I EDITORIAL
When Will
Washington Learn?
A
ny parent knows that a threat is empty unless the
child believes you are willing to back up your words
with action. A simple lesson, but one that the United States
seems not to have learned.
In the hostage situation, it is Israel, not the United States, that
has taken the lead and created an environment where the long-
forgotten issue of rescuing U.S. hostages is being discussed. That
is because Arab terrorists know that Israel is willing to enforce its
words in response to kidnapping and murder. Diplomacy and political
persuasion are preferable to force, but if the United States is to restore
credibility, it must prove that it can handle a bunch of gangsters.
And Washington must let it be known that terrorist groups, and the
states that support them, will be punished, and that hostage-taking
is intolerable.
Reinforcing that lesson — that words must be backed up by com-
mitment -- is the sorry scenario taking place between Washington
and the Palestine Liberation Organization. Ever since Yassir Arafat
said the magic words of appeasement last winter and the United
States opened a dialogue with the organization, the PLO has had
the upper hand. Arafat knows that despite his declaration of peaceful
intentions, he can speak out in favor of terrorist acts against Israel
and then explain them away if the State Department expresses
displeasure. That is what is happening now, with the PLO having
met in Tunis and called for "intensifying the armed struggle" against
"the Israeli-Zionist occupation of our occupied Palestinian land."
Washington criticized the PLO for its tough rhetoric, but Arafat
knows that for the United States to back down on its dialogue would
be to admit the mistake of its actions — something the administra-
tion is loathe to do.
When will the world's greatest power learn that it cannot control
- even bands of thugs until it has achieved credibility built on com-
mitment and resolve? When will the United States take a lesson
from Israel? 1=1
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LETTERS
Auschwitz And
Christian Concern
Concerning the convent of
Carmelite nuns at Auschwitz,
I'm reminded of a recent visit
to Israel, and the (Protestant)
Mission to Protect the Holy
Sites of Jerusalem, a hand-
some Victorian edifice
situated in the midst of
Jerusalem's ancient
Machpelach cemetery, and
built, in the name of Jesus,
over the desecrated graves of
thousands of pious Jews.
Michael Dallen
Detroit
Misrepresenting
A Name Change
You published a letter to
the editor from Ronnie
Schreiber which appeared on
June 23. He alleged that the
changing of my name was
supposedly an example of a
misrepresentation by a Jew
for Jesus. However, the infor-
mation that he ave was inac-
curate and gives a false
impression.
My family's ancestral name
was indeed Zaretsky. My
father, with the encourage-
ment of his parents, "angliciz-
ed' their name in the early
'30s. It is therefore inaccurate
and a misrepresentation on
anyone's part to suggest that
the change of my name, back
6
FRIDAY, AUGUST 18, 1989
to Zaretsky, was in any way
disconnectd from my ethnic
Jewish identity. Also, Tuvya
is the Hebrew name which
was given to me at birth by
my parents.
Mr.
Schreiber's
misrepresentation of facts is
misleading and if he did so
knowingly, it is dissembling
Tuvya Zaretsky
. Jews For Jesus
San Francisco
Editor's Note: Schreiber stands
by his assertion that the reason
Zaretsky changed his name
from Lloyd Carson was his tie
to Jews For Jesus.
Complete View
Of Single Stress
Thank you for including
some of my comments in your
article on "Jewish Stress"
(Aug. 4).
I enjoyed reading the entire
article and must commend
Richard Pearl for selecting
different age levels and
groups to complete the overall
picture.
It was interesting to learn
that younger singles than
myself have so many unhap-
py experiences. I always
thought that "youth" was its
own reward.
Stella Rives
Southfield
Sheik Obeid
And Israel
As non-Jewish U.S. citizens,
it's nice to know that we have
an ally with the chutzpa to
snatch the jackal from his
den.
Maybe in the future other
jackals will .take notice.
Michael J. Vigilant
Dolores J. Vigilant
West Bloomfield
Israel Stooped
In Abduction
I used to be proud to be a
supporter of Israel. lbday,
however, that pride is
tarnished.
Israel went into Lebanese
territory and abducted Abdul
Karim Obeid, one of the
leaders of the Organization of
the Oppressed on Earth.
Israel then offered a swap in
exchange for three Israelis
and all Western hostages.
Moshe Arens, the foreign
minister, said that Israel had
a legitimate right to abduct
Obeid as a civilized nation.
Israel was founded as a
civilized nation, based on
ideals and laws. It was a
civilized nation in 1967 and
1973 when it defended itself
from attacks to its territory.
The government of Israel has
become less and less civilized
over the past several years
climaxing with the events in
which a government crossed
boarders and kidnapped an
individual (killing an inno-
cent bystander who witness-
ed the capture) and held him
for ransom.
We were outraged when
Iran held hostages. We are
outraged at the holding of
hostages now in Lebanon.
Should we not be just as
outraged at Israel? It should
be pointed out that Iran and
the groups in Lebanon did not
go out of their boarders to ab-
duct their hostages.
Moshe Arens implied that
it is the right of civilized
government to take hostages.
If so where does it stop? .. .
Abducting and holding
hostages is not and should
not be a function of a civiliz-
ed government. Where does
that leave Israel? Where does
that leave me in my support
of Israel? How can one believe
the rhetoric of Israel about
the evils of terrorism and ter-
rorists when it stoops to a
higher degree of terrorism.
History has shown us what
happens when a group of peo-
ple are oppressed. Whether or
not the plight of "Palesti-
nians" or Lebanon was caus-
ed by Israel or the 1967 war,
they are oppressed. While I
understand why Israel has
taken the positions it has, I
hope that in the very near
future it can again
demonstrate to the world the
moral leadership it was
known for before the Shamir
administration. When that
happens, hopefully Israel will
be shown working for a peace
for all in the Mideast and a
solution that all can take
pride in.
P. Franklin
Auburn Hills
Why Are 40 +
Singles Ignored?
On Aug. 4 the six local Con-
servative synagogues held an
Oneg Shabbat for singles at
Congregation -Shaarey Zedek.
The publicity said singles
ages 25-40 were invited.
As president of the Social
Singles, a group of men and
women ages 40-55 + , and a
divorced mother who has
aised six children, I resent all
of the attention given to the
younger singles, a high
Continued on Page 14
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