PURELY COMMENTARY
`Fifth Column' Re-Emerges As Test And Warning
PHILIP SLOMOVITZ
Editor Emeritus
A
question that was posed about
Arabs in Israel immediately
upon the acquisition to
sovereignty by the redeemed Jewish
state was: Will the Arabs who have
chosen to remain in Israel be fully
cooperative and loyal to the Jewish
state?
This question arose repeatedly and
there was the frequent suspicion that
perhaps there will be betrayals.
Then came oft-repeated gestures of
good will. The Arab population grew in
numbers. Arabs were employed and
became unionized, as members of
Histadrut. They had paths to academia.
They were welcomed into government
services and had representation in the
Knesset. They are not admitted into the
army for security reasons. Therefore the
unpleasant question whether there is
the danger of a fifth column only lurk-
ed in the mind. There were still the con-
tinuing exchanges of formalities which
could be judged as friendship.
Why shouldn't there be friendships
when people were neighborly, the
children had the best schooling, the
villages were assured the best accom-
modations in modernity?
There still were no tangible
evidences of a fifth column during the
Israeli wars with the Arabs. Yet, there
was the repeated admission: blood is
thicker than water. In effect, it meant
that there is always the suspicion that
something may burst.
Is it bursting? Are the present
Israeli administrators blind to realities?
Did Israel fail to take into account
hidden dangers and unwisely erred in
the necessities that should have led to
a genuine cooperation that would have
produced a loyalty that is so necessary
for perpetuating the benefits from a
true friendship for Arabs in Israel as
well as their fellow citizens, the
Israelis?
Now there arises the need to con-
sider realistically the suspicion of a fifth
column.
There are, on the record, important
definitions of fifth column.
Familiar Quotations by (John)
Bartlett makes these brief references to
fifth column:
Emilio Mola (1887-1937), one
of Franco's generals, boasted
that he had four columns of
troops to lead against Madrid
and a fifth column of sym-
pathisers inside Madrid.
"The cart has no place
where a fifth wheel could be
used;' credited to Herbert Von
Fritzlar, (1210).
Those who have gained a way of
judging the trials of our time in articles
on Op-Ed pages of important
newspapers would do well to take into
consideration the menacing aspects
resulting not only from rock throwing
but from the demands for an end to
Jewish existence in its historically
autonomous homeland. An Arab poet
who was previously hailed as
"moderate" has just written a poem
telling Jews to get out. Doesn't an An-
thony Lewis recognize the existing
menace to all of Israel implied in "get
out" when he assumes that 70,000 Jews
can be shuttled out of Judea-Samaria
(West Bank) with ease when the would-
with important analyses of Israeli con-
ditions in many articles and in an im-
portant book dealing with Israel's
foreign affairs. His second book,
Members of the Tribe is due in the fall.
In Arab Rage Inside Israel, he com-
menced with an introduction.
Ze'ev Chafets
be destroyers of Israel intend the
ousting of all Jews from all of Israel?
Does Abba Eban have faith in the
members of the UN Security Council
who always voted to harm Israel to be
judges of Israel in an international con-
ference? Can't they see the danger of a
fifth column in all that is transpiring
now?
Therefore, we must turn to a more
realistic view of the present conditions.
Ze'ev Chafets, who was born in Pontiac,
Mich. and made aliyah to Israel and at-
tained an important place in that coun-
try during the premiership of
Menachem Begin, wrote an article in
the April 3, New York Times Magazine,
under the title "Arab Rage Inside
Israel!' Chafets, who had his universi-
ty education in this state, is on record
On peace day in Jaffa, Victor
Tayar learned something about
his neighbors. "It was a Monday
afternoon, about 3 o'clock," said
the burly Tayar, sipping coffee in
the restaurant he owns and
recalling the general strike stag-
ed by Israel's Arab citizens on
Dec. 21, 1987. "I heard that the
Arabs were holding a
demonstration and I was
curious. I mean, the Arabs of
Jaffa have never been very
political."
Tayar, a Jew, walked over to
Yefet Street, not far from the Ot-
toman clocktower that is the
chief landmark of Tel Aviv's
decaying twin city. "I couldn't
believe my eyes;' he said. "There
must have been 1,500 people out
there. And they were angry . ."
Tayar knew many of the
Peace Day demonstrators on
Yefet Street. More than a few
had voted for him. But as he ap-
proached, he was startled to
hear them shouting rhythmical-
ly, "In baladna, yahud kalabna"
— in Arabic, "This is our coun-
try and the Jews are our dogs."
"I went over to a woman
whose son I helped get out of
jail," said Tayar. "I said,
`Samiha, this is me, Victor.
Continued on Page 40
'Blessed America' Salutes Centenarian Irving Berlin
M
usical America is about to
commence what is certain to
be a long-lasting salute to the
"King of Music," Irving Berlin. Much
earlier than May 11, his 100th birthday,
the affection and enthusiasm for him
and his numerous ballad hits that run
into a thousand or more will have
another unanimously-popular acclaim.
There are already the endless occa-
sions at which "God Bless America,"
which has large support to be named
the American national anthem, is occa-
sion for spirited jubilation. And there
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: lay
'PRIL 15 1988
April 15, 1988
are the millions who can't forget the in-
fluence "Oh How I Hate To Get Up in
the Morning" had on the military forces
during World War I with a retention of
devotion to this day.
And there are the hundreds of other
songs that have become a part of
American folklore.
When he was born he was Israel
Baline. "Marie from Sunny Italy" was
his first published song and it carried
the legend "Words by I. Berlin!' Among
his many tunes were some with an in-
dication of a Jewish concern, especial-
ly "Yiddishe Eyes!'
Irving Berlin was 4 years old when
he was brought to this country by his
parents who fled from his native Rus-
sian village of Thmum. The pogrom that
caused their migration was one of the
few memories of his birthplace he car-
ried with him. He also recalled the bag-
gage that accompanied them — clothes,
frying pans, bedclothes and even some
furniture.
Isaac, who later became Irving, ac-
quired much of his musical inspiration
from the dirges he heard his rabbi-
cantor father chant in a synagogue on
New York's East Side. His father also
earned part of his livelihood as an in-
spector of kosher meat. His basic oc-
cupation however was as choir master
and cantor and he urged his son to
learn the cantorial art.
Rabi Baline's death when Israel was
8 imposed the obligation for the
youngster to seek some means of
assisting the family. Selling
newspapers, however, brought so few
pennies that the youngster began to
sneak into Bowery bars where he sang
popular tunes and thereby was reci-
pient of coins from appreciative
customers.
It was after his bar mitzvah at the
age of 14, that he left his home and soon
became a singing waiter in a
Chinatown restaurant owned by "Nig-
ger Mike," a Russian Jew who was
dark-skinned.
The fascinating highlights in
Berlin's life were a most interesting
background story that I published in
the Detroit Jewish Chronicle in 1925.
The article was by Henry Montor, then
a writer for Jewish newspapers who 30
years later was the Jewish leader, alter-
nately associated with the Joint
Distribution Committee and then the
United Jewish Appeal, who inspired
David Ben-Gurion to commence the
tasks for the establishment of the Israel
Bonds venture.
Montor recorded a most important
experience in the life of the man who
was soon to become famous as Irving
Berlin. In his essay about "Nigger
Mike," background, Montor related:
It was the motto "Honesty is
the best policy" or something
akin to it which brought Izzy
Baline his first notoriety. It hap-
pened that the then Prince
Louis of Battenberg was visiting
New York and was being shown
through Chinatown. Nigger
Mike was flustered by the
presence of such distinguished
company, and he insisted that
the drinks be on the house. The
prince tried to make up for this
generosity by giving a heavy tip
to the waiter, but to his amaze-
ment the latter backed away
respectfully when the coin was
offered to him. The next day Iz-
zy's name was in print, for an
enterprising reporter, who had
seen this waiter's refusal of the
tip, decided that it was a good
news story. That reporter is now
Mr. Swope, editor of the New
York World.
This 63-year old story that was
distributed by Seven Arts Feature Syn-
dicate, was more than an anecdote in
Continued on Page 40