Chemical Weapons There have been significant and well-publicized efforts of late to halt the proliferation of nuclear weapons, but the civilized world seems all too oblivious to the dangers of chemical weapons. A re- cent series in the Wall Street Journal noted that not only are such weapons horrible, they are spreading rapidly, particularly among the less than stable countries of the Third World. And Israel faces a particulary dangerous situation from her enemies. Israel is particularly vulnerable; it is believed that a single chemical warhead like those being developed by Syria could kill thousands of civilians. Israeli officials are concerned over the relative- ly mute international reaction to the use of chemical weapons in the Iran-Iraq war. "The shooting of two Palestinians [by Israeli police] gets more publicity than the gassing of 5,000 Kurds," says Col. Zeev Eytan, a military analyst. There are efforts being made to ban the possession of chemical weapons as well as to defend against them. On the diplomatic front, the State Department denounced Iraq for its gas attacks on Kur- dish civilians. What is desperately needed, though, is to impose strict penalties on countries that use chemical warfare, to isolate them politically and punish them economically rather than just shaking a wary finger. While it's nice to applaud the use of government funds to erect new housing units for the elderly and to construct highway decks, and the use of private capital to expand Oak Park's retail base, the Federation has yet to take the plunge and invest significant dollars itself to take a clear, unambiguous stand that it is committed beyond repayable, low-interest loans and videotapes about the future Jewish vitality of the area. The litmus test is the construction of a swimming facility at the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC that would benefit "Neighborhood" residents as well as those in nearby Huntington Woods and other parts of Southfield. Whether fairly or unfairly, the issue over whether to invest $1 million or more to construct the pool facility has been used as a gauge regarding the Federation's bricks-and-mortar com- mitment to the area. The pool proposal is currently under review by the Federation, and has been for some time. At a time when nearly $2 million is being invested in a multi- purpose field house at the JCC's West Bloomfield facility, over $500,000 of it from funds beyond those pledged by the Rosenberg family, a similar investment by the Federation — with or without a major gift — is needed now. Let's built on recent successes in "The Neighborhood" and plunge into a swimming facility at the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC. In light of what's at stake, it's a small price to pay. Take The Plunge It was a beautiful day in "The Neighborhood." With ceremony and speeches, the cornerstone was placed on the new $6.7 million Jewish Federation Apartments building. A few hours later, more than 800 people — mostly residents of "The Neighborhood" — crammed into the Jimmy Prentis Morris JCC for a family program. "The Neighborhood" consists of portions of Oak Park and Southfield targeted by the Jewish Welfare Federation for no-interest mortgage assistance and low-interest renovation loans designed to encourage Jews to purchase homes in the area and avoid flight to West Bloomfield, Farmington Hills and other points west. And there are other rays of sunshine on the horizon, including the completion of decks spanning 1-696 for "passive parks" and the proposed construction of a new shopping center at 10 Mile and Coolidge that would double the size of the existing Dexter Davison/Farmer Jack. LETTERS Democracy Dead In Israel Jews will no longer be able to boast that Israel is the on- ly democracy in the Middle East. The claim is now reveal- ed as an open sham since the electoral ban on Rabbi Meir Kahane's Kach party last week. The ruling Likud-Labor coalition fears the electoral inroads made by the Kach Party. Hiding behind the facade of the Knesset Elec- tions Committee, they bann- ed Kach from participation. The Elections Committee is composed of the political par- ties in Knesset and thus, the parties have banned their chief political competition. So much for democracy in Israel. If the same were to happen in 6 FRIDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1988 America, it would constitute a blatant violation of First Amendment rights of freedom of speech and peaceable redress of grievances. While their excuse was the patent lie that Kahane's par- ty was racist, it is certainly more than coincidence that the Kach Party was projected by polls to elect 10-12 seats in the coming election and thus become the third largest political party after Likud and Labor .. . With no constitutional guarantee of freedom of speech, what we reap with Likud and Labor is the tyran- ny of the political majority. If democracy is to be restored in Israel, write the Israeli Supreme Court supporting the right of any Israeli citizen to compete for political office with the voters being free to decide. Freedom is too impor- tant to be left to the politicians. Michael Drissman Committee for the Jewish Idea Max Fisher Drawn Into Quagmire How sad that Max Fisher, a nationally recognized philan- thropist and Jewish com- munity leader, has allowed himself to be lured into the Bush-Quayle quagmire of distortions and half-truths ("Charge And Counter- charge," Oct. 7). A minimum of research on his part would have revealed Gov. Dukakis' solid record over the years in support of Israel and against anti- Semitism. And surely, after all these years, Mr. Fisher understands the difference between a campaign commit- tee selected by the candidate himself and a political-party committee seeking broad- based input into its decision- making process. As a Jewish elected official, I can vouch for the fact that the goals and values of the Jewish people are those of the Democratic party and its leaders, Michael Dukakis and Lloyd Bentsen. Mr. Fisher states he deliberated a long time before making his pronouncements. He should have deliberated longer. Lawrence R. Pernick Oakland County Commissioner, Southfield Pushing The Right Buttons Some of our people appear to have lost all semblence of rationality when it comes to what is perceived as the "Rasputan influence" of Jesse Jackson on Gov. Michael Dukakis. Rev. Jackson has every right to be an advocate Continued on Page 11 Let Us Know Letters must be concise, typewritten and double- spaced. Correspondence must include the signa- ture, home address and daytime phone number of the writer.