I INSIGHT Ed Pobur, Sr. Is Back Your service worries are over! Riding Out The Storm Hezbollah's murder of Col. Higgins was clearly a ploy to drive a wedge between Israel and the United States. ZE'EV CHAFETS Israel Correspondent T Ed invites all of his former customers and friends to visit or call him at e624 1. 47 CADILLAC -OLDSMOBILE, INC. (formerly Seymour Cadillac) • New and Used Car Sales • Lease all makes and models, foreign or domestic 3180 E. Jefferson Rivertown • Detroit BETH ABRAHAM HILLEL MOSES RELIGIOUS SCHOOL Happiness is a Hebrew E ucation 259.9000 7.1 NECESIT4MOS MAS DE SU TIPO. DONE SANGRE • Outstanding Nursery School, kindergarten, and early elemen- tary program designed to help today's youngsters identify with the values of their heritage. • Fully certified, experienced and creative teachers who have been carefully selected for their classes. • Full Sunday morning and weekday Hebrew program. • Individualized Bar and Bat Mitzvah Studies, graduation and confirmation. • Sunday morning Judaica Seminar for post Bar/Bat Mitzvah U.S.Y. groups and a variety of youth programs for all age levels. • Synagogue skills, music, art enrichment, dance, choir, remedial and tutorial assistance, Junior Congregation weekly. — Open to the Community — SYNAGOGUE AFFILIATION AVAILABLE RESERVE YOUR PLACE NOW Call 851-6880 Barry V Levine Director of Education and Youth 34 FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 1989 American Red Cross he crisis surrounding the Israeli capture of Hezbollah leader Sheikh Obeid and the subse- quent efforts to win the release of Israeli and western hostages held in Lebanon, has focused attention on the relationship between Jeru- salem and Washington. That relationship, which developed into something very much like an alliance during the Reagan administration, is now undergoing its first test under George Bush. And, although final results are not yet in, political circles here feel a qualified optimism about the state of U.S.-Israeli relations. Hezbollah's announced ex- ecution of American Col. William Higgins, coupled with the threat to murder other American hostages, was clearly designed to influence American public opinion, force U.S. pressure on Israel and drive a wedge between the two countries. Initially it appeared that the tactic might succeed. President Bush's symmetrical call for all parties — including Israel — to release hostages was taken as a sign of American displeasure. According to Foreign Minister Moshe Arens, Secretary of State James Baker expressed "a certain amount of criticism" at Israel's failure to coordinate its operation with the U.S. Most troubling of all was Senate Majority Leader Robert Dole's angry denun- ciation of Israeli "insensitivi- ty" to the welfare of American citizens. In the first few days after the capture of Sheikh Obeid, it appeared that the main casualty of the operation could well be Israeli-American friendship. The Israeli reaction to American criticism was unusually unified. The deci- sion to capture Sheikh Obeid, taken two months ago in a secret cabinet meeting, enjoys almost unprecedented bi- partisan support here, and in- dications that Israel, and not Hezbollah, might be blamed for the murder of American hostages evoked anger and dismay. Writing in Ha'aretz, respected columnist Yoel Marcus, normally a critic Prime Minister Shamir, observed that, "the Bush ad- ministration, with its aircraft carriers sailing to and from, would appear less ridiculous if it turned its resolve to coor- dinating with us in dealing with Hezbollah and its patron, Iran, instead of direc- ting its anger toward us." And Yediot Aharonot, Israel's largest newspaper, opined that, "if the tragic event (the murder of Colonel Moshe Arens: 'A high degree of coordination.' Higgins) injures, even slight- ly, America's relations with Israel, it will be a deluxe prize for the Islamic fanatics, and a shot in the arm for their future outrages." Fear that relations with the U.S. were endangered set off a flurry of Israeli diplomatic activity. Foreign Minister Arens spoke on the telephone with Secretary State Baker and reportedly worked out three principles of agreement: That there would be no sur- render to terrorism, that responsibility for the safety of the hostages would be placed squarely on Hezbollah, and that the organization's patrons, Syria and Iran, would share a degree of that responsibility. On the public opinion front, the Foreign Ministry established an emergency committee headed by Deputy Minister Benyamin Netan- yahu, aimed at explaining the Israeli position abroad, primarily in the United States. Netanyahu, Cabinet Minister Ehud Olmert, and Israel's ambassador to the U.S. Moshe Arad, appeared on dozens of television interview programs in order to argue the Israeli case.