I PURELY COMMENTARY

Is There An Oasis In The Desert Of Hatred

PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

Editor Emeritus

M

onths of endless rock throwing
that compels young soldiers in
Israel's army of defense to
resist and to repel the violence raise the
compelling question: Is there an oasis
anywhere in that entire violence-ridden
area? Is there hope for resistence from
the Arab citizens of Israel who share so
many benefits with the Israelis, even if
there have to be some limitations? Is
there a spark of hope for better days
when harmony will be a blessing for all
who share neighborhoods?
A delegation came to this country
a few weeks ago with a message of
cheer. Under the name Givat Haviva
there was this trio from Israel:
Riad Kabha, mayor of the Arab
village of Barta'a, who is described as
en educator; Sarah Ozachy-Lazar of
Kibutz Ramot Menashe, who has writ-
ten a master's thesis concerning Israeli-
Arab attitudes toward the Jewish state;
and Stanley Ringler, a Reform rabbi
who settled in Israel in 1986, who acted
as moderator.
This trio, with its rejection of fears
of a fifth column among the Arabs
residing in Israel, brought their
message to Philadelphia, New York,
Miami, Los Angeles, San Francisco,
Seattle, Cincinnati, Louisville, Chicago,
Toronto, Albany and New Brunswick,
N.J. It's a pity they did not visit Detroit.
Their message was summarized as
follows:
Most North American Jews,
failing to differentiate between

Israeli and Palestinian Arabs,
do not realize that Israeli Arabs
are loyal to the Jewish state,
seek equal rights as citizens,
and would like to see the Palesti-
nians have their own state —
which they would not them-
selves want to move to.
In their admonitions regarding
their mission, the visiting delegation
from Givat Haviva, responding to the
views that the North American public
lumped Israelis and Palestinian Arabs
together, tending to create negative
stereotypes of both, declared in
response:
Israeli Arabs are deeply
rooted to their land, homes and
villages; even educated profes-
sionals continued to live with
their families in the village of
their birth. Should a Palestinian
state be created in the ter-
ritories, 95 percent would have
no interest in moving there, said
Kabha; "Our homes are in
Israel:'

Seeing themselves as Israelis
— 75 percent were born there
since 1948 — Israeli Arabs want
the equal rights all citizens of
the state are entitled to, and also
seek to preserve their culture.
Suffering from unemployment,
unfair allocation of resources,
and prejudice, they "complain of
unfulfilled social expectations:
they have not realized their full
rights and opportunities" as
citizens, said Ringler.
They believe that a Palesti-
nian state should be created
because they want a solution for
their brothers and sisters in the
territories, whom they feel need
a Palestinian state just as the
Jews need Israel.
Such is the program with the admit-
tedly positive approaches. It includes
the disputable which will remain
debatable. It does not advocate the
violence that is intifada. Therefore, the
respect due it in the consideration of it.
In the human and moral way, it is

exceedingly heartening that such a
movement as Givat Haviva exists. But
why was it not known, respected and
supported until now? It has New York
offices at 150 Fifth Ave., and there is a
request for supporting memberships.
Why was it kept a deep secret until
now? A few of us had heard rumors
about some groups in Israel that negate
intifada, who preach living side by side
with Jews.
How come the media, in their ex-
pertness to find, detective-like, every
symptom of evil in Israel, do not em-
phasize the positive like the Givat
Haviva?
Therefore, this movement, with its
negatives seriously to be considered,
has a long distance to go to achieve even
a modicum, of the set-forth goals.
I wrote on three occasions (Mar. 18,
Apr. 8 and Apr. 15, 1988) with warnings
about fifth columns. Givat Haviva re-
jects such fears and denies there is an
enemy within. Yet, what has occurred
in Jerusalem reduces the cheerfulness
of the Givat Haviva aspirations. In spite
of the courageous and pragmatic aims
and devotion of Jerusalem Mayor Ted-
dy Kollek, as was outlined in this col-
umn last week, the works of the
violators as shocking disruptiveness of
the intifada is seen even in the Holy
City.
In a New York Times magazine ar-
ticle, Oct. 16, 1988, entitled "Two
Generations: Growing Up in
Jerusalem," Meron Benvenisti, a
former Deputy Mayor of Jerusalem,
described how many years of friendship
with his neighbors in Jerusalem were
Continued on Page 38

Our Glorious Cast Of Vice Presidents

C

ome Jan. 30, 1989, there will be
a continuity in the vice presi-
dential cathedra in
Washington. Danforth Quayle will
fulfill that assignment.
I don't know Dan Quayle. I knew a
number of his predecessors from 1930
to 1980, several on a very friendly basis.
We anticipate — we hope — the new
VP-to-be will be seen, heard, will repre-
sent President George Bush at many
functions, at assemblies on happy as
well as sympathy-requiring occasions,
as traditions have established them.

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Vol. XCIV No. 20

2

January 13, 1989

FRIDAY, JANUARY 13, 1989

Many memories are evoked by the
mere suggestion of recalling association
with the VPs of recent decades.
Hubert H. Humphrey gets first
mention. Meeting with him was most
frequent, correspondence steady. He
was the only candidate for President I
supported editorially. I could not sup-
port or vote for Richard Nixon, as long
as there was in memory his coining the
phrase "card carrying" when he made
the Communist charge at the func-
tionaries in the ranks of Helen
Gahagan Douglas whom he was to
defeat in 1948 for the seat in Congress
to commence his national political
career. He has not yet apologized for
what he had done to Helen.
My wife Anna always accompanied
me to the White House where we met
a couple of times with President Nixon.
That's where I met New York Times op-
ed page columnist William Safire when
he was President Nixon's speech writer.
Humphrey and I later met at what
was a pleasant, almost hilarious occa-
sion after his defeat by Nixon. It was at
a Detroit Allied Jewish Campaign par-
ty at which there was much punning
with Max M. Fisher. There we were:
Fisher, the staunch supporter of Nixon;
Humphrey and I the losers. Humphrey

and Fisher were both good sports in
reference to me the loser.
Since I mention Nixon and Hum-
phrey, I must go next to Gerald Ford. We
met with him numerous times during
his presidency. As congressman from
Grand Rapids, at numerous Zionist
functions he was the staunchest ad-
vocate of U.S. recognition of Jerusalem
as the capital of Israel. It was a princi-
ple abandoned when he became
president.
In relation to Gerald Ford, I must
recall his speech writer Milton Fried-
man. Milton joined Ford's staff when
Ford was yet Congressman upon
Milton's retirement from the Jewish
Telegraphic Agency position as White
House correspondent. Milton continued
as a Ford staff member during the Ford
vice presidency.
Ford had close association here with
Zionist leaders, especially Louis
Panush. He was always a strong sup-
porter of Zionism and the State of
Israel. Jewish leaders like Max M.
Fisher and Gordon Zachs, now closely
associated with President George Bush,
were always at the White House
whenever we had occasion to be there.
Alvin Barkley established a long
record of Zionist involvements and sup-

Hubert Humphrey
port for the movement and its affiliates.
He was especially deeply involved with
the Jewish National Fund. I had the
privilege of presiding at the JNF na-
tional convention banquet here during
the 1935 Christmas week at the Book
Cadillac Hotel when he was the guest
speaker and Irving Berlin appeared on
the program.
Walter Mondale has a record of
Continued on Page 38

