EDITORIAL
Splitting The Coalition
If Israel's government falls this week, the silver lining is that at
least it will be over an issue of consequence: whether or not to endorse
the idea of an international peace conference.
Labor and Likud, the two major parties that make up the majority
of the coalition government, are split on the issue. Foreign Minister
Shimon Peres, representing Labor, has energetically worked for such a
conference. He believes he has achieved enough of a commitment from
King Hussein of Jordan (to enter direct talks with Israel under the
umbrella of an international forum) to ask the Cabinet to go forward.
Peres is expected to resign if the Cabinet rejects the proposal, thus
forcing new elections.
Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir, leader of the Likud, is adamantly
opposed to an international forum, maintainig that it will bring the
Soviets back into the Mideast picture and "would leave Israel alone
against the rest of the world."
Each side has gone as far as to send its own envoy to Washington
to make its case with the Reagan Administration. So much for unity
in Jerusalem's coalition.
There are still fundamental issues to be determined regarding the
conference, such as who would represent the Palestinians and whether
or not the Soviets would take part.
In terms of Israeli internal politics, it appears that Peres has a
motive for moving quickly. He is seeking to force the issue of an
international conference to divert attention away from Abba Eban's
committee report, to be issued soon, on the Pollard spy episode. The
report is expected to conclude that Peres and Yitzhak Rabin seriously
mishandled the case. Peres would prefer that the citizenry debate
peace conferences rather than botched spying efforts. It should be
noted, though, that Shamir will probably not emerge from the Pollard
investigation unscathed either.
In the meantime, the crucial issue of participation in a peace
conference will be debated, where it should be, in the Cabinet.
commemorations in Michigan, the local neo-Nazis surfaced again last
weekend, staging a spur-of-the-moment demonstration in Birmingham.
When the mood of passersby turned disagreeable, Birmingham police
escorted the Nazi publicity-seekers out of town.
Within 30 minutes, the performance was re-staged in Royal Oak,
where police changed the script and arrested 13 adult and juvenile SS
Action Group members on charges of disorderly conduct and
disturbing the peace.
Professor Baruch Gitlis of Bar-Ilan University and the Karren
Institute of Propaganda Analysis made an interesting observation
during his Detroit visit this week: the most effective propaganda
employs a series of half-truths that force educated persons to question
the truth. The uneducated are not as easily affected because they
stubbornly hold to their version of the truth.
Trying to re-educate the neo-Nazis may be an impossible task in
light of Dr. Gitlis' findings. But his research should serve as a
warning to all of us.
When we have our facts in order, we are not susceptible to half-
truths and propaganda. With the coming of spring, it is time to re-
assess our own knowledge on Israel, on the Nazis, and our 'personal
and group relationships with others.
Rites Of Spring
Spring time, flowers, warm weather and Nazi demonstrations.
Michigan is a wonderful place in the spring as we shake off the
winter lethargy, do some windowsill or backyard gardening, and lazily
respond to Michigan's annual rebirth and regeneration.
Unfortunately, it is also a time for a regeneration of the SS Action
Group and other neo-Nazis and white supremacists. Perhaps
responding to publicity surrounding the annual Holocaust memorial
LETTERS
Weinberger Against
Interests of U.S.
Jonathan Jay Pollard, assign-
ed to the Anti-Terrorist Alert
Center in Suitland, Maryland,
discovered American in-
telligence information regar-
ding threats Israel faced from
terrorists, deadly new war
materials, and from Soviet
weapons being supplied Arab
states, in particular to Syria,
was being intentionally
withheld. Even though U.S. and
Israel had an agreement to ex-
change intelligence data, infor-
mation vital to Israel's survival
— information they had every
right to expect — was being
kept secret. . . .
Secretary of Defense Caspar
W. Weinberger told the court
Pollard was the most dangerous
spy in American history and
should be hanged. Weinberger,
in his letter to the judge,
6
Friday, May 8, 1987
declared that the Pollards had
"succumbed to the same virus
of treason which had infected
the Rosenbergs." Our Secretary
of Defense stated that Pollard
by ensuring Israel's continued
military superiority has ir-
retrievably damaged America's
security, contributed to in-
stability in the Middle East and
weakened America's standing
throughout the Arab world .. .
Pollard asks, "If neither Ann
nor I are communists then
what on earth could we have in
common with the Rosenbergs?"
Pollard contends he was charg-
ed with conducting his ac-
tivities "for the benefit of the
State of Israel," not against the
United States. Further, he
states "not one document in-
volved with this affair pertain-
ed to either American defense
or diplomatic secrets." (letter
sent by Pollard from the
Federal Correctional Institute
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
in Springfield, Missouri. —
quoted by Julius Liebb, April
23, Jewish Press ). In a
Jerusalem Post interview,
March 21, Pollard said he re-
mains confident "what I did
will be significant to the
defense of Israel resulting in
the savings of Jewish lives as
well as defending American in-
terests."
Mr. Weinberger states Mr.
Pollard was guilty of treason.
Under our constitution (Art.
sec. 3) treason is defined as giv-
ing aid and comfort to our na-
tion's enemies. Does Weinberg
consider Israel an enemy of
United States?
Isn't our Secretary of Defense
against terrorism and the
spread of Soviet power? Why
would Caspar Weinberger want
to aid Soviet-backed Syria's
preparations for war by sup-
pressing information about
Syria's weapons and war
material needed by Israel to
prepare a defense?
Hymie Cutler, chairman
Metro Detroit Chapter
Americans For a Safe Israel
Article Omitted
Progressive List
I read with interest your ar-
ticle of April 24th regarding the
upcoming World Zionist
Organization elections (Power
At Stake In Zionist Elections).
What your article did not do
is even mention the one list
competing for delegates to the
WZC which offers a fundamen-
tal alternative to the right-
wing parties. It also offers a
real alternative to the Labor
Party . . .
That alternative is the Pro-
gressive Zionist List. It is sup-
ported by a coalition which in-
cludes the Israeli Citizens
Rights and Mapam parties,
along with Hashomer Hatzair
and Americans for Progressive
Israel, and by Zionist members
of New Jewish Agenda.
The PZL is the one list that
identifies with the goals of the
Israeli peace movement. It sup-
ports negotiations to achieve
peace, which include all involv-
ed parties, premised upon
mutual recognition of the
rights of national self-
determination and the renun-
ciation of terror and violence. It
condemns all acts of terrorism,
whether committed by Arabs or
Jews. It calls for aid to city
neighborhoods, rural set-
tlements and development
towns within Israel's pre-1967
borders rather than the peace
process.
It is committed to closing the
economic gap between
Ashkenazic and Oriental Jews
and to the promotion of equali-
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