CONTENTS OPINION 24 CLOSE-UP Dark Skies LILA ORBACH South Africa's Jews are torn between affluence and apartheid. LIFE IN ISRAEL Renewing Yavneh 38 DAVID HOLZEL Detroit's new Project Renewal partner likes to take care of itself. BUSINESS Court's Conscience 41 ERIC M. STARKMAN George Brody's integrity restored faith in Detroit's bankruptcy court. 44 SPORTS Scull Sessions A Palestinian on the West Bank: Putting Deir Yassin in perspective. Why Jews Must Acknowledge The Atrocities At Deir Yassin MITCHELL BARD 0 ne of the principal reasons sup- porters of Israel have been so suc- cessful in persuading people of the virtue of their cause is that they present the facts. Those facts more often than not present Israel in a favorable light. This is why it is so important that we do not join the efforts of our critics to rewrite history. I bring this up because of recent articles I have read on the subject of what happened at Deir Yassin. Deir Yassin is frequently raised by Arabs as an example of the barbarism of the Jews. The reason it is cited, even to this day, is because it was a unique event. This does not bother me. What concerns me is that certain Jewish writers are unwilling to acknowledge that what took place was indeed a low point in Jewish history. On April 9, 1948, a combined force of the underground groups Irgun and Lehi entered the village of Deir Yassin. They were met by gunfire. They proceeded into the village and, after several hours and 41 casualties, succeeded in taking Deir Yassin. In his memoirs, former Irgun leader and Prime Minister Menachem Begin claims a warning was issued before the troops engaged the enemy. Others, in- cluding authors Bowyer Bell, Larry Collins and Dominique Lapierre, have presented evidence that the warning was never heard Mitchell Bard is a foreign policy analyst in Washington, D.C. because the truck carrying the loudspeaker ran into a ditch. What is not in question is that the Jewish paramilitary groups killed more than 200 Arab men, women, and children. According to British and Red Cross reports, many of the civilians were brutally murdered, which led to the Deir Yassin in- cident being called a massacre. There were survivors, but they were not left completely untouched as Begin asserts. Instead, many were paraded unceremoniously through the streets of Jerusalem. Jewish leaders were so hor- rified by the incident that the Jewish Agen- cy sent a letter expressing its "horror and disgust" to Transjordan's King Abdullah. For historical purposes, it is important to acknowledge the atrocities committed at Deir Yassin. At the same time, the event must be put in perspective. First, it occurred during the civil war in Palestine. Second, the village was along the supply route to Jerusalem which, at the time, was being blockaded by Arab forces. Moreover, the atrocities committed by the Arabs were no less appalling; that there is no single famous incident is not because of a lack of examples, but because they were more common. In fact, just four days after the reports from Deir Yassin were published, Arabs ambushed a convoy on the way to Hadassah Hospital and kill- ed 34 doctors, nurses, patients, and soldiers and wounded 23 more. In just the first four months after the United Nations' partition plan, more than 500 Jews were killed. Continued on Page 12 MIKE ROSENBAUM Joel Jacob's morning workouts are a long pull for rowing. 53 ENTERTAINMENT Stacks 0' Wax HEIDI PRESS DJ Scott Regan remembers the good old days of the '60s. 73 AROUND TOWN Landsmen Of Mezeritch GARY BAUMGARTEN After 50 years, a charity group is a social club recalling its roots. 82 SINGLE LIFE Batter Up! The Tigers are not the only team that displays a lot of spirit. DEPARTMENTS 14 32 34 64 75 80 82 114 Frontlines Inside Washington Synagogues For Women Engagements For Seniors Births Obituaries CANDLELIGHTING August 5, 1988 8:28 p.m. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 7