25 CLOSE-UP PLO Ambiguity HELEN DAVIS Yassir Arafat is mastering the divide-and-conquer game. 42 OBSERVATIONS World War One DAVID MARGOLIS A Jewish writers' conference explodes over the Middle East. 58 TRAVEL Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell: Staunch friends of Israel or just great game players? Evangelical Support For Israel An Agenda Counter Staunch, Reliable To Israel's Interests Friends Of State MARK PELAVIN and RON LEBOVITS JOSEPH PUDER S ecent scandals involving television evangelists cast a dark shadow on the credibility of Bible-thumping Christians. The risk to Jews, and sup- porters of Israel, is in jumping to negative conclusions. The vast majority of Evangelical Christians are honest, credible and ardent supporters of Israel. Evangelical Christians consider Israel or Jewish particularism to be in accordance with prophecy and God's covenant with His people. Evangelicals might have been somewhat intolerant toward Jews as non- conforming individuals, and today they are certainly at odds with Jewish secular humanists, but they have never denied the Jewish collective identity. hould the pro-Israel community welcome the support of America's religious right? Of course. But we must do so with . our eyes wide open, recognizing the shallowness of that support and the true agenda of those organizations. Despite warm public statements toward Israel, and the "goodwill" missions there sponsored by the Moral Majority, the pro-Israel community must realize that the Christian religious right — the politically conservative wing of America's very large Evangelical community — has an agenda that clearly runs counter to the long-term interests of Israel and the American Jewish community. While many in the religious right often speak of the need for a strong U.S.-Israel alliance and talk about the United States' obligation to assist Israel, the fact is that their rhetoric is not supported by political activity. Like the political arms of the American Jewish community, the religious right is well organized and politically assertive. However, when Jerry Falwell's Moral Majdrity and Beverly LaHaye's Con- cerned Women for America urge their members to contact the administration or Congress on behalf of specific legislation, these action directives rarely involve pro- posals concerning Israel. During the past year, for example, Con- gress adopted the first free-standing foreign aid bill in nearly seven years. This assistance package — which contained $3 billion for Israel — is crucial to the Jewish state's security. Yet these organizations that profess to care deeply about Israel's R A close look at the liberal Christian churches' credo, however, reveals that while they are willing to accept the individual Jew's human and civil rights, they have persisted in their hostility toward the Jewish state. For Catholics, Episcopalians and other mainline Christians, the church is the new Israel and the covenant between God and Israel has been transferred to the church with the Jewish rejection of Jesus. It is not surprising, therefore, that the liberal churches have maintained a certain coolness toward Israel, and rejected for cen- turies • Jewish particularism and self-determination. Ever since the walls of the European ghettos crumbled in post Napoleonic Europe, Jews sought to win acceptance in Christian societies by subscribing to — and often leading — secular, universalist Continued on Page 16 Continued on Page 18 Mark J. Pelavin is director of policy planning for the American Jewish Congress. Ron Lebovits is legislative assistant with the AJC. Joseph Puder is director of Americans for a Safe Israel. Promoting Israe LEN FINK Detroiters are in the forefront of tourism plans for Israel. David Hermelin 61 ENTERTAINMENT Oddball RITA CHARLESTON Gilbert Gottfreid's humor . ranges from black, silly to weird. TRENDS Crushing Stereotype s 87 JUDITH BRODER SELLNER A new generation of domestic vinters produce great kosher wine. 93 DIASPORA TWo Doors SUSAN LUDMER-GLIEBE Swiss Jewish history is hidden behind double reminders. 98 ANN ARBOR Diag TensiOns SUSAN LUDMER-GLIEBE Opposing Middle East views spill into campus politics. DEPARTMENTS 32 34 46 52 54 96 106 108 110 134 Inside Washington Synagogues Sports Business Education For Women For Seniors Births Singles Obituaries CANDLELIGHTING December 16, 1988 4:43 p.m. Sabbath ends Dec. 17 5:47 p.m. THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 7