78 Friday, July 20, 1984

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

INSIGHT

Delicate diplomacy: Israel's ties with South Africa

BY SHELDON KIRSHNER.—

Toronto (JTA) — Israeli
Trade, which is worth ap- tilizers. Israel's largest ex-
Ambassador Eliahu Lan- proximately $200 million port items, being classified against the British in pre- African states, succumbing circles in Israel and the
kin, in an interview in annually, , is overblown. Ac- as electronic equipment and state Israel, debunked the to Arab pressure and the Diaspora.
A South African dip
Johannesburg last month, ,chording to the International metal products and myth that Israel supports promise of bountiful aid and
cheap oil, broke relations lomat, in reply to a direc
brushed aside a suggestion Monetary Fund, Israel — machinery, fuel speculation apartheid.
question, conceded tha
Moral questions, such as with Israel.
that Israel is sensitive to its which has been criticized in that Israel contravenes the
Only Malawai, Swaziland Pretoria does indeed plat
relations with South Africa. the United Nations for its United Nations embargo by apartheid, should not be the
But he pointed out that commercial links with selling arms to South Af- foundation upon which na- and Lesotho refused to join down its relations with Is
tions base their relations, the African exodus from Is- rael. "Yes, to save Israe
these items are exploited by South Africa — accounts for rica.
rael.
embarrassment," he said.
critics. Lankin's chief assis- 0.4 percent of South Africa's
Recently, U.S. President- Lankin said. However, Is-
The African betrayal,
Ronald Miller, a repre
tant, Meir Padan, noted imports and 0.7 percent of ial contenders Gary Hart rael's view on apartheid is
which occurred prior to and sentative of the moderat(
clear.
that anti-Israel detractors its exports.
and Jesse Jackson said that
in
the
wake
of
the
Yom
Kip-
New Republic Party in par
embroider the Israeli-South
Apart from manufactured Israel was shipping
"We can't condone it," the
African link so as to defame goods, fish, corn and proc- weaponry to South Africa. 69-year-old diplomat said. pur War, came as a shock to liament, is blunter. "Israe
Israel whenever possible.
essed foods, Israel buys steel Jackson went as far as to ac- "We, as Jews, cannot accept an Israeli government has no great love for Soutl
which could not always see Africa," he said, referring t(
Both Lankin and Padan and coal from South Africa. cuse Israel of acquiescing in
the handwriting on the the ruling National Party'(
said that too much is made From Israel, South Africa the oppression of blacks in
wall. Only two years ear- policy of apartheid. "But the
of Israel's relations with purchases chemicals, ag- South Africa.
lier, the Organization of Af- existence of a large Jewisl
South Africa.
ricultural products and fer-
Three months ago, the
rican Unity's liberation community here deter.
Sunday Times of London
committee rebuffed a sym- mines Israel's attitude tc
reported that Israel and
bolic cash donation from Is- South Africa."
South Africa have close
rael.
military ties. The Times
Under the premiership of
claimed that around 300 Is-
Yitzhak Rabin, Israel con-
raeli advisors are in South
solidated relations with
Africa helping to train
South Africa. In 1976,
soldiers, sailors and pilots,
Johannes Balthazar Vora-
and that Pretoria and
ter, the South African
Jerusalem cooperate in the
leader, visited Israel in a
nuclear field on the basis of
"private" capacity. Daniel A. Finkelstein
South African uranium
Malan, one of his predeces-
Albert
Finkelstein
being exchanged for Israeli
sors, had gone to Israel in former laundry and dr5
technology.
1952 on a pilgrimage, cleaning operator, died Jul}
Lankin said he doesn't Yitzhak Rabin: helped
thereby becoming the first 4 at age 67.
know "anything" about smooth ties between the two
foreign head of state to visit
countries.
A former Detroiter, Mr
such links.
Israel.
Finkelstein resided in Re
South Africa, he declared,
By 1979, Israel and South seda, Calif., at the time o
can manufacture its own it as a conception. It is
Africa had established dip- his death. He was in th(
arms. Lankin acknowl- against Jewish convictons."
lomatic relations on the laundry and dry cleanii4
edged that, many years ago,
Why, then does Israel re-
ambassadorial level. By business for over 50 years
South Africa bought Israeli ject United Nations resolu-
1977, just before the United He was a member of the De
patrol boats and Uzi sub-
tions on apartheid? Be-
Nations arms embargo troit Laundrymen's Asso
machine guns. "I read about
cause, Lankin said, they
against South Africa was ciation, Mosaic Lodge of the
it in the newspapers," he
equate apartheid with
universally imposed, Israel 'Masons, Valley of Detroil
said.
Zionism. Israel, he noted,
had sold Pretoria military Scottish Rite and Moslea
He described as "sheer would vote for an anti-
equipment, particularly Shrine.
nonsense" the notion that
apartheid reoslution on its patrol boats supplied with
He leaves his wife, An
Israeli advisers are at-
Gabriel sea-to-sea missiles. nabelle; two sons, Sidney of
tached to the South African own merits. "We are against
discrimination of human
Simcha Ehrlich, Israel's Valencia, Calif., and Ronald
armed forces. "South Africa
beings because of their race,
Finance Minister, went to of Granada Hills, Calif.; a
is not Syria, and Israel is not status and nationality."
South Africa in 1978 and daughter, Mrs. David (Bon.
Soviet Russia. South Africa
signed a series of economic nie) Gross of Tarzana
has a very well-equipped
As late as 13 years ago,
protocols that provided for Calif.; three sisters, Mrs.
and trained army. The South Africa's relationship
the creation of joint Irwin (Lillian) Margolis of
South Africans can take with Israel was cool and
ministerial committees that Lauderhill, Fla., Mrs. David
very good care of them- even distant, no doubt due
would meet every two years. (Floreen) Lerman and Mrs.
selves, although we have to the fact that Israel had
Owen Horwood, Ehrlich's Ben (Shirley) Marks; and
more experience than they substantial political inter-
South African counterpart, five grandchildren.
do."
ests in black Africa and was
headed a high-powered
A
South
African content to play its "African
delegation to Israel in 1980.
strategist offered a slightly card."
In the past four years, the
different view of the situa-
The 1970s ushered in a South African-Israeli con- Freda Kurland
tion.
nection has grown, nur-
Freda "Fritzie" Kurland,
"Officially, South Africa new era in South African-
and be kept fully
tured by the community of long active in Hadassah,
has no formal military ties Israeli relations. In 1971,
South
Africa
.established
a
nations'
unrelenting
hostil-
died July 14.
with Israel. But there is
abreast of local,
ity to Jerusalem and Pre-
military cooperation, which consulate-general in Tel
Mrs. Kurland, 79, was a
Aviv, which signalled a toria. As a South African life member of Hadassah
is a classified matter."
national and world happenings
foreign ministry official put and was active in fundrais-
The strategist, who is dramatic improvement in
it: "Israel and South Africa ing and membership activi-
associated with a univer- the two nations' ties. Obser-
The Jewish News
are struggling against the ties, including the forma-
sity, said South Africa and vers believe that the move
17515 W. 9 Mile Rd., Suite 865
world and that puts us on tion of suburban chapters.
Israel share information on was prompted by South Af-
Southfield, Mich. 48075-4491
the defensive."
missile development and rica's respect for Israel's
She was also a member of
Louis Pienaar, a Cape Cong. Shaarey Zedek.
counter-insurgency. (Like smashing victory in the
Six-Day
War,
and
by
Is-
Town
lawyer
who
served
as
Israel, South Africa has car-
A native of Russia, Mrs.
Please send a subscription (gift) to
South Africa's ambassador Kurland had lived in the
ried out retaliatory raids rael's gradual realization
that
South
Africa
was
an
to
France,
was
equally
against its neighbors, prin-
Detroit area 55 years. Her
cipally Angola and Mozam- important factor in the Af- forthright. "We have com- late husband, John Kur-
rican
equation.
mon interests," he said, land, had been a referee and
bique, for aiding African
NAME
Analysts unanimously "and we'll develop them, chief administrator of the
National Congress guerril-
las — which have had rela- agree that 1972 and 1973 sometimes openly, an some- Wayne County Juvenile
ADDRESS
were crucial years for the times discreetly."
tions with the PLO.)
Court.
Considering the flak that
CITY
• STATE
He said he doubted entente cordiale that was to
ZIP
Mrs. Kurland leaves a
whether the two are work- develop between Israel and each draws, South Africa son, Leonard M.; a daugh-
❑ $18 enclosed
ing together in nuclear re- South Africa — which voted and Israel do not exactly ter, Nancy D.; two brothers,
search.
for the 1947 UN Palestine advertise the relationship David and Seymour
If gift state occasion
— the object of much criti- Goldman, both of Memphis,
Lankin, who was an partition plan.
cism at the United Nations
Irvin Zvie Leumi fighter, ,
two short years, black and in progressive Jewish Tenn.; and a sister, Jennie
Goldman

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