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COMMUNITY
Rosenne: Intifada Hasn't Hurt
U.S. Jewish Ties To Israel
ALAN HITSKY
Associate Editor
I
srael's handling • of the
Arab uprising has
elicited tremendous
debate in the Jewish com-
munity, but it has not damag-
ed American Jewish ties to
the Jewish state, says former
Israel Ambassador to the
United States Meir Rosenne.
lb back this assertion, he
points to the growth of
American Jewish philan-
thropy benefiting Israel and
the continued growth in sales
of Israel Bonds.
Rosenne was in Detroit last
week to address a parlor
meeting honoring Florine
Mark-Ross. Nearly $1.2
million in Bonds were
subscribed at the event.
Rosenne also addressed the
local Bonds organization's
New Leadership Division.
"In spite of all the bad
publicity that Israel has had,"
Rosenne says, "the sale of
Bonds has increased:' The
organization has sold $372
Meir Rosenne:
"Israel was right on
Sheikh Obeid."
million in Bonds through
Aug. 23, compared to $351
million at the same date last
year.
"This is a test of Jewish
solidarity," Rosenne says.
"There are questions, of
course. People are worried by
the lack of progress in the
peace process — but it's not
Israel's responsibility.
"Even those who ask ques-
tions realize we can't sign a
peace treaty with ourselves.
We need a partner in this pro-
cess."
Rosenne believes that talks
between the Palestine Libera-
tion Organization and the
United States are hurting the
Middle East peace process.
And he points out that the
PLO has not given up ter-
rorism despite PLO leader
Yassir Arafat's renunciation
last November which led to
the PLO-U.S. talks.
"The whole notion of
democracy in the Middle East
is an Israeli product,"
Rosenne says, adding he does
not find it surprising that the
Arabs have rejected Israel's
proposal for elections in the
territories.
Israel was right, he says, in
not consulting the United
States before capturing
Sheikh Obeid in Lebanon. It
would have been a mistake to
involve the United States and
force it to share responsibilty.
Rosenne believes the capture
will serve as a deterrent to
terrorism and aid in the
release of Israeli soldiers held
in Lebanon.
"We have a responsibility to
our soldiers," he says. "It has
always been our policy.
"In 1981, everyone con-
demned Israel for bombing
the nuclear reactor in Iraq.
Now it has been proven that
Iraq uses poison gas against
its enemies. Who knows what
they would have done if they
had atomic weapons."
Rosenne says Israel's peace
treaty with Egypt should
have been an inducement to
the Arabs. But, he says, the
people of Israel are unified:
"There should be no talks
with the PLO. We only
disagree on the final answer
— should there be a separate
Palestinian state?"
❑
Reception Planned
For Refusenik
Refusenik Lev Ovsishcher
will be honored Sept. 5 with
a reception at the Southfield
Senior Adult Center at 6:30
p.m.
During World War II, Col-
onel Lev Ovsishcher was
decorated in the Soviet Union
with 15 medals for bravery.
He commanded a squadron of
fighter bombers that was
highly commended for an
outstanding number of sor-
ties against the enemy. In
1961, he went into the
reserves and was never again
called up for active duty. Like
many other Jews, Ovsishcher
became disillusioned with the
Communist Party and
became a campaigner for
Jewish rights. The party held
fourteen special meetings to
discuss Ovsishcher's rights.
The party held fourteen
special meetings to discuss
Ovsishcher's activities; final-
ly he was expelled from the
party.
In 1971, he applied to
emigrate to Israel. Even
though he had not been active
in the military for over a
decade prior to his applica-
tion, he was stripped of his
rank and pension and denied
permission to leave the Soviet
Union, ostensibly because he
was in possession of military
secrets. Finally, after sixteen
arduous years of refusal, he
was allowed to emigrate in
1987.
The Soviet Jewry Commit-
tee of the Jewish Community
Council, Friends of the Soviet
Jewry Education and Infor-
mation Center, the Detroit
Committee for the Weizmann
Institute of Science and the
Jewish War Veterans will
host the reception.
Fdr her years of dedication to Jewish education, Nira Lev was presented
the Mandell L. and Madeleine H. Berman Award for outstanding
professional service by Conrad Giles, president of the Jewish Welfare
Federation. The presentation was made at an Aug. 22 Board of
Governors dinner at Fleischman Residence.
Wolpe Will Discuss
Ethiopian Jews' Plight
Congressman Howard
Wolpe will deliver the
keynote address at the first
Jewish Community Council
community assembly for the
1989-1990 program year, to be
held 7:30 p.m. Sept. 17 at the
Maple/Drake Jewish Com-
munity Center. The program
is free and open to the public.
Wolpe will discuss the plight
of Ethiopian Jewry and the
progress in efforts to secure
permission for them to
emigrate.
Wolpe is the only profes-
sionally trained Africanist in
either house of Congress. As
chairman of the House Africa
Subcommittee, Wolpe is cone
of the chief congressional op-
ponents of apartheid. He was
an architect of U.S. efforts to
aid the victims of the African
famine.
Wolpe has been active in
urging the Ethiopian govern-
metn to permit the emigra-
tion of the Ethiopian Jews to
Israeli Will Perform At Balfour 56 Event
Headlining Balfour 56,
slated for Oct. 25 at Ford
Auditorium, is David (Dudu)
Fisher who starred in the
Israeli version of Les
Miserables.
A Petach Tikvah native, he
is Israel's newest superstar
who last February thrilled
3,000 Soviet Jews at a concert
marking the opening of the
Mikhoels Jewish Center in
Moscow. He became an inter-
national celebrity when last
year he appeared at a corn-
.
mand performance in London
before Queen Elizabeth.
Others who will perform at
Balfour 56 are Yaffa Yarkoni,
known as "Israel's Am-
bassador of Song," and David
Syme, Detroit native concert
pianist who will appear in a
special musical tribute to Ir-
win and Bethea -Green. Max
Sosin will be master of
ceremonies and Mack Pitt
will be the musical conductor.
The Greens will be
presented with the Justice
Louis Brandeis Award.
Mandell L. Berman and
David B. Hermelin will serve
as chairman and co-chairman
of the tribute committee. Ser-
ving as vice chairmen are
Samuel Frankel, David
Handleman and Joel D.
Tauber. Madeleine and
Mandell Berman will host a
leadership reception in honor
of the Greens on Sept. 20 at
their home in Franklin.
For information about the
reception or Balfour 56, call
the ZOA, 569-1515.
Howard Wolpe
Israel. While his efforts con-
tributed to some dramatic
successes, some 15,000 Jews
remain in Ethiopia.
Everyone who attends the
Sept. 17 program is asked to
bring vitamins and first-aid
supplies, which are badly
needed by Jews in Ethiopian
villages. Particularly needed
are multiple vitamins,
vitamins for infants and
small children and vitamins
for pregnant and nursing
mothers. First-aid supplies
needed are "wash 'n dry"
packets, topical antibiotic
ointments and Band-Aids.
Abzug To Speak
Before NA'AMAT
NA'AMAT USA, Greater
Detroit Council, will feature
Bella Abzug at its opening
meeting Sept. 14, at 7:30 p.m.
at Adat Shalom Synagogue.
Abzug will address "The Em-
powerment of Women."
TUC rIPTEMIT IGWICU AIPIAle
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