PURELY COMMENTARY
Pro-Israel Empathy
Continued from Page 2
Luther King. It includes, accor-
ding to his book on the subject
in Arabic, "attempts to block the
roads, disrupt communications,
cut electricity, telephone and
water lines,prevent the move-
ment of equipment" — all as a
complement to, not a substitute
for, "armed struggle."
Yet this violent facet of
Awad's character was largely
missing from television ac-
counts when Israel detained
him, then expelled him after his
visa expired. Instead, the TV im-
age portrayed a rather jolly
fellow working on the West
Bank to turn swords into
plowshares.
There is another very shocking
reference to Mubarak Awad to be taken
into consideration. In his June 29
"Digest of the Yiddish Press" column
in The Jewish Post and Opinion, Rabbi
Samuel Silver quoted the following
from the Yiddisher Kemfer:
So he believes in non-
violence? So he's a disciple of
Mahatama Gandhi? The heavily
publicized Mubarak Awad
wants it both ways . . . he's a
pacifist and he's a follower of the
PLO. In the Yiddisher Kemfer
we find a quotation from a talk
he gave to Jewish students in Tel
Aviv, shortly before his
deportation:
"When I look at you I see that
I hate every one of you. I see
how ugly you are, as Israelis, as
Jews. You are a people without
a conscience, without morality.
You have nothing in your hearts,
in your minds, in your Tanach,
in anything you own . . . We
Palestinians do not like you, and
we don't trust you. Stones being
thrown at you have a message:
Get Out."
This is difficult to believe, yet it
must be quoted. What hope is there for
peace with such adoration, especially
from one who claims he is non-violent.
It is therefore heartening to read a
factual declaration that leans towards
defense of Israel and the Jewish hopes
for her security. In his U.S. News and
World Report editorial, "Does Might
Make Wrong?," Zuckerman wrote:
When dazzlingly high expec-
tations of nonviolent behavior
are not realized, as they could
never be, Israel is upbraided for
a decline in its moral fiber.
That's not playing fair. Israel
is entitled to some ethical
credibility. It does not seek
praise. It does not claim to be
perfect. "There is no righteous
person in the world who will do
good and never sin" (Ec-
clesiastes 7:20). But Israel has
consistently fulfilled the test of
morality: It recognizes the in-
evitable transgressions and
holds the wrongdoer accoun-
table to the higher ideals of the
society.
Can the same be said for the
leadership among its enemies?
For a leadership whose intran-
42
FRIDAY, JULY 29, 1.988
sigent rejection of Israel has
condemned Palestinians to the
wastes of war and the miseries
of occupation?
Until quite recently, the im-
age of Israel as the beleaguered
democracy surrounded by ene-
mies has engendered wide-
spread moral support in the
West — generally reflected in the
media. It is the West Bank and
Gaza disorders, especially as
they appear on TV, that have led
to a loss of moral support for
Israel.
What's changed? For most
Israelis, the fundamentals re-
main unaltered: The Arabs are
simply in a different phase of
war.
Israel History
In Cartoons
T
he record of Israel's experi-
ences in the 40 years of au-
tonomy is told in an ac-
cumulated set of cartoons that emerege
as an historic record. Cartoons often tell
the facts of history more impressively
in a single picture than inwritten col-
umns. For more than 40 years Noah Bee
has been drawing cartoons and he has
become a guide for weekly newspaper
readers. His cartoons were syndicated
during the four decades by the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency. Now, in a volume
published by Bloch, they are assembl-
ed under the title "Israel at 40: Years
of Triumphs, Trials and Errors — An
American Cartoonist's View of Israel."
With a foreword by Wolf Blitzer, a
lengthy introduction by the cartoonist
Noah Bee is an essay about his art and
the Jewish inspirations in his drawings.
A history of Israeli experiences
emerges.
The titles to the cartoons were writ-
ten by Murray Zukoff, who was editor
of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.
The entire experiences of history, as
well as holidays, community occur-
rences and other events are in the many
cartoons in this volume. This is how the
cartoonist keeps memory alive.
It is a glorious story, often marred
by sad recollections. Memories are kept
alive, the challenging as well as the
thrillingly heartening.
Poisonous Pilgrimage:
Mideast To Atlanta
A
violence that compels the Israel that is
on the defensive to resort to military
measures to assure security for the
assailed Israelis. The need was and con-
tiues to be for the search for the peace
so urgent for Jews and Arabs alike.
In the process of Israel's retaining
the autonomy attained in the redemp-
tion prayed for during centuries of in-
describable agonies, the United States
provides the greatest comfort. It has
been and hopefully will continue to be
the policy of both political parties.
Friendship with Israel has always been
non-partisan.
The spirit that motivated a discus-
sion about self-determination and state-
building for Arabs at the Democratic
national convention did not contribute
to good will. It did not erase the an-
tagonism that is in the path of friend-
ship and good neighborliness that is
such a vital necessity in the Middle
East.
Israel's enemies appear to have ac-
complished the nefarious purpose of in-
jecting a measure of suspicion of Jews
in an important political arena. It is
much worse. It is the unfriendly at-
titude toward Jews among the blacks
that is saddening.
The negative and destructive ac-
tions became biracially menacing at the
Democratic convention because it was
part of the ideological program ad-
vocated by Jesse Jackson. It became evi-
dent as an element in Jacksonian
policies that are already judged as
damaging to Israel's needs for
self-protection.
It is not exaggeration to view the
developing conflict as resulting from
the Arab-black alliance that is pre-
judicial to the established American
friendship with Israel.
Therefore the cause for great con-
cern that the venom of the Middle East
should have been brought to the plat-
form of the Democratic convention.
The hatred for Israel in pro Arab
black ranks should never have been en-
couraged. Now it has been fanned into
American national manifestations. Can
it be repaired and suspicions among
American fellow citizens avoided?
Jesse Jackson can do it. In the spirit
of Martin Luther King he should under-
take a campaign to eliminate hatreds,
with as much vigor as he has inspired
the pro-Arab sentiment on the
Democratic convention platform. This
is a duty evolving upon him and all his
associates.
There is much more of serious
concern in national political trends.
One of the reports on the Democratic
National Convention, in the New
York Times, includes, in the list of
"Jackson supporters who were added
to the Democratic national committee
the name of "Ruth Ann Skaff of
Texas, a vocal supporter of the
Palestine Liberation Organization."
Does this imply the introduction
sad experience has been regis-
tered in the chronicle of politi-
cal events in this country. These
are sad days to remember as our hearts
and minds aim to overcome the
unpleasantness of the introduction of of PLOism and its encouragement to
venom involved in the Jewish struggle terrorism into our social-political-
for justice and human relations with libertarian system? In that case the
our Arab cousins.
Very unpleasant developments have reminder to all justice-loving
become a measure of distress in the life Americans of the Jeffersonian ad-
of Israel and Jewry in recent months. monition: "Eternal vigilance is the
The road to peace is marred by the price of liberty!'