THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
has also served as Clawson city attor-
ney, Clarkston village attorney and
Groveland Township attorney. In both
areas he has worked extensively in the
district courts.
Sosnick's campaign literature
L;
i mentions his handbook on school law,
r which is used in 40 states, as well as
his handbook on child molesting. He
claims he has the experience and re-
spect it takes to be a judge.
Sosnick serves on the boards of
( -17)mmon Ground in Birmingham,
(_f-,laven domestic violence shelter and
rape crisis center, and the Federated
Council of Domestic Violence Pro-
grams.
His extensive list of endorsements
iP cludes two former judges of the 48th
'"
District Court, a circuit judge, two
tormer circuit judges, six former State
Bar Association presidents, Oakland
County Prosecutor L. Brooks Patter-
son and former Prosecutor Thomas
_Plunkett, and U.S. Attorney Leonard
'R. Gilman.
Sosnick has also been endorsed by
a number of police officer associations
in the district and numerous lawyer
',. groups, as well as eight of the ten can-
didates he and Ajlouny defeated in the
August primary.
Ajlouny has -been endorsed by the
national president of the American
Bar Association, two former State Bar
presidents and others. He is a member
of St. Hugo's parrish, Kiwanis Inter-
i_national, Knights of Columbus, the
Law Enforcement Board of New De-
' Sit and the Bicentennial Commis-
sion. He has served as a youth baseball
coach and manager for 14 years.
Sosnick has centered his cam-
paign theme on his many years of ex-
- p erience working in the district courts,
and his opponent's 'lack of experience
/in those courts. Many of his suppor-
ters, however, express a greater fear
about Ajlouny's Middle East views
than about his qualifications.
In defending his views, Ajlouny
points to a number of Jewish friends
who have - endorsed his candidacy. "I
snared office space with four Jewish
lawyers for nine years," he says. "We
lived like a family together. I am also
involved with the American Arabic
Jewish
Friends of Metropolitan De-
,
troit," a group of Arab and Jewish De-
f otters who have been quietly meet-
i.ng on a monthly basis for the past
three years.
He included among his Jewish
friends Irving Blum, Steve Lupiloff, Al
Lopatin and Shel Miller.
Blum gave Ajlouny a ringing
- -
endorsement. "Eddie Ajlouny used to
-work for me," Blum told The Jewish
News. "He was an employee of mine
and he is a friend." Asked about Aj-
1 ouny supporting the PLO, Blum re-
sponded vehemently: "Bullshit! Eddie
-- doesn't advocate any PLO stuff and
I've heard him say it on many occa-
sions. I wouldn't support anyone re-
motely connected with the PLO — my
sister-in-law and brother-in-law live
Iin Jerusalem! I'd certainly support
Eddie Ajlouny."
r---- -= Lupiloff also gave Ajlouny strong
„praise. "I've known Eddie for 15 years,
since I've been practicing law. He's a
real gentleman."
But Lupiloff gives a different in-
L -:
terpretation of Ajlouny's Palestinian
2 - views:
"I talked to him when he began his
r-campaign about ties to any organiza-
tions that would not curry favor with
;
.
-
I
-
the Jewish community," Lupiloff said.
"I talked to him at great length.
He has changed (over the years) from
what I would say was radical to some-
one of great moderation. Clearly, he is
not a supporter of violent activities. He
advocates everyone living together,
mediating and negotiating to solve
these problems. He didn't just take
these positions recently to curry
favor."
Told of Lupiloff's comments, Aj-
louny responded that he "had never
been a radical. I spoke in my capacity
as an official of a Palestinian organiza-
tion. Since then, we have all seen the
folly of violence."
Asked by The Jewish News about
his current views, Ajlouny explained
"In my own thinking, I don't think a
Palestinian state is feasible, gio-
nomically or politically. I wouldlii6 to
An Arab
and a Jew
are opposing each
other as judicial
candidates.
see the West Bank and Gaza linked to
Jordan."
As for PLO leader Yassir Arafat,
Ajlouny said, "He is the leader of the
Palestinians in the Middle East. Be-
lieve it or not, he is a moderate within
the PLO. His group is the most moder-
ate. But I am disappointed that he has
not accomplished his agenda of getting
a homeland. He has not lately been a
strong leader." Ajlouny reiterated his
criticism of PLO violence and repeated
that "terror does not solve anything."
Asked about Israel, Ajlouny
stated, "Israel is a reality. I recognize
it as such. It is my hope that the Pales-
tinians and Israel will work together
for their future and build an area that
they will be proud of for future genera-•
tions. So much talent is being wasted
in warfare. It could be used to develop
farmland and solve the area's prob-
lems."
Two Jewish members of the
Arab-Jewish friends group, Arnold
Michlin and Victor moss, were also
generous in their praise of Ajlouny.
Michlin, a former president of the
Greater Detroit B'nai B'rith Men's
Council, said that he has met Ajlouny
on several occasions after checking on
his PLO views. Jewish members of the
American Arabic Jewish Friends had
vowed that they would not meet with
members of the Palestine Liberation
Organization.
"I confronted my Arabic friends,"
Michlin said, "and they said he was not
a supporter of the PLO. He is conge-
nial, warm, friendly, and has lots of
Jewish friends. I don't want to infer
that I support him (for judge), but we
have a duty to clear the air."
Ross, father of former State Sena-
tor Doug Ross, said he has seen Aj-
louny's educational and professional
background "and it is very impressive.
"I have. met him twice. He said
clearly and unequivocally that he does
not believe in terrorism and does not
support the PLO. He believes in the
existence of Israel and in a Palestinian
homeland." Ross added, "I think 50
percent of Jews here and in Israel
would agree with his positions. My
impression was very positive."
Listing his own credentials as a
member of the American Jewish
Committee, B'nai B'rith, the Anti-
Defamation League (ADL), a suppor-
ter of the American Israel Public Af-
fairs Committee and other Jewish
causes, Ross added that "we Jews
should try to establish relations with
Arabs." He stated that he would feel
comfortable voting for Ajlouny in any
election.
That view was not shared by Peter
Alter, president of the Michigan
Region of ADL. "Ajlouny has made no
disclaimers about the Detroit News ar-
ticles until now. I would view any dis-
claimers a few weeks before the elec-
tion as too little, too late. I don't see
any doubts about him if you see the
Detroit News articles. I think the facts
should be made public and then let
everybody judge his explanations, or
support or lack of support, for any
organization."
"People who have met me," Aj-
louny commented, "get a different pic-
ture. I am not a monster. I do not have
horns. I like to believe that I am totally
fair to people of all religions."
The Middle East overtones, how-
ever, have led to an expensive election
race. As of the end of August, Ajlouny
had raised nearly $37,000 and spent
$26,000. Sosnick at the same point had
raised $43,000 and spent $37,000. The
vast majority of the contributions are
for less than $200, with the exception
of Sosnick's brother, Robert, a Troy
real estate developer, who has con-
tributed $6,000 to his brother's cam-
paign.
A Sept. 25 fund-raising meeting
for Sosnick — with a minimum contri-
bution of $100 — was sponsored by
Guy Barron, Bart Berman, Maurice
Binkow, Paul Borman, Martin Citrin,
Milt Dresner, Burt Farbman, Morris
Fenkell, Stanley Frankel, David
Hermelin, Dan Honigman, Joe Jacob-
son, Ira Jaffe, Emery Klein, Tom
Klein, Ed Levy Jr., Albert Lopatin,
Friday, October 19, 1984
15
David Mondry, Bob Naftaly, Graham
Orley, Norman Pappas, Spencer Par-
trich, Asa Shapiro, Mickey Shapiro
and Bob Sosnick.
The issue of campaign spending
has been raised by Sosnick supporters,
who question "the large sums" being
raised by Ajlouny outside Michigan.
The suggestion is that he might be a
front for Arab organizations who
would ultimately like Ajlouny to win a
Congressional seat whenever long-
time Congressman William Broom-
field retires.
The election records through Aug.
31 show that Ajlouny has received 50
contributions from individuals outside
Michigan totaling $3,700. The five
largest contributions ranged from
$125-$400, with the rest at $100 or
less.
"I was the president of a national
organization several years ago," Aj-
louny said, referring to the Ramallah
group. "I have many friends around
the country who have contributed to
my campaign as individuals. They are
Arab Americans. I am sure Mr. Sos-
nick has relied heavily on the Jewish
community."
Ajlouny scoffs at the suggestion
that he is running as a front man for
Arab organizations, or that he has
higher political aspirations. "Higher
office?" he asked. "I'm having trouble
enough getting elected to this position.
"I wouldn't foreclose any future
possibilities, but this is my first effort
in politics. I want to be a judge because
I feel I have something to contribute to
this community. All I want to be is a
good judge." He added that Arab
organizations "would stand to gain
very little from my election as judge."
He said he is running for office in
order to give something back to the
community in which he has lived for
14 years, and residency is one of Aj-
louny's major campaign issues. He
charges that Sosnick moved into a
Bloomfield apartment nine months
ago simply to fulfill the residency re-
quirement for the judgeship.
The residency issue and a drunk
Continued on next page
The American Federation
of Ramallah, Palestine
Pro-Arab Propaganda in
America: Vehicles and Voices, pub-
lished in :1982 by the Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai B'rith,
included the following aspects in its
description of the American Feder-
ation of Ramallah, Palestine;
". . an AFRP 'Organizational
Profile' states that as an association
of Palestinian Americans, the
group has a duty to endeavor to
change U.S. foreign policy vis-a-vis
the Palestinians from callous dis-
dain to a position consistent with
the national rights of self-
determinatioi for the Palestinian
people.'
"Toward these goals, the AFRP
has met with federal and local offi-
cials to urge cuts in U.S. aid to Is-
rael, and 'U.S. recognition of the
PLO as the sole legitimate repre-
sentative of the Palestinian people.'
In the fall of 1982Jhe AFRP spon-
sored several fund-raising events
for the re-election campaign of then
Rep. Paul Findley, (R.411.) who had
been outspoken in his support for
the PLO and the Palestinian cause
"From time to time, the federa-
tion has run full-page ads in U.S.
newspapers. In one such AFRP ad-
vertisement, the organization as-
serted its support for the Palestine
Liberation Organization by stating:
`So long as one Palestinian lives —
irrespective as to whether that
Palestinian is in Lebanon, in Pales-
tine, in America, or elsewhere — so
long as one Palestinian lives, so too,
does the struggle of the PLO to re-
turn to Palestine.' "
Figward Ajlouny served as
president of the organization in
1981 and as counsel for five years.