12 Friday, January 11, 1985 THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS "Your office or home can be complete immediately" VISIT OUR NEW SHOWROOM! PURELY COMMENTARY 1.■■■•=0. PHILIP SLOMOVITZ Sets record straight Continued from Page 2 In Stock Unbelievable prices on new and used furniture: - • • • • • DIRECTIONAL LAZYBOY PATRICIAN CHROMCRAFT & MORE HILLEL DAY SCHOOL cc w w 2 z 0 GALAXIE SAVINGS ON OFFICE AND JANITORIAL SUPPLIES S EIGHT M ILE w 0 0 0 0 E N NORTHEN D 0 CAPITAL 10600 Galaxie Ferndale, Michigan 48220 399-9830 come share the experience ... where students learn in an environment of community and tradition, challenge and innovation. We offer a complete English and Hebrew program for grades K-9 in a natural atmosphere of living Judaism. Please join us at our annual Open House Or take Chad, where the Arab minions of Colonel Qad- dafi and his local puppets lay claim to and occupy a large swath of Chad's territory — despite Qaddafi's solemn pledge to remove his troops. And Libya's threats, of course, of continued subversion and conquest extend well beyond Chad and threaten other black African states. So let not the nations of black Africa be side-tracked by the Arab cam- paign of vilification against Is- rael. Let them look not only to their south for what should properly arouse their indigna- tion but to their north as well. The preposterous assertions in the special report do not merit a response, but I will choose for the sake of illustra- tion one example: the accusa- tion of Israel's extensive trade with South Africa. The facts of the matter are well known, even to — and perhaps espe- cially to — our accusers. Is- rael's trade with South Africa, like its trade with other coun- tries, does not imply a blanket endorsement of that country's policies, or else the United States would be taken to endorse the policies of the Soviet Union, the Soviet Union those of West Germany, Brit- ain those of Libya and-gti on. What should at once strike a fair-minded observer is that Israel is being singled out in a ludicrous fashion. For Israel's trade with South Africa is so modest as to be scarcely visi- ble, amounting — according to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures — to less than one-half of one percent of exports and three-quarters of one percent of imports. Nearly 20 countries trade more exten- sively with the Union of South Africa. And what of that large por- tion of South Africa's trade, roughly a quarter of it, that conveniently remains un- specified? This covers up the substantial commerce that takes place between South Af- rica and the Soviet bloc, but especially the massive trade with Arab countries. Arab oil exports to South Af- rica amount to over $1 billion a year. This makes the Arabs among the biggest exporters to South Africa. Israel, with a paltry $129 million, fades into insignificance. Indeed, Arab oil exports to South Africa are at least ten times as great as all of Israel's exports to that coun- try ... The Psalmist could be quoted that "the truth sprouts forth from the earth." Let it apply to the Netanyahu task of demolishing libels and cleansing the record of untruths. Ethiopian tragedy: Secrecy supersedes spreading the news Perhaps ten years ago, at a con- vention of the American Jewish Press Association when the im- passioned involved in efforts to rescue Ethiopian Jews demanded unlimited publicity in their ef- forts, Yehuda Dominitz made an appearance in behalf of the Israel government pleading for caution and limited propaganda in the matter. His argument was that Ethiopians must be rescued quietly, lest the unfriendly rulers of their native land interfere and prevent action in their behalf. What was true then proved cor- rect now and Dominitz may be a victim of failure to recognize the need for unacclaimed action in behalf of unfortunates. In a sense, the Israeli judgment in the matter may prove correct and the Israeli newspapers are to be commended for their coopera- tion in the developing situation. It's a pity that a craving for notor- iety should be causing trouble for the Ethiopian rescue effort. Now it is to be hoped that the task of transporting the Ethio- pian Jews to Israel will somehow continue. Jewish and world sym- pathy and cooperation supports this obligatory task. NEWS on WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30, 1985 7:30 p.m. Reception 8:00-9:30 p.m. Program at Mkt Day School 32200 Middlebelt, Farmington Hills, MI 48018 851-2394 For parents of children entering Kindergarten or 1st Grade - Fall 1985 No child will be denied an education at Hillel because of parents inability to pay the full charges. Tuition allowances will continue to be granted on individual needs. Hillel Day School of Metropolitan Detroit admits Jewish children of any race, color, national or ethnic origin. Its admission and scholarship programs are non discriminatory. Famine relief continues New York (JTA) — The Ameri- can Jewish Joint Distribution Committee reported that its non- sectarian program for famine re- lief in Ethiopia is continuing. The JDC said tha since its ef- forts began on Nov. 1, 82 tons of clothing, cloth, blankets, medicine and medical supplies have been distributed in the Wollo and Bale provinces and other areas affected by the famine. To date, the JDC has received an estimated $2 million worth of cash and goods, with $961,275 in cash received since the JDC "opened its mailbox" to contribu- tions. The JDC has also received per- mission to operate feeding sta- tions in the Gondar region, and is engaged in negotiations with the Agency for International De- velopment to obtain U.S. surplus foods that would be provided to the feeding stations. Persons who wish to make con- tributions can make their checks payable to the JDC and mail them to Ethiopian Relief, c/o JDC, Room 1914, Dept. M, 60 E. 42nd St., New York 10165.