IfEr 11.0„1113h3 12:..Friday, July 13, 1984. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS. . NEWS JCCouncil files suit on voter registration The Jewish Community Council of Metropolitan De- troit joined nine other Michigan civil rights and public interest groups Mon- day in a lawsuit charging that the state's system of voter registration creates unconstitutional barriers tb the right to vote and pre- vents participation in polit- ical activities for some groups of people. The suit, filed in U.S. Dis- trict Court in Flint, asks the court to withdraw the dele- gation of discretionary authority by the state to local election clerks and to issue an injunction against the practice of allowing local election officials to apply "arbitrary, capricious and localized criteria in de- vising deputy registrar pro- grams." The plaintiffs are also seeking the implementa- tion of voter registration by mail, or polling place regis- tration. These measuers, • the suit claims, would help end discrimination against minorities and those who are economically disadvan- taged. In addition to the Jewish Community Council, groups filing suit include the Arab-American Voter Registration Project, the Gray Panthers — Metro North, the League of Women Voters of Michigan Center for a Barrier-Free Environment and the Michigan Citizens Lobby. Also, the Michigan Humane Service Employees Registration, Voting and Education Campaign; the Michigan Protection and Advocacy Service for De- velopmentally Disabled Citizens — Lapeer"-Flip Area Branch Office, the Na- tional Association for the Advancement of Colored People — Flint Chapter and the Public Interest Re- search Group in Michigan. xT Israeli lawyers in London to defend 2 in Dikko case 1 2 3 4 Retail J.R. Price Monarch - 24.00 16.95 Emperador 52.50 29.95 Corona Major 41.25 22.95 Churchhill 45.25 25.95 DEALERS EXCLUDED — SALES ENDS JULY 19 Over one million cigars for the guaranteed : lowest prices on earth! TORACCO CO. 28815 Northwestern just south of 12 Mile, Southfield, MI Phone: 357-2340 VISA AND MASTERCARD ACCEPTED HOURS — MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: 9 AM TO 6:30 PM SATURDAY: 9 AM TO 6 PM SUNDAY: 11 AM TO 5 PM • - • • ' ' " • +OF London (JTA) — Two Is- raeli attorneys travelled to England Tuesday to defend two Israelis who were ar- rested by British authorities for their in- volvement in the abortive attempt to abduct former Nigerian Transport Minis- ter Umaru Dikko from Britain to Nigeria. Uri 'Slonim will take up the case of Dr: Arye Lev Shapiro, a 45-year-old anes- thetist, found hi a wooden crate alongside Dr. Dikko, who had been drugged. An- other lawyer has agreed to defend Felix Avital, found hiding with a Nigerian in another crate. The Israeli government has strenously denied that it was in any way connected with the affair. In Jerusalem, Premier Yit- zhak Shamir said this week that the government was in no way involved in the kid- napping attempt. The inci- dent was a criminal offense, in which Israel was not im- plicated, Shamir said. This contention was 'upheld by British Foreign Secretary Sir Geoffrey Howe, who told the parliament that there was "no evidence" of any Is- raeli government involve- ment. Nevertheless, British newspapers remain uncon- vinced that' this was the case, pointing out that Is- rael and Nigeria retain strong trading links despite .their 1974 breach in dip- lomatic relations. One paper suggested that Israel might hope to becOme a regular customer for Nigerian 'oil. Shapiro does not fit easily into the image of an inter- national mercenary, as he was initially described by British police. He emi- grated from the Soviet Union to Israel 14 years ago a highly skilled physician. In' Israel he worked at two hospitals as an anesthetist and a couple of years ago went to America for spe- cialized training. On his re- turn he became head of the new intensive care division of the Sharon Hospital, ten miles northeast of Tel Aviv. Meanwhile, the Israeli Emblissy here has denied that a visit: to London last week by David Kimche, di- rector general of the Israeli Foreign Ministry, was linked to the Dikko affair. Kimche was here at the in- vitation of the Joint Israel Appeal, the embassy said. Kiinche, a former top in- telligence office is one of Is- rael's leading authorities on relations with black Africa. When the story of the Is- raelis' arrest was first re- ported Friday, the embassy said it was no more in- terested in the case of the two Israelis than if they had been picked up on a drug smuggling offense. , Named to post New York —* Leonard R. Strelitz of Norfolk, Va., a former general chairman of the United. Jewish Appeal, has been elected chairman of the international board of governors of Tel Aviv Uni- versity.