LETTERS

Loan Guarantees
And George Bush

The president of the United
States has apparently decid-
ed to eviscerate the "special
relationship" between the
U.S. and Israel which suc-
cessive presidents and ad-
ministrations maintained
and nurtured for over four
decades.
The president's rejection of
Israel's request for loan
guarantees, which would
have cost the American tax-
payer absolutely nothing, is
unconscionable and mean-
spirited.
Quite apart from the policy
disagreement over the set-
tlements issue, the ad-
ministration did not attach
political conditions to billions
of dollars in similar loan
guarantees for Arab coun-
tries, including Yemen — Sad-
dam Hussein's ally in the
Gulf war; when Congress con-
ditioned the granting of most-
favored-nation status to
China on improvement of
Beijing's human rights prac-
tices, the president vetoed it.
Senators Patrick J. Leahy
and Robert W. Kasten had in-
vested a great deal of effort in
trying to secure the presi-
dent's consent to a com-
promise formula, but the
president rebuffed them.
If the settlements in Judea
and Samaria are an "obstacle
to peace," Mr. Bush's cavalier
treatment of Israel on this
issue is likely to prove a much
greater "obstacle to peace,"
should the government and
people of Israel conclude that
the Bush administration can
no longer be relied upon to
serve as an "honest broker"
in the peace process.

Ezekiel Leikin
Zionist Organization of America
Metropolitan Detroit District

Loan Guarantees
And Palestine

I want to thank you for the
support you indicated for the
approval of the loan
guarantees for Israel. It was
wrong, I believe, for President
Bush to tie a halt of the con-
struction of new settlements
in Judea, Samaria and Gaza
as a prerequisite to his ap-
proval of these guarantees.
I have felt for a long time
that Israel could survive very
well and provide the
necessary resources for the
absorption of the new im-
migrants through a com-
prehensive and vigorous pro-
gram of expanding its ex-
ports. Even if the loan
guarantees were approved, it
would still be necessary for
exports to increase so that
hard currency could be earn-

ed for the repayment of the
loans .. .
For some time I have sug-
gested that Israel allow Gaza
to be set up as Palestine and
this entity, with its defense
for the time being maintain-
ed by Israel, could absorb
many Arabs living in the
former UN mandated lands.
This alone would save Israel
an enormous amount of
dollars to be used for the
resettlement and creation of
new jobs for the new
immigrants .. .

Dr. Norman E. Mann
San Diego, Calif

Loan Guarantees
And Leonard Fein

In his March 17 piece,
Leonard Fein supports the
U.S. administration's position
on loan guarantees by conten-
ding that it is both logical and
moral. It is neither.
American foreign policy for
the past 20 years, with reg'ard
to the former Soviet Union,
has been directed toward en-
couraging the emigration of
Soviet Jews. Now, having
realized the goals set forth in
the Jackson-Vanik amend-
ment, it is nothing short of
hypocritical and immoral to
deny these people, the product
of this foreign policy success,
the assistance they so
desperately need.
Further, to demand of Israel
a unilateral concession on the
settlement issue, with no
suitable quid pro quo from
the Arab side, is to send the
unmistakable message to
Israel's enemies that America
plans to "deliver" the Jewish
state and no compromise on
their part is necessary. This
hardly enhances the pro-
spects for a successful conclu-
sion to the process already

begun and therefore would
not further our objective of
regional stability, not to men-
tion a "just and lasting
peace."
Principled positions against
loan guarantees have been
taken by editorial boards of
the Detroit News and the Wall
Street Journal based on the
legitimate argument that
Israel must decrease its
reliance on foreign assistance
so as to expedite economic
reform. Moreover, there are
principled differences of opi-
nion among friends of Israel
as to whether the settlement
policy as established by the
Shamir government is a wise
one.
However, Mr. Fein does not
even attempt to address these
issues, choosing instead to
fall in lockstep with an ad-
ministration policy that is
morally bankrupt and
distracts attention from the
true causes of the Arab-Israel
conflict, the most important
of which is the unwillingness
of despots such as Hafez
Assad to end their quest for
the annihilation of Israel.
The "blame Israel first"
tone of Mr. Fein's flawed
analysis is indeed depressing
in this context.

Leslie D. Grosinger
Birmingham

Buchanan Protest
Was Un-American

My apology to a fellow
American.
On March 16, as I was corn-
ing home from work, I heard
the disturbing news that
some militants made an at-
tempt to disrupt Mr.
Buchanan's speech at a Re-
publican rally.
When I went home, it was
on TV again. I felt sick and

I

their Jewish education, large-
nauseated as a flashback
ly due to the dedication and
overwhelmed me from the
enthusiasm of their teachers
past. As a teen-ager, I
and the imaginative program-
remembered the Nazis who
ing of the AJE adminis-
beat and whipped the
"undesirables" and' took
tration.
In addition, the broad array
them to "work camps" where
of subjects they are learning
they were allowed to die for
is due to the adherence to
the Nazi cause. Many sur-
clearly defined AJE stand-
vivors, like some of my wife's
ards both in terms of cur-
relatives, returned with
riculum and teacher training.
diminished mental capacities
Their education in Torah con-
as a result.
cepts has clearly taught them
Then the communists came
the importance of tzedakah
in with their Red activists,
and one's responsibility to
who were not pleased with
others in the Jewish com-
our lack of "political correct-
munity. These are critical
ness" and beat us with lead
concepts to instill in our
pipes and-telephone cables to
children in order to build
give us a better appreciation
strength in the community
for the socialist struggle .. .
for the future.
Immediately after my ar-
Federation can dress up its
rival, I was drafted into the
education report with any
U.S. Army and sent to Korea
language it wants but the fact
to fight communist aggres-
of the matter is that it is fur-
sion. I also fought communist
ther weakening an already
insurgents in Vietnam,
underfunded and struggling
where I found the enemy's in-
elementary educational in-
tolerance toward dissidents at
frastructure in this com-
its worst.
Well, the ugly head of in-
munity.
Twenty or 30 years from
tolerance is here again. Those
now, the leaders of that time
agitators March 16 decided
will be turning to themselves
that they will choose whom
and asking what happened.
they will tolerate as a speaker
Larry Gormezano
— the same thing that the
West Bloomfield
Nazis and the Reds did.
Our constitution guaran-
tees the right of the citizens
Selling Arms
of this country to peaceably
And Killing Sheep
assemble and the right to free
Recently, the press was full
speech. This right is very
of accusations, blaming the
precious and expensive. It was
State of Israel of selling arms,
paid for with the blood of
which it was not authorized
many and with incredible
to sell, to the Chinese. Well-
sacrifices. Therefore, this
known columnists Evans and
right must be protected for .
Novak accused it also of sell-
all, not just for the "political-
ing weaponry which it was
ly correct."
not authorized to sell without
I want to apologize to Mr.
the permission of the United
Buchanan for the rude and
States. Israel has categorical-
militant behavior of some
ly denied doing so.
misguided do-gooders who
All these accusations re-
created. more harm for the
mind me of a well-known
cause of Israel than good.
fable about the animals who
Julius Farago
decided to repent because
St. Clair Shores
their sins had brought
disaster upon them. Finally,
the sheep admits that she
Education Report
once ate the straw lining from
Misses Answer
her master's boots. Here at
How ironic that Federation
last was obviously the true
is concerned with the steady
cause of their misfortune. All
decline in the percentage of
fall on the evil sheep and
Jews who contribute to the
slaughter it and everything is
Allied Jewish Campaign
in order again.
(March 13) due, in large part,
This fable is usually taken
to a declining sense of identi-
to point out the hypocrisy of
ty with the Jewish communi-
the animals, who ignore the
ty among younger age groups.
sins of the strong and attack
So what is Federation's
those of the weak.
answer to the problem? It
Abraham Pasternak
decided the best approach is
Southfield
to abandon the elementary
school education of nearly
1,000 students attending
Emigre Needs
classes under the auspices of
Are Defined
the Agency for Jewish
I want to thank The Jewish
Education.
News for writing the editorial
As the parent of two
March 20, "If It's Garbage,
children attending the AJE, I
Keep It." Resettlement Ser-
can tell you that they are en-
Continued on Page 10
thusiastic and excited about

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

7