Sabra, Shatilla And Media Hypocrisy

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J eL

`Shmoozin,' A New Cartoon, Has Its Debut 8

Jordan's Queen Calls Israel 'A Fact Of Life'

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EdIfOlthinshteyn Waves The Flag

THIS ISSUE 50`

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SERVING DETROIT'S METROPOLITAN JEWISH COMMUNITY

JULY 5, 1985

Who's To Blame?

Detroiters don't blame
Israel for the TWA
hostage crisis.

BY HEIDI PRESS

Local News Editor

Israel is blameless for the hos-
tage situation, respondents con-
cluded in an unscientific poll con-
ducted Monday by The Jewish News.
Taken at the Hunters Square
mall in Farmington Hills, The
Jewish News poll asked shoppers,

Picketers at the Trans World Airlines
office in Tel Aviv last week protested the
treatment of skyjack hostages in Beirut
who had Jewish-sounding names.

"Was Israel to blame for the hostage
situation?"
Fifteen persons responded, and
all 15 gave replies of "No."
"Only the people who did it were
to blame," Mary Kaftan of South-
field said. Bonnie Ison of Detroit
agreed. "With hostilities on both
sides anything is going to happen.
No side is to blame."
Dr. Milt Blake of London, Ont.,
who was visiting the area, said that
Israel was not exclusively to blame.
He said that Israel's role was central
to the situation, but not the main
factor.
Leon Cohan, president of the
Jewish Community Council, told
news media Sunday that the
Israeli-held prisoners were not the
central issue, since Israel had al-
ready had in mind to release the
prisoners before the hostage crisis
took place. He added that the situa-
tion was a ploy for the terrorists to
publicize their plight.
Ron Berman of Southfield was
adamant in his answer. He said Is-
rael was "absolutely not" responsible
and remarked that the situation was
caused by the continuing hostilities
in Lebanon.
Both Jews and non-Jews were
questioned in the poll. Many of the
respondents opted to give a one-word
response, declining to comment

Continued on Page 22

Economic Program
Has Israel On Edge

`Draconian' measures are
aimed at halting Israel's
economic slide.

Jerusalem (JTA) — Suspense
ran high in Israel this week as the
nation awaited the outcome of a
marathon Cabinet session that was
expected to produce the most far-
reaching and draconian economic
program in the history of the state.
The program, presented by Fi-
nance Minister Yitzhak Modai, has
the strong backing of Premier Shi-
mon Peres. Its aim is to try to halt
Israel's rapid slide toward economic

collapse. Cabinet sources said Sun-
day that Peres made it clear at the
outset of the weekly meeting that he
would keep the Cabinet in session
all night if necessary until the
ministers made a decision.
Once the decision is made, every
minister will have to support it pub-
licly or resign, Peres is reported to
have said. Sources close to the Pre-
mier expressed confidence however
that the economic program, however
painful, will be adopted. If not, they
warned, the Labor-Likud national
unity government will not survive.
In other economic news, despite
assurances by Finance Minister Yit-

zhak Modai to Ata employees that
their June wages and salaries were
assured and would be paid, the offi-
cial receiver, now responsible for the
affairs of the ailing textile complex
whose closure now appears certain,
says he cannot pay.
The receiver said last week that
the district court order under which
he operates instructed him to close
down the company and dismiss the
workers.
Meanwhile, Jewish Agency Trea-
surer Akiva Lewinsky offered a
series of proposals last week to im-
prove Israel's serious housing situa-
tion.

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