I EDITORIAL Out Of Touch This summer, Chicago has been hit by a kind of black-Jewish hostility that city has never seen. It was sparked by Steve Cokely, an aide to the mayor, who ac- cused Jews of infecting black babies with AIDS and conspiring to rule the world. Black leaders reacted with silence. Jewish leaders reacted with fury. The incident prompted concerns that the relationship between blacks and Jews throughout the United States is in serious trouble. If ties between blacks and Jews are not what they once were, part of this can be explained by the fact that our goals have changed. We have accomplished the task of securing equal rights for blacks that we shared in the 1960s. And certainly our relationship suffers when black leaders do not speak out when someone like Cokely spews his anti-Semitic venom. Yet Jews also must accept some of the blame if the black-Jewish bond is faltering. Very few of us are really in touch with the black community of Detroit. We may write a check that will help benefit a few blacks in the inner city, but the majority of us do everything we can to avoid even driving near the area. All too often, our most frequent contact with blacks is relegated to a pleasant discussion over lunch with a colleague, or chatting with the woman behind the store counter. We prefer to leave the "serious discussions" to rabbis and community leaders. This does not constitute the grounds for a solid relationship. Muddying The Waters The king has spoken. And what we heard leaves us, at once, con- cerned, confused, unsettled — and hopeful. Sunday evening, Jordan's King Hussein renounced any claim to the Israeli-occupied West Bank that his Hashemite family had rul- ed between 1948 and 1967. He ceded to the Palestine Liberation Organization the right to be the Arab heir to the West Bank. Although the statement was dramatic, it raises more questions than it answers about the future of the Mideast. But what seems clear, at least in the short run, is that it will bolster Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir's hard-line stand regarding Mideast peace negotiations and damage his chief opponent, Labor's Shimon Peres, in the November elections. Shamir has resisted attempts to negotiate with the Arabs, while Peres has long advocated the "Jordanian op- tion" — a confederation between Jordan and the Palestinians. Now that Hussein has removed that option, Peres and Labor are left with egg on their political face. As our Jerusalem correspondent Helen Davis writes this week, one of Labor's few choices may be to call for "a PLO option" — but that surely, won't fly with the Israeli public. On the other hand, Hussein's statement may be the latest in his efforts to upstage and out-manuever his nemesis, Yasir Arafat. If Hussein is truly withdrawing from the West Bank sweepstakes — and many pundits doubt this — he may be forcing the PLO to water down its anti-Israel vitriol so it can eventually sit down at the negotiating table with Israel. Or Hussein may be forcing both the PLO and the residents of the West Bank into a harsh realization that the guerrilla organiza- tion is inept in administering the West Bank. If that is driven home and Hussein is, indeed, called back to oversee the territories, his hand will be stronger than ever and the "Jordanian option" will no longer be an option: It will be a fact. His resurgence will bolster both his monarchy, the opportunity for territorial compromise, and the U.S. State Department, which surely favors the king over Arafat. That scenario may be wishful thinking, but all is not what it seems in the Mideast, and observers should not conclude that Hussein has simply withdrawn from the political game. COMING SOON FROM A THEATER OF WAR A r 11- E MAACK • • Qtr.RNs I LETTERS Divorce Article Leaves Questions After reading the article "Divorce, Israeli-Orthodox Style" (July 15) not once but several times, I have ques- tions. From what I read there is no hope for women in Or- thodoxy in case of serious problems. I wonder what the rabbis do about physical abuse cases. The woman is still supposed to stay in the situation, the children still continue to see their mother physically abus- ed and since research now shows that abusive men have learned and/or observed this behavior in their own homes the boys may continue this behavior in their adult years. Where in the Torah is this written (that the woman 6 FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1988 must stay) or is this just the interpretation of men for their own personal concerns of lord and master .. . As Jews we are told we are a highly moral religion. I see no morality in the way women are treated. Please, rabbis, some answers! Pearl Forst Southfield Mixing Signals From U.S. Jewry From here I read very con- fusing things about American Jewish leaders. On June 12, Abraham Foxman of the ADL described the frequent visits of Israeli politicians. He par- ticularly criticized efforts to raise funds for the forthcom- ing Knesset elections. Mr. Foxman is concerned about the level of involvement of American Jews in the deci- sion making process in Israel. In his opinion the practice of giving for political purposes undermines the democratic process in Israel. Two days later, on June 14, Reform and Conservative leaders in America openly ex- pressed opposition to legisla- tion regarding "Who is a Jew," electoral reform, and other issues up for vote in the Knesset that day. They say the donations will cease if their views are not respected. What goes on here? Where is the concern for Israeli democracy? It would seem American Jewish leadership is so accustomed to view itself as the vanguard of the Jewish world, the State of Israel has become another foreign coun- try to which they can pon- tificate .. . Zev Davis Upper Nazareth, Israel Israel Is Safe, Ready For Visitors I have just returned from traveling around Israel and attending the Zionist Organization of America con- vention in Jerusalem. I feel that I can say une- quivocally that it is perfectly safe to visit Israel. The American media have done a real hatchet job with exag- gerations, un-truths, half- truths and generally unin- formed reporting on condi- tions in the Land of Israel. Unfortunately, the largest number of cancellations are coming from American Jews. However many others, both Jewish and non-Jewish, have not been deterred from going on their Israeli holidays. Israel is as safe as anywhere in the world and safer than many other tourist destinations. They need our support both moral and finan- cial; please don't let them down. This year in Jerusalem!! James A. Hack Southfield 'blokes' Column Is Appreciated I was pleased to see Philip Slomovitz's column (July 1) on "The Jokes of Oppression." Thank you for the thoughtful and kind words. Permit me, Continued on Page 10