THE JEWISH NEWS
THIS ISSUE 6(:)
SERVING DETROIT'S JEWISH COMMUNITY
MARCH 24, 1989 / 17 ADAR II 5749
One People, One Message
Despite policy differences, this week's solidarity conference
in Jerusalem united behind Israel and its government.
Jerusalem (JTA) — Except for a
smattering of dissent, the Jewish
solidarity conference that began here
Tuesday seemed to accomplish what
it set out to do: express to the world
an allegiance between Jews in the
Diaspora and the government of
Israel.
In a carefully orchestrated con-
ference designed to minimize any
public dissent, government leaders
and private individuals alike never-
theless addressed many controversial
issues facing Israel. In doing so, they
allayed the fears of many left-leaning
Jews who felt that this conference
would be a rubber stamp of the
policies of Prime Minister Yitzhak
Shamir.
Some dissent was registered,
however, as six demonstrators were
arrested outside Binyenei Ha'uma on
Monday night, allegedly for making
it difficult for guests to enter the con-
vention hall.
Of the 1,580 delegates from 42
countries, including 730 Americans,
the overwhelming majority were
strongly supportive of Shamir's
policies.
"They all came here with
predisposed minds, and most of them
came with the position which they
will leave with," said Malcolm
Hoenlein, executive director of the
Conference of Presidents of Major
American Jewish Organizations.
"But what they did," added
Hoenlein, "was come together and
say that, despite those differences, we
ANALYSIS
can come together, and we are a
united Jewish community, and we
stand in solidarity with Israel."
Even those who in the past might
have been critical of the government's
policies expressed their support.
"A solidarity conference does not
demand a uniformity on ideas," said
Rabbi Alexander Schindler, president
of the Union of American Hebrew
Congregations. "Israel is a feisty
democracy, and open debate rages
within this free land."
While there was no open debate
at the conference as such, government
figures and Diaspora leaders express-
ed a range of views on such topics as
the unity of the Jewish people, the
Palestinian uprising in the ter-
ritories, negotiations with the
Palestine Liberation Organization,
the "Who Is a Jew" controversy and
electoral reform.
Discussing the peace process, Vice
Premier Shimon Peres took a swipe
at Shamir's approach. "There was a
time when we could have started from
the Jordanian end," said the Labor
Party leader. "Now we have to start
from the Palestinian end."
Toward that end, Peres suggested
Palestinian self-rule in the "densely
populated Arab territories," including
the running of their own institutions,
"from legislation to health, from
education to agriculture."
But Peres also said that existing
Jewish settlements would not be
dismantled, causing Shamir to raise
his eyebrows.
Shamir, who began Tuesday's
plenary sessions with a 22-minute ad-
dress, outlined some of the problems
Continued on Page 18
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