THE JEWISH NEWS

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SEPTEMBER 4, 1987 / 10 ELUL 5747

Israel Downs Lavi;
Kill Is Unconfirmed

HELEN DAVIS

Special to The Jewish News

Jerusalem — Israel's controversial
Lavi fighter plane made a crash lan-
ding Sunday when the cabinet decid-
ed by a single vote to abandon further
production of the aircraft, which was
perceived as Israel's fighter plane of
the 1990s.
The decision was regarded as one
of the most fateful in recent Israeli
history, with far-reaching political,
economic and military implications.
But within hours, former defense
minister Ariel Sharon had called for
a meeting of the Herut Party to
discuss the issue, and it was likely
that he would try to find a way to

reverse the effects of the vote to kill
the Lavi.
A total of $1.5 billion — almost all
provided by the United States — has
been spent on developing the plane
over the past seven years, and a fur-
ther $2.5 billion would have been
necessary to complete the project by
1992.
Earlier this year, however, the
Pentagon, fearing a massive escala-
tion in costs, embarked on a concerted
campaign to persuade the Israeli
government to abandon the project
and to participate instead in the pro-
duction of future generations of
United States fighter planes.
A decision on the project had been
Continued on Page 18

Berman Nominated
To Top CJF Post

ARTHUR HORWITZ

Associate Publisher

Long-time
Detroit Jewish com-
munal
leader
Mandell L. "Bill"
Berman has been
recommended by the
Council of Jewish
Federations'
nominating commit-
tee to serve as presi-
dent of the influen-
umbrella Mandell Berman
tial
organization for local Federations
throughout North America.
The CJF's board of directors,
should it accept the recommendation
of the nominating committee at its

.

THE

MUNICH
MASSACRE
15 YEARS LATER

Marcel Marceau Speaks.

Contents Page 6

meeting Sept. 15 in New York, would
present the Berman-headed slate to
its membership at the General
Assembly Nov. 17-22 in Miami Beach-
for approval.
Nominating Committee Chair-
man Martin Citrin of Detroit, a past
president of CJF, said this week that
his committee finalized its recommen-
dations in July. He declined to con-
firm Berman's nomination, as did
CJF official Donald Feldstein.
Berman declined to comment on
his nomination. Should he win the en-
dorsement of the General Assembly,
it would come on his 70th birthday.
Shoshana Cardin of Baltimore is
completing a third one-year term as
CJF president.
Continued on Page 18