THE JEWISH NEWS

THIS ISSUE 60cP

SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY

I CLOSE-UP I

Senate Letter Draws
Fire And Praise

KIMBERLY LIFTON and
ELIZABETH KAPLAN

Staff Writers

A letter signed by 30 U.S.
senators, and circulated a week before
Israel Prime Minister Yitzhak
Shamir's planned visit to
Washington, has raised some
eyebrows in Jewish circles throughout
the country.
Drafted by Michigan Sen. Carl
Levin and signed by some of Israel's
staunchest supporters, the letter
lauded Secretary of State George
Shultz for his recent Middle East
peace efforts.
The letter criticized Shamir for
his rejection of the land-for-peace op-
tion, and condemned Jordan for back-
ing away from its earlier support of
a Jordanian-Palestinian delegation to
negotiate with Israel.
Proponents of land for peace urge
that Israel consider relinquishing ter-

MARCH 11, 1988 / 22 ADAR 5748

ritory in exchange for a peace treaty.
In an interview from his New
York office, Abraham Foxman, na-
tional director of the Anti-Defamation
League of B'nai B'rith, called the let-
ter premature.
"It certainly was well-intentioned
and nobody is questioning, challeng-
ing or has any doubts about the com-
passion, concern, love and affection
for Israel of the senators;' Foxman
said.
But the ADL leader cautioned
that the peace process is too delicate
an issue to be addressed in a letter,
and said that such public statements
hold the potential of inspiring a
"siege mentality!"
Foxman and other Jewish leaders
questioned the timing of the letter.
Shamir is expected to arrive in
Washington Sunday and is scheduled
to meet Wednesday with President
Ronald Reagan.

Continued on Page 20

Gaza Has Not Slowed
AJCampaign Pledges

ALAN HITSKY

Associate Editor

The Allied Jewish Campaign has
been setting a record pace in spite of
— or perhaps because of — the recent
Palestinian unrest in Gaza and the
West Bank
"I know of only a few, perhaps two
or three out of 18,000 Detroit-area
contributors, who are sitting on
pledges because of the political situa-
tion," said Jane Sherman, who co-
chairs the local Campaign with David
Hermelin.
Hermelin commented that

"nobody promised Jews that every
day would be an Entebbe or a '67 War.
Most people recognize that • (the
Palestinian situation) is a serious
question. But people shouldn't com-
promise their position because of the
slants of the newspapers and the
media!" (Hermelin and his partners
own several local radio stations and
one in New York.)
"Most people have said in
response that Israel isn't as bad as it's
being painted. And a lot of people
have responded more generously" in
reaction to the negative coverage,
Continued on Page 18

Domino's
Delivers
To Israel

.r4fr

STRIKING
BACK

The Split In
Jewish Religious Unity

CONTENTS PAGE 7

