OPINION
I CONTENTS
Criticize Israel, But
Don't. Help Its Enemies
ALAN DERSHOWITZ
I
am here to complain
about those Jews who
have the chutzpah to
stand in front of the United
Nations to complain about
Israel. Do you know what it
means when Ed Asner,
representing people like
Woody Allen and other naive
critics of Israel who have no
sense of the difficulties and
realities, complain about
Israel to the United Nations?
Let them stand and protest
in front of the Israeli em-
bassy; let them go to Israel
and exercise their fredom of
speech and freedom of press
there, but let them not give
aid to the enemies. Let them
not become part of an effort to
I'm here to
complain about
those Jews who
emphasize that
which divides us.
_0
de-legitimatize Israel in the
international community by
standing in front of the
United Nations where more
racist, anti-Semitic and anti-
Zionist propaganda has
emanated from than any
other single building.
I'm here to complain about
those Jews with newfound
Jewish identities; those Jews
who have never before iden-
tified themselves as Jews —
those Jews, who if you would
go to and ask to give money
to the United Jewish Appeal
or Israel or any other Jewish
organiztion would say (this is
a real experience): "Oh, I'm
not Jewish. My family has
Jewish background, but don't
presume to ask ,me for a
Jewish contribution."
Suddenly they're Jewish
when it comes to signing an
ad that says "We Jewish
critics of Israel who are em-
barrassed among our friends
about what THOSE people
are doing."
I'm here to complain about
American Jews — devoted,
dedicated American Jews
who are frightened into
silence by false charges of
dual loyalty — people who
would never be frightened if
they belonged to another
group or another background,
but who feel scared by what
my grandmother used to feel
afraid of — the kind of "sha
shtill" attitude.
Let us never forget that we
Alan Dershowitz is professor
of law at Harvard University.
are America. We have given
more to this country than we
have taken back; we are as
first-class citizens as any
other group!
We, along with other im-
migrant groups, along with
Italian Americans and Asian
Americans and Irish
Americans and black
Americans liberated from
slavery — this second century
of America, with the help of
Jewish Americans, has been
the greatest century of
America.
Let no one tell us that we
are guests in someone else's
country; we, along with other
Americans of immigrant
background, are the hosts. We
are the Americans. We have
no dual loyalty.
As Americans, we have
every right and every respon-
sibility to tell the con-
gressmen and senators that it
is in the interest of America
to support Israel. Nobody tells
Americans out of a heavenly
word what is in the best in-
terest of America.
The truth is that it is good
and right for America to sup-
port Israel in the way that it
has been supporting Israel
and even more. That's the
American way.
I'm here to complain about
those American Jews who
emphasize more that which
divides us from each other
rather than that which unites
us. There are some things
that we disagree about; not
everybody in this room agrees
and not every Jew in America
agrees.
There are some issues that
divide us, but the issues that
unite us are so much more
profound than the issues that
divide us. I'm reminded of the
story of the rabbi who was
given a new congregation in
the suburbs. For the first time
he goes and conducts the Fri-
day night service. When it
comes to the "Sh'ma Yisrael,"
half the congregation stands
up and half sits down. The
half that stands up yells at
the half that sits down; the
half that sits down yells at
the half that stands up.
"There's no way to conduct
the service," the rabbi says.
"Look, at the end of the ser-
vice, we'll go to the old rabbi
in town and we'll find out
what was the tradition of the
congregation."
They go to the old rabbi,
and the stand-up group says,
"Is it not the tradition that
we stand up?" And the rabbi
shakes his head and says,
Continued on Page 12
24
CLOSE-UP
'ime Colors
ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM
Gay and lesbian Jews are seeking
their place in the Jewish community.
FOLLOW-UP
The Man Upstairs
49
STEVEN M. HARTZ
Ron Coden is still busy, performing
on weekends and taping commercials.
52
BUSINESS
24 Costly Strile
JOEL BAINERMAN
The loss of Palestinian workers
is hurting the Israeli economy.
54
SPORTS
Fame Games
RICHARD PEARL
The developmentally disabled look
forward to their own Olympics.
65
ENTERTAINMENT
• Sugar(man)
STEVEN M. HARTZ
16-year-old Eddie Sugarman
is entertaining through high school.
65 KIDS
91
Circus Day
Adat Shalom's nursery school
created their own big top.
Shown at left: Steven Watzman, Amy Rosenberg.
DEPARTMENTS
30
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Inside Washington
Community
Synagogues
Fine Arts
For Women
Ann Arbor
88
92
96
99
100
124
Cooking
Engagements
Births
Singles
Classified Ads
Obituaries
CANDLELIGHTING
91
8:11 p.m.
August 18, 1989
Sabbath ends Aug. 19 9:18 p.m.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
7