I UP FRONT
Shamir Laments Rift,
Holds Firm On Talks
Israel leader says loan guarantee delay strikes at
o. the heart of Jewish and Zionist consciousness.
►
HELEN DAVIS
Foreign Correspondent
I
sraeli Prime Minister
Yitzhak Shamir, speak-
ing in sorrowful tones,
this week lamented Wash-
ington's decision to delay
Israel's request for $10
billion in loan guarantees, a
step he called "damaging to
the deepest fundamentals of
the Jewish and Zionist con-
sciousness."
He also restated Israel's
position that Palestinian
representatives to a Middle
East peace conference
cannot have any connection
to the Palestine Liberation
Organization and that the
status of Jerusalem is not
open to negotiations.
In a major, wide-ranging
address to the opening
winter session of the
Knesset, the Israeli parlia-
ment, he said Israel decided
not to seek a grant to assist
the absorption of hundreds
of thousands of Soviet immi-
grants so as not to add to
U.S. taxpayer burdens.
Instead, he explained, the
Israeli government resolved
to raise the funds itself as
loans through commercial
banks, with the guarantee of
the U.S. administration.
"We did not request a
massive cancellation of
debts, as was done for other
countries, including Egypt,"
the prime minister said.
Mr. Shamir said Israel had
once delayed its formal ap-
plication for the loan guar-
antees at the request of the
Bush administration,
"despite our pressing
needs," but that it declined a
second delay, as asked for by
President George Bush last
month, on the grounds that
"it might disrupt the peace
process."
"The creation of linkage
between absorption needs,
which is a humanitarian
mission of the first order,
and a political matter like
the peace process caused us
disappointment and pain,"
he told Knesset members.
Mr. Shamir paid tribute to
U.S. efforts in the struggle
for Jewish emigration from
the Soviet Union and Ethio-
pia. "Therefore, the pain and
disappointment are espe-
cially great since the U.S.
administration has this time
decided to take a step which
is damaging to the deepest
fundamentals of the Jewish
and Zionist consciousness,"
he said.
"I want to believe," the
prime minister continued,
"that if the leaders of the
United States knew of our
great sensitivity on this
matter, and if they were
aware of the scope of the
struggle of our enemies .. .
they would have thought
twice before taking the
course they have."
In a speech that was noted
for its conciliation and lack
of invective, Mr. Shamir also
paid tribute to U.S. efforts in
advancing the peace process,
but stressed that Washing-
ton's intervention was no
substitute for direct negotia-
tions.
"Despite this, a number of
Arab leaders have the im-
pression that the (in-
volvement) of the United
States is intended to apply
pressure on Israel. Those
who feel this way," he said,
"are completely mistaken.
"The role of the United
States must be that of a fair
mediator, seeking ways to
bring the parties closer and
to bridge the gaps between
them."
Israel would insist on
"reasonable defensive boun-
daries," which he described
as a vital necessity in the
Middle East "where there
are totalitarian regimes to
whom democracy is alien
Continued on Page 12
has established a telephone
number through which in-
dividuals may send mes-
sages of support to senators
and representatives for the
$10 billion loan guarantee to
Israel.
Israel is requesting the
loan guarantee to help settle
new immigrants. President
George Bush has asked that
Congress delay a vote on the
issue until after the propos-
ed Middle East peace talks,
to be held later this month.
To send a message, call 1-
800-92 ALIYA (25492). The
cost is $7.25, which may be
billed to a home phone or
credit card.
ministry's chart show that
Israel has spent in the
following states:
ROUND UP
GM Disregards
Arab Boycott
The American Jewish
Congress' Boycott Report has
issued a list of major com-
panies that continue to defy
the Arab boycott of Israel.
The list cites one Michigan
and one Ohio company that
maintain economic ties with
the Jewish state, despite
pressure from the Arab
nations. These are: General
Motors and the Toledo-based
Corning Glass.
Other firms which
disregard the Arab boycott
are: Aetna Life, American
Cyanamid, Anheuser-Bush,
American Can, American
Express, Armstrong World
Industries, AT&T, Atari,
Avis, CBS Records, Coca-
Cola, Control Data, Corning
Glass, Digital Equipment,
Gap, General Electric, Gen-
eral Instrument, GTE,
Genesco, Grumman, Hertz,
Hilton International,
Hughes Aircraft, IBM, In-
land Steel, Intel, Interna-
tional Paper, ITT, Loews,
Mica, Miles Laboratories,
Despite the boycott, 150 U.S.
firms have businesses in Israel.
Monsanto, Motorola, Na-
tional Semiconductor, Na-
tional Seal, Philip Morris,
Rapid American, Revlon,
Seagram, Texas In-
struments, Toys R Us, TRW,
United Technologies, Whit-
taker and Zenith.
Boycott Report also notes
that 150 U.S. firms — in-
cluding Atari, IBM, Intel,
Motorola and National
Semiconductor — have
operations in Israel. Mo-
torola Israel employs 2,300
persons and had sales of
$243 million last year, while
Intel has invested $270 mill-
ion in its Israeli office.
Meanwhile, the Lebanese
newspaper Safir reported on
a recent meeting of the Arab
League. The "64th Boycott
Conference of Liaison Of-
fices of the Boycott of Israel"
met for eight days this
summer in Syria to discuss
continued and increased en-
forcement of the boycott.
According to Boycott
Report, one issue that spark-
ed "much commotion" at the
meeting was a complaint
that Egyptian businesses
maintain trade relations
with Israel. Participants
also demanded the blacklist
of the flight crew that in
1977 brought the late Egyp-
tian President Anwar Sadat
to Israel.
NCJW Establishes
800 Hotline
New York — The National
Council of Jewish Women
What Goes Around
Comes Around
Israel purchases millions
of dollars' worth of goods
from the United States, in-
cluding $23,386,991.46 in
Michigan products, accor-
ding to a report issued by the
Israeli Ministry of Defense
Purchasing Mission.
Other figures cited in the
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
$273,378,879.04 — N.Y.
$94,386,545.46 — Calif.
$86,914,922.32 — Mass.
$60,370,668.25 — Ohio
$40,534,359.37 — N.J.
$42,570,139.62 — Miss.
$38,537,119.80 — Fla.
$29,141,263.58 — Texas
$27,965,952.22 — Conn.
Why Was Bridget
In New York City?
More from the Curious
Facts File (guaranteed to
tantalize but how can you
use this stuff?):
Q: Where could Adolph
Hitler's sister-in-law be
found during World War II?
A: In the United States. A
native of Ireland, Bridget
Hitler lived in New York
City where she worked for
British War Relief. She was
married to Alois Hitler,
Adolph's older half-brother.
Compiled by
Elizabeth Applebaum
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 11