OPINION

Long Term Peace
Or Short-Term Show?

PHIL JACOBS

Managing Editor

B

efore we start looking
at Secretary of State
James Baker's trips
to the Middle East in terms
of cinematic sequels, "Baker
2, Hafez al-Assad Strikes
Back," it's time for this ad-
ministration to stop for a
moment and take stock of
what its goals really are.
Is the goal here to bring the
Israelis to the peace table
with its Arab "neighbors?"
Or is the goal here to make
President Bush look great?
Maybe the goal here is to fur-
ther take this country's mind
off the recession and a federal
deficit that we're still accoun-
table for. If Israel is perceiv-
ed by this country through
Baker as the reason why a
peace conference didn't hap-
pen, then maybe we can start
blaming Israel for the federal
deficit while we're at it.
Maybe the worst thing
that happened in this region

is that the war against
Saddam Hussein ended in
100 days. We all watched it
happen on CNN like it was a
continuing episode of "L.A.
Law." But Mr. President,
and Mr. Baker, if you are
both-truly commited to long-
term peace in the Middle
East, it's not going to
happen on television in a
couple of months. At best,
Mr. Baker, you should be
looking at your shuttle di-
plomacy in terms of planting
proverbial seeds for peace
that might not take hold un-
til Mr. Bush is long out of
the White House.
But please realize, if you
are really sincere, that
something that seems as
simple as bringing opposing
sides to the peace table is not
that simple. It's not even as
simple as forcing an in-
vading country out of
Kuwait in 100 days. Middle
East conflict did not happen
on Aug. 2. It has been this
way for thousands of years.
U.S. secretaries of state with

a far more educated and
broader past when it came to
the region's history have
gone in and have come away
with different success and
failure levels.
Mr. Baker, there are deals
that were made to make the
allied coalition work against
Saddam Hussein that most
of us probably will never
know about. But, you should
not be surprised that, while
there should be momentum
after what just happened in
the Middle East, you are fin-
ding out first-hand that the
facts just don't count there.
And you cannot possibly
undo what it took centuries
to make.
Instead, Mr. Baker, do
your diplomatic homework.
Seriously. Read history, if
you really want this done.
Learn what makes this area
tick. Go live in Israel for a
month. Talk to Jews in the
area; talk to Arabs. Are
these unreasonable re-
quests, Mr. Baker? Are they
laughable? Perhaps. Are we

When Isaiah Gets
In Isiah's Way

CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ

Local Columnist

M

ay 11 was my son's
bar mitzvah. I view-
ed this event as a
milestone for my son and my
family. A few days before the
blessed event, I encountered
a friend who described the
day as lucky.
"It certainly is lucky. I just
can't wait to hear my son on
the bimah," I replied.
"Oh no, that's not what I
meant," she said. "It's lucky
because the Pistons game is
at 1 and doesn't interfere
with the service."
I have difficulty under-
standing this concept. How
could a sporting event take
precedence over a once-in-a-
lifetime event, a religious
celebration? This is a rite of
passage, but it doesn't rate
for some people since the
highlights will not be shown
on the evening news.
Obviously, there are many
people, even my friends, who
would choose a Pistons game
over a bar mitzvah. Unfor-
tunately, I experienced this
same sentiment for my
daughter's bat mitzvah.

Her bat mitzvah was Sept.
16, 1989. That was the day of
the University of Michigan -
Notre Dame football game.
That summer, friends jok-
ingly asked if I could change
the date. Then came the in-
quiries.
"Would you understand if
I went to the game?" asked
one friend. When I replied,
"It's your decision," my re-
sponse seemed to set off

It doesn't rate for
some people since
the highlights will
not be shown on
the evening news.

some guilt feelings. But they
didn't last long, for the next
question offered a choice.
"Can I leave early or, better
yet, bring a portable televi-
sion to the bat mitzvah lun-
cheon?" asked another
friend.
What amazes me is that
several "friends" made
these requests.
Before the bat mitzvah
service, someone had the

gall to ask the rabbi if he
would say a prayer for the
Michigan team. The rabbi
stated firmly to the con-
gregation that the syn-
agogue is not the place for
prayers about sporting
events.
After relating these stories
to a colleague, he told of his
own bar mitzvah - sports
conflict. His bar mitzvah
was Oct. 8, 1966, the same
day as a World Series game
between the Los Angeles
Dodgers and the Baltimore
Orioles.
"I still remember to this
day how people came to my
bar mitzvah with portable
transistors and ear phones.
It's something that will stay
with me forever," he said.
I do not believe these are
isolated incidents. I believe
there are many people who
would rather attend a spor-
ting event than a religious
event. It upsets me that the
only Isaiah some people care
about is Isiah Thomas.
My youngest son will
celebrate his bar mitzvah in
five years. I don't know
whether I should be rooting
for the Tigers or not. ❑

AI.. horn

Gwv.c.rna.

•

19139..redry. Oistritutsel by Loa N.A. Twos

telling you how you should
perform your job? Yes. But,
who are you? What are you
doing in the Middle East?
You are telling leaders of
Israel how to live their lives.
We could give you the old
shtick about pretending that
Canada and Mexico were
hostile to the U.S. and that
each day the borders had to
be checked for intruding ter-
rorists.
Let's not, Mr. Baker and
Mr. Bush. Let's just say that
you have no right to be any-
one's big brother. You have
no right to judge anyone's
actions in the Middle East.
And you have no right to
judge a country's desire to
survive.
Gentlemen, if Israel
doesn't come to the peace
table according to your time
table you have two choices.
You can throw your arms up
in the air and in frustration
blame your best friend in the

area. Or you can keep plugg-
ing.
Mr. Bush, realize again
that history will judge you
better for what happens
decades from this day. Be-
cause if you are really seri-
ous, you'll be methodical;
you'll make yourself a
biblical and political expert.
You'll learn the history of
these peoples.
But if you want an instant
win, if you want TV cor-
respondents scrambling on
top of the Knesset announc-
ing incoming peace diplo-
mats, then go to Hollywood
and have it filmed. Or you
can stop at the video store
and pick up a Rocky movie.
It's simple and sweet. He
overcomes conflict and he
ends up winning every time.
You can watch it twice and
he'll win again.
If only the Middle East
were so easy, Mr. Baker and
Mr. Bush. ❑

Hate That's
Ready To Wear

PHIL JACOBS

Managing Editor

S

cenario: You walk into
a bookstore, any pop-
ular, secular-type
bookstore, and there on a
rack of T-shirts hangs a blue
shirt with white letters
spelling the words "Born To
Shop" blocked out across the
front. Only the letter "O"s
are Magen Davids.
Okay, most Jewish people

probably aren't offended by
this even though it does take
a symbol of our faith and
assigns it to the act of shopp-
ing. This delights our nu-
merous anti-Semites out
there. It furthers a stereo-
type that all Jews have
money and that the Jewish
American Princess is alive
and well.
"Born To Shop" with
Magen Davids is offensive if
you are a Jew. If this shirt

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