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FRONTLINES
Netanyahu, Detroiters Agree:
Time For Israeli Streamlining
RICHARD PEARL
Staff Writer
B
inyamin Netanyahu's
remark that - Israel
should streamline its
government along the lines of
the American presidential
system has hit the, mark with
some leaders of Detroit's
Jewish community.
Speaking last week via a
closed-circuit television
broadcast from New York to
Jewish federation leaders in
10 American cities, including
about 60 in Detroit, the
Israeli deputy foreign
minister and former am-
bassador to the United Na-
tions said the recent "Who is
a Jew?" controversy as well as
other issues has created a
need for electoral reform in
the Jewish state.
He cited a proposed bill to
change the current Israeli
system to that of a • United
States-type presidential
system and said, "If any coun-
try needs governmental
reform, it's Israel.
"Israel is facing very strong
economic and military
challenges and so needs a
stable government," he said.
He acknowledged such a
plan would be opposed by
Knesset members from both
the far left and far right, but
noted, "The American system
has proved by and large to be
a competent system and I
think that, for the first time,
something like that (electoral
reform) can pass."
Israel's present system, in
which fringe parties can
wield tremendous power
within the government, came
under worldwide scrutiny in
November and December
when a pending alignment of
such parties proposed a
change in the Law of Return
that threatened to alienate
millions of Diaspora Jews.
Bill Lakritz, co-chairman of
the Detroit Allied Jewish
Campaign's Metropolitan
Division, called Netanyahu's
remarks "very appealing. The
question of 'Who is a Jew?'
made many American Jews
feel disenfranchised, especial-
ly when Israel reacted with a
coalition government" that
included Orthodox Jewish
political parties pushing to
redefine the question in favor
of only Orthodox conversions
being accepted.
"The time is ripe for a
streamlined (Israeli) govern-
ment to win the firm support
of the U.S. and other
democracies," Lakritz said.
Netanyahu:
Stable government needed.
Ruth Broder, special assis-
tant to U.S. Sen. Carl Levin
(D.-Mich.) and a Jewish
Welfare Federation board
member, said she "felt good
about his (Netanyahu's)
political statements. It's a
real positive thing to hear.
Hopefully, there's enough
young blood in Israel to make
that (political reform) hap-
pen."
During the approximately
30-minute informational
telecast via the Council of
Jewish Federations Satellite .
Network, the Israeli minister
answered call-in questions
from federation leaders
around the country on such
other topics as the new U.S.
policy toward the Palestine
Liberation Organization,
Soviet-Israeli relations,
Libya, visiting Israel and
making aliyah.
He called on federation
leaders to ask the United
States government to live up
to its stated policy of not deal-
ing with terrorists because
"the PLO has not met the
criteria of the U.S." in that it
has not abandoned terrorism
nor has it recognized Israel.
"The media said it (the
PLO) did those things, but the
truth is the PLO has not re-
nounced terrorism. It's com-
ing out now that what the
PLO is telling its people is
that 'We haven't recognized
Israel but will destroy it in
stages,' " Netanyahu said.
He said Arafat threatened
the mayor of Bethlehem,
Elias Freij, telling him he
would "stop a bullet" if he
tried to stop the intifada.
"If Israel walks out of the
West Bank, the PLO will
come in. We will be dealing
with a terrorist state," said
the conservative Likud Party
member, adding, "Israel is
under seige now to accept the
unacceptable, to allow a PLO
state in the very heartland of
the Jewish state. We want to
change the satus quo, to end
the violence and improve the
lives of the Arabs that live
there, but we can't proceed on
the road world opinion is sen-
ding us.
"The greatest danger now
is that the idea of a PLO state
will be accepted by the
world," said Netanyahu.
He said Soviet authorities
have shown interest in direct
flights to Israel and in re-
establishing a relationship
with the Jewish state.
He said there is "no ques-
tion that Libya is producing
gas warfare weapons," and
that a "Palestinian state will
be worse than Libya because
the PLO will show no inhibi-
tion toward using these or
other weapons against Israel
. . . I hope the U.S. resumes its
old policy" of not negotiating
with the PLO.
Netanyahu told his
listeners that, according to
comments from German and
other tourists, "Israel is a
great bargain" but that most
American Jews need moral
encouragement to visit. So, he
said, "Visit Israel because it's
a good vacation with a good
deed. Do it!"
Dr. Conrad Giles, president
of the Detroit Jewish Welfare
Federation, said Netanyahu
"gives the American Jew a
sense of what the Israeli mind
is thinking.
"It's very clear we have
every reason to remain in op-
position to the PLO dialogue,
that we can expect very little
to come from it and that it is
not a very reasonable move
on the part of the U.S.
government.
"I cannot help but come
away (from hearing
Netanyahu) with the sense
(he) will have a more respon-
sible position in the new
government as time goes on.
He is very lucid and for-
thright. He has an enormous-
ly wonderful grasp of the
issues" and shows "a realistic
approach to incredibly dif-
ficult problems." Dr. Giles
also said that Soviet leader
Mikhail Gorbachev is
"reaching out not only to
Israel but to the world Jewish
community (to do business),
and how important it is for
the world Jewish community
to realize the Jewish people
are considered as one."
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