INSIDE WASHINGTON 1""m".

Temple Israel and the American-Israel Education Institute

Professor Alan Dershowitz

"Daring To Be Jewish In America"

Sunday, April 12,1992, 5:30 pm
at Temple Israel

Recognized as one of America's foremost defenders of
civil liberties, and described as one of the top lawyers of
last resort, Harvard Law Professor Alan Dershowitz will
expound on the challenges facing Jews today. In his
recent best seller "Chutzpah" he has accused Jews of
lacking assertiveness in their support of Jewish
issues.Whether you agree with him or not, his views
will dare you to examine your own. Please join us for
this exciting afternoon.

TICKETS

-Limited Seating -
$18 per person advance sales • $25 per person at the door
• $100 per person Patron Forum*

[*Patron Forum at 3:00 pm, April 12,1992.
Advance ticket sales only
Professor Dershowitz will discuss:
The Supreme Court of the 90s:
Where Are Our Civil Liberties?

Temple Israel

•

5725 Walnut Lake Road, West Bloomfield, Michigan.

Checks payable to Temple Israel. Visa & masterCard accepted

For ticket information call: 661-5700 - Fax in orders 661-1302

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34

FRIDAY, APRIL 3, 1992

Scientology Case
Imperils Synagogues

An obscure case pending
before a District of Columbia
tax court could spell big
trouble for synagogues
around the country.
The case involves claims
by the Church of Scientology
that its "auditing" process,
which involves testing and
training of members, is an
essential part of their re-
ligious practice. Therefore,
argue Scientologists, fees for
these tests should be tax
deductible.
But several years ago, the
Supremt Court ruled that an
Internal Revenue Service
decision to allow such deduc-
tions was invalid. The court
decision left some loose ends,
and these are the subject of
the current case.
Scientologists are now
arguing that the IRS dis-
criminately enforced the tax
code since other religious
groups, including Jews;
Catholics and Mormons,
engage in similar practices.
In particular, the Scien-
tologists are pointing to
Jews' purchase of High
Holiday tickets.

Representatives of the
other religious groups have
been asked to testify about
the nature of the practices
described in the Scientiology
suit. Jewish spokesmen will
claim that such practices are
intended to provide financial
support for Jewish institu-
tions, not just provide
specific benefits for donors.
"Theoretically," said
Rabbi David Saperstein, di-
rector of the Religious Ac-
tion Center of Reform
Judaism in Washington,
"when the government
starts to tax the means by
which Jews or other re-
ligious groups support their
institutions, it raises the
danger of restricting the free
exercise of religion."
Also, he said, the ability of
other groups, including
Jews, to deduct dues and do-
nations might be jeopardized
if the court accepts the
Scientologists' argument.
"We're talking about the
loss of tens of millions of
dollars for synagogues," he
said. ❑

NEWS I

Egypt Arrests
Spy Suspect

Jerusalem (JTA) — Egypt
officially notified Israel that
it has arrested a fourth
Israeli national in .connec-
tion with an alleged spy
ring.
This time, the detainee is a
Jew, David Ovitz, whom the
Egyptians have linked to an
Israeli Arab family detained
in Cairo over the past week.
Israel vehemently denies
it has any knowledge of
alleged spies in Egypt.
Sources in Jerusalem sug-
gested that the Egyptian au-
thorities were being hood-
winked by Libya.
The Israeli daily Yediot
Achronot said last week that
the three Israeli Arabs ar-
rested in Cairo may be the
victims of an espionage plot
by the Libyan secret service
to embarrass Israel.
They are Farres Mussarti,
41, of Ramla and his 17-year-
old daughter, Faya, who
were arrested for question-
ing last week; and Mr.
Farres' 21-year-old son, Maj-
ed, arrested when he entered
Egypt from Libya.
Mr. Ovitz was identified as
a secondhand furniture
dealer with a shop in the
Jaffa flea market. The Egyp-

tians say he had
"commercial links" with Mr.
Mussarti, who served as
Arabic interpreter on Mr.
Ovitz's furniture-buying ex-
peditions in Egypt.
The affair has strained
Israel's relations with Cairo.
Minister Mohammad Abdul
Halim Mussa met with the
Israeli envoy to Cairo to
soothe tensions.
The Israelis were angered
that they had not been given
access to the accused Israelis
and had to learn about the
matter through the Egyp-
tian media.
The Egyptians directly
notified Israel of the arrest
of Mr. Ovitz, a day after
Egypt's interior minister
met with Israeli Ambas-
sador Ephraim Dubek.
At their meeting last
week, Mr. Mussa denied he
had told the press that the
Israelis were working for
Mossad.
Nevertheless, the official
Egyptian news agency,
MENA, repeated that the
Mussartis were acting for
Israel.
So far, Israeli officials
have not been allowed to
visit the suspects.

