N
NOTEBOOK
REAR ENDS
immilms ■
South Africa Relations
Sparks Israeli Debate
FINAL CLEARANCE SALE
50-75% OFF
DAVID LANDAU
ALL FALL & WINTER MERCHANDISE
JAN. 30 & 31
FRI. & SAT.
APPLEGATE SQUARE, NORTHWESTERN AT INKSTER
tf2E
gE5t U2 MEi2 15.
Special to The Jewish News
6
C170/72En
353-4353
caRtat efotfiEs"
BRUCE WEISS
HAS A
HEART OF GOLD
Beautiful necklaces. Gorgeous rings az bracelets
Personal and perfect gifts to set a heart on fire.
CUSTOM JEWELRY
YOU HAVE IT MADE
26325 TWELVE MILE ROAD, SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN
IN THE MAYFAIR SHOPS AT NORTHWESTERN HIGHWAY
10:00-5:30 MONDAY-SATURDAY, 10:00-8:30 THURSDAY
et)
22
Friday, January 30, 1987
HEART LINE
(313) 353-1424
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
VISA
erusalem — The post-
ponement of a quasi-
academic panel discus-
sion within the foreign minis-
try of Israel's policy towards
South Africa highlighted the
current concern and sensitiv-
ity surrounding this issue.
The panel was to have been
led by the ministry's political
director-general, Dr. Yossi Be-
ilin, who is the closest confid-
ant of Vice Premier and
Foreign Minister Shimon
Peres. It was to include veteran
ministry staffers, officials of
other government depart-
ments, and outside experts. .
But Peres is in Europe and
the acting foreign minister,
Ezer Weizman, ordered Beilin
to call off the conclave.
The director-general had no
choice but to obey. But he poin-
tedly insisted, in interviews,
that the discussion would take
place "next week, when the
minister (Peres) returns."
Heizman, a former minister
of defense and long-time air
force officer, is one of a strong
lobby within government cir-
cles — largely defense-
oriented and crossing pOlitical
party lines — which is reluc-
tant to suddenly sever Israel's
long-standing ties with South
Africa in the wake of American
and Western European deci-
sions to adopt sanctions
against the apartheid regime
in pretoria.
Newsweek magazine reports
this week that Defense Minis-
ter Yitzhak Rabin visited
South Africa recently to warn
the government there that a
shrinkage in the relationship
was inevitable.
Beilin, for his part, has long
led the forces — mainly of the
left and center — which press
for Israel to place itself solidly
alongside the Western coun-
tries in their steadily increas-
ing boycott of South Africa.
These forces put foward
moral arguments, but also se-
verely practical ones: they as-
sert that the white suprema-
cist regime is ultimately
doomed, and it would therefore
be as well for the Jewish State
not to be seen, in Africa, as
going down with the sinking
ship. The other group points to
the cant and hypocrisy which
sully the positions of many of
the western — and indeed
black African — countries re-
garding South Africa.
They note that some of the
most vociferous statesmen de-
manding sanctions represent
states with much larger vol-
umes of trade with South Af-
rica (not to mention invest-
ments) than Israel. And they
add that many states and firms
that ostensibly adhere to
boycott principles in fact cir-
cumvent them in myriad ways.
They add that for every
South African weapons system
that, according to foreign pub-
lications, wave Israeli compo-
/\
j
c/
\
Ezer Weizman:
Called off South Africa debate.
nents or Israeli know-how,
there are many much more
crucial systems that are wholly
supplied by the leading West- K
ern powers, especially France
and Britain.
They assert, with much jus-
tice, that lumping together Is-
rael and South Africa has been
a deliberate Arab propaganda
ploy which, unfortunately for
Israel, has won much success
over the years.
Israel's trade with South Af-
rica includes the import of coal
and raw materials, and some
Israeli industrial exports. Is-
rael gives no official informa-
tion regarding military-
related trade. And there are
always firm and blanket de-
nials to the repeated foreign
media claims of a nuclear rela-
tionship between the two coun-
tries.
If the debate could remain in
the realm of quasi-academic,
Israel's concern would not be so
deep. But the U.S. Congress <
has taken action that suddenly
lifts this issue into the realm of
immediate and painful
decision-making.
The Congress has required of
the Reagan Administration .=(
that it report by April on U.S. I
air recipients that have mili-
tary supply relationships with
South Africa — and the sanc-
tion could be a cut-off of mili-
tary aid to such countries.
Israel, of course, with a $1.8
billion per annum military aid
package at risk, cannot afford
to cross the Congress or embar-
rass the administration in the
eyes of Capitol Hill.
Copyright 1987, JTA, Inc.
Swiss Buying
Israeli Aircraft
Geneva (JTA) — The Swiss
Air Force plans to buy 48 Scout
teleguided military aircraft
from Israel at a cost of 50 mil-
lion Swiss Francs, the
Lausanne daily Le Matin re-
ported recently.
Air Force chief Gen. Walter
Duerig said Scouts purchased
in 1985 were tested and found
acceptable under local condi-
tions. Hans Rudolf Strasser, a c,---1/
defense ministry spokesman,
confirmed the Le Matin report.