recollections of a man known only
tage for all mankind.
Roosevelt under guidance that came from leaders like
as "Avner," who claims to have headed an Israeli
In the statehood that is Israel there are achievements
Louis Marshall.
assassination team that murdered numberous
that are inspired by the morality and ethical policy that is
Arabs in the 1970s to avenge the death of 11 Israeli
Through the decades, however, Jews have been in both
the very root of Jewish statehood.
athletes at the Munich Olympics.
parties. Franklin Roosevelt inherited an admiration that
They are principles and ideals not to be tampered with,
The publisher and author insist that Ven-
gave predominance to Democrats. Then came the allure
not to be trampled on.
geance is fact; it carries the subtitle "The true
from people like Max Fisher who drew support for Richard
Yet, there is a tampering, thereeis a trampling on —
story of an Israeli counter-terrorist team." But
Nixon, and 'in behalf of Ronald Reagan the Detroit
and it will never be condoned.
that claim has enveloped Vengeance in a major
philanthropist-Republican again was in evidence as cap-
Even when attempts are made to deify defections from
flap, with a growing number of critics raising
, tain of a strong Jewishly-supporting Republican team.
the highest ideals that glorify and guide Jewish existence,
serious questions about the book's factual basis.
Even on the latter score, Jews in truth were like their
the people itself will not tolerate defections from decencies.
Maclean's, the Canadian magazine, purchased
fellow-Americans, leaning toward ideals and causes, em-
It is because there are such defections that this must be
rights to publish excerpts, then decided not to
phasizing the nation's social needs, taking sides for or
said and constantly emphasized.
after a team of 15 reporters found it impossible to
against extremism in military tendencies, demanding in
Something horrible has been happening in Israel.
confirm the book's authenticity. The New York
the main adherence to such ideals as Church-State Separa-
Something akin to terrorism is experienced. Violence was
Times, which declined a similar offer to purchase
tion, raising high the ethical standards of the nation, sup-
introduced into the sanctity of Jewish statehood. Even
rights, has published two articles questioning the
porting the civil liberties that are vital in the battle for
murder was in the planning by the demented minds. What
accuracy of sections of the book. Yesterday, the
justice for blacks or whoever may be restricted in the dis-
could have been the worst was averted. But something
London Sunday Observer printed a critical story
pensing of human rights.
equally as evil has happened: in the guise of faith there are
about the book.
Now, then, is there a Jewish vote? A fact remains: Jews
the handful of demented who have made statements, pub-
Now, Peter Schwed, who was chairman of the
are scrutinized and the testing often results in puzzles
licized by non-Jewish correspondents, endorsing what had
editorial board at Simon & Schuster when Av-
rather than realities. There have been abuses, such as
been planned as acts of terrorism.
ner's story first surfaced more than four years
when the formation of "Hebrew" Republican or Democratic
This is properly treated as outrageous. It must now,
ago, concedes that he tried unsuccessfully to have
clubs were organized and Louis Marshall issued a strong
however, be judged as well with a grain of salt. No matter if
the story written as fiction after a reporter work-
condemnation of such practices. He encouraged interest in
the approving of the proposed murderous acts is by more
ing on the book backed out. And the reporter,
politics but not by means of linking the quest for votes with
than a handful, that the devils quote Scripture for their
Rinker Buck, who brought Avner's story to Simon
religious or ethnic affiliations.
purpose. They are the outlaws who have no place in a
& Schuster's attention in the first place, says he
There may be a good reason for the constant referral to
human Jewish society!
found too many factual inconsistencies in Avner's
the "Jewish Vote." It is because Jews have the best record of
This should really suffice as a rejection of Jewish ter-
account. "I was completely convinced it was a
voting and taking a deep interest in politics and politicians.
rorism which seems to be endorsed by a group of "Jewish
fraud," Mr. Buck says.
It is when "Jewish money" becomes a subject for suggested
fundamentalists" (sic!). There is another aspect not to be
These are tests of truth, not to be obstructed by fiction. rebukes of supporters of certain candidates that the Jewish
ignored. It is the injection of hatreds and anti-Arabism in
modern fiction that merit& condemnation. Leon Uris has There is an avalanche of widely-adirertised books dealng voting and candidates-supporting aspect becomes cause for
already been repudiated for the anti-Arab emphases in his with the Middle East and they are filled with mysteries, resentment. In principle, financial support for candidates is
new novel Haj (Doubleday). The newest "sensation" is with conjectures, with claims to be based on facts and they generally endorsed.
Anti-Semites have had their share in political cam-
Vengeance (Simon and Schuster). It claims to be a factual are, in the main, sensational means of securing readership,
account of a task undertaken and purportedly fulfilled by regardless of truth. Perhps Vengeance is such a literary paigns on local and state levels. On the national scene it has
first become prominently evidenced this year. This is the
five young Israelis to exact vengeance for the massacre of distortion.
While the fictionalizing of truth in literature may be most deplorable factor in the present. National Democratic .
11 Israeli athletes at the 1972 Muhich Olympics. It intro-
remote from, the subject of Judaized terrorism, they are leadership could induce some adjustments in approaches to
duces Avner as the leader of the vengeance-seekers and the
related. Both call for condemnation because Israel's fate is the electorate that imbues hatred,and creates divisiveness
book is replete with terror.
The trouble with it is that the authenticity is seriously more important than permission to writers to capitalize on in the American citizenry. Will an alliance of Jews and
questioned that instead of emphasizing that it is fiction, it her woes by arousing Arab hatreds; and resort to terror by blacks be patriotic, sensible, realistic-enough to eliminate
Jews is shocking and disgusting. Both matters should be hatred that introduces a new form of racism on the Ameri-
is claimed as truth.
can political scene? The black candidate for the Democratic
Thus, Newsweek's review by Gene Lyons takes into treated with contempt.
nomination for President must have a leading role in end-
account the mysterious approaches and the questionable,
ing such prejudice.
and states in part:
Poisonous journalism
Of course, the recognition of Israel and the Middle East
Truth or fiction, you've read or seen Ven-
as subjects for consideration in political platforms and the
geance before. Remember the movie "The Profes-
If the very accomplished columnist and radio commen- judging of candidates for President can not be ignored. The
sionals"? Claudia Cardinale's been kidnapped by
tator George Cantor had utilized the accusations leveled at Israel-U.S. friendship and the importance of Israel as the
Jack Palance, see, who's this Mexican bandido.
Israel by an American visitor who charges the Jewish state major democratic factor in the embattled area will not be
Husband Ralph Bellamy wants her back, so he
with having brutalized him, as a reporter, it would be denied. On a total scale, except in the ranks of the very
hires Lee Marvin, who puts together a team of
understandable and even excusable. Then concerned small and hardly-significant consideration, there are al-
specialists to do the job. Burt Lancaster does exp-
readers could ask for an Israeli explanation, which was not ways the extreme leftists who advocate an end to that
- losions, Robert Ryan knows horses and so forth.
provided in a column with the suggestive and provocative friendship and in their way favor the destruction of Israel.
Updated versions include Force Ten From
heading "U.S. businessman learns that Israel is not They are the Communist-oriented anti-Israel pro-Arabs.
Navarone, The Dogs of War and about a hundred
America." But the charges, which could prove unsubstan-
episodes of the TV series Mission Impossible. Here
To the reference to "leftists" is attached the explanat-
tiated, are presented as fact by a responsible newspaper- ory "extreme" and the judging must be on a decent level. To
Avner's the Lee Marvin character (or, as Jonas
man
who
fails
totally
in
any
effort
to
obtain
an
explanation
puts it, "Lieutenant Colonel John Wayne of the
avoid the term Communist, "extreme leftist" becomes
from the people indicted in a shocking fashion.
United States Cavalry. A man the toughest kib-
available to indicate the hate-mongering among people so
Libertarian loyalists have for three decades gloried in few in number that only the noise they make gives a limited
butznik would respect ... A real, genuine hero.
the equation of Israel as a democracy, acting akin to the impression that they have a role in their hate-mongering,
For the first time in his life"). The rest are: Robert,
U.S. in legalistic justice. But a Detroit newspaperman who especially toward Israel.
the explosives guy; Hans, the passport forger;
should know better, and as a rule conducts column and
Steve, the auto thief and crack driver; and
But there emerges also the misleading introduction of
radio chat with dignity, suddenly emerges in a provocative the "leftist" term that must be treated with contempt. Be-
middle-aged Carl, avuncular, experienced, the
role. In a state like Michigan where there are a quarter of a cause a candidate is a liberal and differs with the conserva-
"sweeper," last man out after a hit. Can you guess
million of the Islamic faith and some 70,000 Jews, the tive or reactionary, he is not to be misjudged. Once the
which one succumbs to the wiles of the beautiful,
urgency is to promote and perpetuate good will. A George "liberal" is branded, the very atmosphere in American poli-
man-hating Dutch lesbian assassin, in turn pro-
Cantor column like the one of June 14 could undermine the tics becomes poisoned.
voking our heroes to an off-duty revenge hit?
cooperativeness that exists between these two faiths. That
Everything in Vengeance is just like that.
Popular syndicated columnist Sydney Harris earns a
column was an inexcusably poisonous journalistic blunder. debt of gratitude for an explanatory piece in which he
Jonas' prose is cheesy-portentous throughout.
How does it feel to blow away an unarmed man
defines the differing political terms. Here is his political
carrying groceries because your government
gem:
Political identifications ...
says he's a bad guy? "No nightmares, and in the
The worst thing that ever happend in world
...Jewishly tested, little
morning he ate a full breakfast. But enjoy it? No
politics took place in France long ago, when con-
normal person could."
servative members of parliament were seated to
new on road to balloting
There's nothing in the book that couldn't have
the right of the chair, and liberal and radical
been invented by a hack screenwriter equipped
"There is nothing new under the sun" and "History
members to the left. Since then, almost every
with the books on Israeli intelligence Jonas cites
repeats itself' are cliches so applicable to politics that they
European legislature has followed the same prac-
and street maps of several European capitals.
tice.
serve to salve whatever may be either disputable or ag-
Avner says the Israeli government cheated him
gravating in current experiences for the grooming on the
This arbitrary designation of "left" and
out of his dough; obviously Vengeance is his way of
road to the ballot box.
"right" has existed to our time, and has done in-
getting it back. Wait for the movie.
A file packed with clippings about the so-called
calculable damage to our political thinking. It
This is an impression gathered by a reader of the book. "Jewish Vote," dating back much more than half-a-
encourages us to label parties , and factions with-
And there is an expose that must be taken into full account. century, provide proof that the polling and testing remains
out much regard to the policies they actually sub-
In a special front page article in the June 4 issue of the Wall the game for the generations.
scribe to, or the changes they advocate.
Street Journal, challenging the authenticity of Vengeance,
Oh, there have been changes in this century. It is
We refer to Soviet Russia as a left-wing gov-
Jonathan Kwitny declared at the outset:
inaccurateto state as factthat American Jews were always Continued on Page.20.
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