Alarming Days

These are jittery, difficult days for America, domestically and
around the world. On Monday, Wall Street had its worst day in
history, with stock prices down 22 percent in a single day; that same
day the conflict in the Persian Gulf escalated as the U.S. military
carried out a raid on Iranian oil platforms.
,Separate events, thousands of miles apart, but there are some
common themes at play here. In each case, we have overextended
ourselves and taken risks. What is needed is leadership, long-range
strategy, and coordination between the U.S. and our allies.
Huge budget deficits during the Reagan years have left America
dependent on Japan and Europe for the capital necessary to keep
our economy moving. Experts say that in order to maintain price
stability and prosperity, we must reach a deal with Japan and Europe.
They would reduce domestic interest rates, _making dollar in-
vestments more appealing, while the U.S. would cut the budget
deficit, reducing future dependence on foreign capital.
In the Persian Gulf, the U.S. finds itself increasingly caught up
in a long and nasty war between two lawless regimes, Iran and Iraq.
Why? Because containing Iran is in the interest of the U.S., the gulf
states, Europe and Japan. But it seems certain that Iran will con-
tinue to provoke us, testing our resolve and commitment, hoping we
will withdraw our forces under domestic pressure in the post-Vietnam
era. That is why the U.S. must ensure that its allies stand together
with her to reduce the risks involved.
From Wall Street to the waters of the Persian Gulf, the lesson
that applies here is that we must not venture forth in areas — finan-
cial or military — where we cannot afford to lose.

ing the Six-Day War, has asked the Israelis for permission to stay
for a second three-month period.
These actions by the Soviet Union, coupled with a painfully small
increase in the overall numbers of Soviet Jews that have been allowed
to emigrate this year, led to some quiet hopes that the Soviet Union
was entering a new era in its relationship with its own Jewish
citizens and with the State of Israel.
Those quiet, unspoken hopes may have been dashed last week
when the Soviet delegation at the United Nations voted unsuccessful-
ly to reject the credentials of Israel's UN delegation:
Soviet clients Hungary and Romania voted in favor of Israel, thus
underlining their recent moves toward improved relations with Israel.
Other Eastern European Communist delegations absented
themselves from the vote to avoid offending Israel or the Arabs.
Among the Communists, only the Soviets raised their hand against
Israel.
Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev's glasnost policy offered some
hope that "openness" would be extended to Israel and Soviet Jews.
The raised, open Soviet hand at the UN last week raised important
questions, and cautions, about Soviet intentions.

Russian Fist

The Soviet Union, in an effort to re-establish its influence in the
Middle East and any future peace process between Israel and the
Arab states, has sent some interesting signals in recent weeks.
Long-term refuseniks Ida Nudel and Vladimir Slepak were final-
ly granted permission to emigrate to Israel. Svetlana Braun, Russian-
born wife of attorney Keith Braun, is now just waiting for the
bureaucratic wheels to finalize her departure from Moscow so that
she can join her husband in Detroit. A low-level Soviet delegation
in Israel, the first since Moscow broke relations with Jerusalem dur-

I LETTERS

Zionists Killed
Immigrant Bill

I found David Holzel's com-
ments about memories of
America turning its back on
refugees from the Holocaust
interesting (Sept. 25).
On public record in the Na-
tional Archives in
Washington, D.C. one can find
that during World War II,
President Franklin D.
Roosevelt was about to sign
into legislation a bill that
would have permitted
250,000 European Jews to
come to the United States.
Leading American Zionists
interceded -and dissuaded
President Roosevelt from
signing the bill. The reason:
Zionists did not want Euro-
pean Jews to go anywhere but
Palestine where an increased
Jewish population was need-

FEIDAY,, 9q11-23, 1987 - .

ed to justify the creation of
the Israeli State.
Recent calls by Menachem
Begin and Yitzak Shamir to
compel Russian Jews to go to
Israel instead of Europe or
the U.S. is nothing more than
an extension of the. Zionist
policy that governed the
Holocaust refugees.

That All.Time
Baseball Team

on this team over a
journeyman like Cal Abrams
whose only two seasons as a
full-time regular were with
cellar teams. Unfortunately,
Kauffs career was cut short
when he was banished from
the game for associating with
thieves and his best years
were in the Federal League,
an outlaw league. However,
he was a regular on some of
the best New York Giants
teams around World War I
and played in the World
Series.

Anytime anybody suggests
an all-time team in a sport,
there is bound to be debate.
Chuck Hershberger's column
(Oct. 16) on the all-time
Jewish baseball team certain-
ly does that.
The playing record
(1912-1920) of Benny Kauff
certainly merits his selection

If there is any debate over
Jim Palmer's religion, then
his spot can be filled by Ed
Reulbach who starred on the
great Cub teams in the first
decade of the century, winn-
ing 181 games and leading
the league in winning percen-
tage three consecutive years.
His catcher, Johnny Kling

Michael H. Traison
Detroit

can give Harry Danning a
run for his money.
Finally, where did Her-
shberger obtain authentica-
tion of the religion of former
Tigers Al Federoff, Dave
Roberts and Bob Melvin? No
publication I've ever read ever
mentioned it.

Lawrence Hyman
West Bloomfield

Abourezk Is
Inappropriate

The board of the Detroit
Zionist Federation, at its last
meeting adopted the follow-
ing resolution:
- That: "The Detroit Zionist
Federation feels it is inap-
propriate for the Jewish Book
Fair to provide a forum for
James Abourezk."

Norman Naimark
President

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