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3:•

'Wading Messages

Continued from Page 14

of life and of progress for
every society" (Redemptionis
Anno, April 20, 1954). What
has been said about the right
to a homeland also applies to
the Palestinian people, so
many of whom remain home-
less and refugees. While all
concerned must honestly
reflect on the past — Muslims
no less than Jews and Chris-
tians — it is time to forge
those solutions which will
lead to a just, complete and
lasting peace in that area. For
this peace I earnestly pray .. .
It is my sincere hope that, as

I OPINION I

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16 FRIDAY, SEPT. 18, 1987

Political Action

Continued from Page 7

are as informed

r

partners in dialogue, as fellow
believers in the God who
revealed himself, as children
of Ab raham, we will strive to
render a common service to
humanity, which is so much
needed in this our day..
To all of you, dear friends,
dear brothers and sisters; to
all of you dear Jewish people
of America: with great hope I
wish you the pace of the Lord:
Shalom, Shalom, God bless
you on this Sabbath and in
this year; Shabbath Shalom,
Shanah Tovah we-Hatimah

and symbolism is . a part of
world politics. They suggest,
to those who would hail the
exchanges, that the Pope is
sending messages to the
Christian world that he
wants to improve relations
between Jews and non-Jews.
But lacking specific results,
the meetings also unfor-
tunately send a negative
message: They suggest to his
followers that the Pope simp-
ly succumbed to Jewish
pressure and decided to ap-
pease the Jews with papal
audiences.
In addition, the Vatican
had some strategic public
relations objectives, namely
to avoid any unpleasant con-
frontations with the Jewish
community during his visit in
the United States. Indeed,
that apparently was the
primary goal — not resolution
of key issues straining rela-
tions between the two sides.
The major point is that
pressure should be maintain-
ed on the Vatican. Interfaith
dialogue, while in principle
the desired avenue toward
mutual understanding, has
not diminished anti-Semitism
nor led to international
political policies favorable to
Jews. Howard Singer in his
recent article "The Rise and
Fall of Interfaith Dialogue"
in Commentary, discussed the
futility of these efforts over
the years and, as expected,
received his share of criticism
for this cynicism in subse-
quent letters to the editor
from clergymen — both
Jewish and Catholic.
But the fact remains that to
achieve political change,
more definitive action is
necessary. One can only im-
agine the reaction of blacks if
the Pope had met with the
Botha government of South

Africa or the Grand Dragon
of the Ku Klux Klan — and
worse, praised them.
Would the black communi-
ty be satisfied or comforted
with an ecyclical which holds
that slavery is immoral?
What would be the reaction of
blacks if the Vatican said
blacks have a right to their
own countries but then failed
to follow up with appropriate
political recognition? Blacks
have learned how to achieve
results and they do not come
from intellectual exchanges,
panel discussions, newspaper
articles or letters to the
editor. Blacks would rightful-
ly have taken to the streets
with protests, demonstrations
and boycotts. And even if the
desired results were not
achieved, significant political
pressure would have been
applied.
Had blacks and their
leadership opted for
eliminating segregation
through political dialogue, in-
tegration and the Civil
Rights Acts would still be
light years away. But Jews
have not learned what brings
about political change.
Pickets and protests are not
pleasant tactics; they are
distasteful but they bring
results.
Admittedly, it would be
preferable to achieve change
in the policies of the Vatican
with intellectual political
discussions. But idealism is
not an acceptable substitute
for reality when the stakes
are so high.
World leaders — even
religious ones — do not aban-
don political considerations
and act on principle no mat-
ter how persuasive the argu-
ment. And it's time for Jews
to come to grips with that and
act accordingly.

