THE JEWISH NEWS

THIS ISSUE 50c

SERVING DETROIT'S METROPOLITAN JEWISH COMMUNITY

DECEMBER 27, 1985

Is Assad Controlling
Middle East Peace?

The U.S. believes Syria can
boost or kill the prospects for
peace talks.

BY WOLF BLITZER
Special to The Jewish News

Washington —
The Reagan Ad-
ministration has
grudgingly begun to
take Syria's views of
the Arab-Israeli
peace process more
seriously.
Over the past
two years, ever since
Hafez Assad
the Syrian regime of
President Hafez Assad successfully
managed to derail the ill-fated
Israeli-Lebanese security accord and
return to a position of considerable
power and influence in Lebanon,

American officials have slowly but
surely come around to take another
look at Syria's potential role in any
peace talks.
There is a consensus among senior
U.S. officials that the Syrians cur-
rently have it within their power to
kill any real prospects for expanding
Arab-Israeli peace talks. They also be-
lieve that the Syrians, if they so
wanted, could give peace a tremendous
boost. They insist that Syria has lately
not been as "negative" as usual, but
they are not certain why.
The Americans are not suffering
from any illusions. They fully ap-
preciate the pragmatic but ruthless
nature of the Assad regime. They un-
derstand the implications of Syria's
formal treaty relationship with the
Soviet Union. They are not holding
their breath waiting for the Syrian

Continued on Page 8

Israel Chief Rabbis
Ponder Soviet Visit

Quiet inquiries are being
made with diplomats.

Life in academia
wasn't for her, so
Norma Gluckstern
went to prison.

Jerusalem (JTA) — Israel's two
Chief Rabbis, Avraham Shapiro
(Ashkenazic) and Mordechai Eliahu
(Sephardic) may become the first chief
rabbis of the Jewish State to visit the
Soviet Union.
Shapiro told the Jerusalem Post
Sunday that the two have already
made tentative inquiries. He said he
has discussed the proposed trip with
the new Finnish Ambassador in Israel
(who represents Soviet interests in
Jerusalem) and plans to discuss it with
other diplomats.
Many high-ranking clergymen of
the Russian Orthodox Church have
paid official visits to Israel. Chief
Rabbi Adolph Shayevich of Moscow
said on an Israel Television interview
from Paris that he wanted to visit Is-
rael and would if he was involved. Ac-
cording to Shayevich, Soviet Jews who
want to leave the USSR only need
patience.
"In the end, all who want to come

will come," he said.
Shayevich was in Paris last week
together with two long-time Soviet
apologists, Gen. David Dragunsky and
Samuel Zivs. All three are members of
the so-called "Jewish Anti-Zionist
Committee of the USSR." The three
had come to Paris to try to explain the
Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev's
visit to Paris last fall and his meeting

Continued on Page 32

Births

66

Business

63

Classified Ads

68

Editorials

4

Obituaries

79

Purely Commentary

2

Danny Raskin

42

Singles

66

Synagogues

53