An Act Of Hope
For The Future
There was an air of unreality to Monday's treaty
signing at the White House. Two foes who had
fought each other on many different battlefields
signed a pact that was all but unthinkable just
three weeks ago: Palestinians were given a sem-
blance of autonomy and surely, more than a toe-
hold of legitimacy; Israelis were offered assurances
that loss of territory will increase — not diminish
— their security.
There on the South Lawn, one of the calmest
of places in a city of political intrigue, stood rep-
resentatives of two peoples that had essential-
ly denied the other's right to exist; two peoples
that had been gunning for each other in a
decades-long, global game of cat-and-mouse.
Yassir Arafat and the PLO he headed had
been driven out of several countries, sometimes
by Israelis, sometimes by fellow Arabs. The Jew-
ish state that Yitzhak Rabin headed had been
in the gunsights of the PLO since it was creat-
ed in 1964 — with Mr. Arafat ofen ordering the
trigger pulled.
And now here they were shaking hands, no
less, and representing, at least for the 60 min-
utes that the ceremony lasted, the possibility
that enmity and hate can be vanquished, that
hope can spring forth in the most unlikely of
places — and between the most unlikely of part-
ners.
The accord has taken our breath away part-
ly because it was done with astounding alacrity.
It was only on August 30 — 19 days ago — that
the world learned that Israeli and Palestinian
officials, meeting in secret in Norway, had been
crafting an agreement that peaceably would end
their conflict. For some, this was too much, too
soon. For others, especially those who had died
in PLO-led terrorist attacks, it was too little —
way too late.
But for those who are still alive — and still
laboring for a peaceful Middle East — the ac-
cord is a significant first step. It cautiously paved
the way for a testing ground to show whether
Jews and Palestinians can, indeed, live side-by-
side with need of neither Uzi, nor stones nor
Katuysha rockets.
FOUR QUESTIONS
That test has now begun. For both sides, it
will not be easy. Deeply ingrained suspicions
must be overcome; deeply ingrained fear must
be placated. For both, there are questions root-
ed in the realities of their region, and in their
entrenched parochialism, questions that tran-
scend the glorious hope of the treaty that is now
only four days old.
Questions of Israeli-Palestinian security: Can
Yassir Arafat still the intifada? Can Israel pla-
cate its settlers on the West Bank?
Will any quiescence between the PLO and Is-
rael translate into lessened Hamas and Hezbol-
lah activities against Israel? If not, will Israel
retaliate? And against whom?
Questions of Middle East civility: Will a Pales-
tinian entity on the West Bank threaten Jor-
dan? Will a Palestinian entity in Gaza, where
Hamas is strong, threaten Egypt?
Will Saudi Arabia and other wealthy OPEC
oil producers withhold their fiscal generosity
from a Palestinian entity because Yassir Arafat
backed Saddam Hussein during the Gulf War?
Questions of internal Middle East politics:
Will Palestinian radicals bump off Mr. Arafat?
Will Israel's right engineer the downfall of the
Rabin government?
Finally, the greatest existential question of
them all: If this doesn't work, what will?
TERROR INJ
For now, almost everyone whose feet are on
the ground politically is betting on the peace
treaty, as imperfect and fragile as it may seem.
"Peace" is a rare word in the Middle East. When
it is spoken, especially in the same breath by Is-
raelis and Palestinians, it should not be taken
lightly.
At this time, it is impossible to know what the
final contours of any Israeli-Palestinian peace
will be, or what the final lines of any Israeli-
Palestinian map will look like. This treaty may
not be the answer that either side ever envi-
sioned to end their conflict. It doesn't give Tel
Aviv/Jaffa to the Palestinians and it's not like-
ly to give. Hebron to the Israelis.
But it does offer hope — hope for both sides.
And it does offer a measure of justice — justice
for both sides. In the coming weeks and months,
the democratic process in Israel will lead to con-
siderable discussion and debate about the agree-
ment and its implications. American Jews must
offer support and encouragement so that peace
really does have a chance. ❑
GAZA...
4
The picturesque four-page ar-
ticle in The Jewish News
Aug. 20 issue concerning a
book review written about
Jewish mobsters is way ex-
cessive and disturbing.
You are trying to depict the
Jewish criminals as naughty
but still "nice Jewish boys"
REALLY
HAVE A CHANCEy
has been set aside for the as-
sistance of the above Jewish
population at risk.
It seems as though the
Jewish Federation Board of
Governors has forgotten
these unfortunate Jewish
people. It looks to me as
though many people in our
community do not realize
what life has done to some of
our families and friends yet
living in Detroit. More mon-
ey is needed for people who
really need our helping hand.
Robert Singer
Huntington Woods
Higher Total
For Food Drive
who loved their mamas and
their families, taking care of
them, even sending them
Rosh Hashanah cards, plus
the rest of the trivial non-
sense.
The pressing problems for
American Jews today are the
revival of anti-Semitism and
Nazi parties home and world-
wide, the spreading of the de-
nial of the Holocaust, and a
host of other political and so-
cial problems concerning our
country. It is not the lives and
deeds of the Purple Gang and
akin.
Charles Lukacs
Southfield
Allocations
Unfair To Poor
POP COURSE -r1-1€
FACE PRocess
WON'T
Mobster Article
Was Excessive
BETTING ON PEACE
Dry Bones
HAMAS HAs
UNLeA51-1€1) A
CAMPAIGN OF
Letters
As a volunteer with the Jew-
ish Vocational Service Out-
reach Program, I visit elderly,
sick and poor Jewish folks
presently housed in adult
foster care homes and nurs-
ing homes in Detroit.
It is therefore with great
consternation that I noted in
The Jewish News of August
27, that according to 1993-
1994 Allied Jewish Cam-
paign allocations, only a
miniscule amount of money
In Jennifer Finer's Sept. 3
story on the Yad Ezra Kol
Nidre food drive, she indi-
cated that last year two tons
of food were donated during
the drive.
Please note that the correct
amount was over 12 tons, a
500 percent increase over
1991.
We remind everyone to fill
your bags with canned and
packaged food (kosher pre-
ferred) and bring them to
your congregations and or-
ganizations on Kol Nidre or
such other time as your con-
gregation or organization has
requested.
Nancy and Richard Barr
Yad Ezra Kol Kidre
Food Drive Chairmen
Safe Place
Was Omitted
5753 was indeed a remark-
able year for the Jewish com-
munity. While enjoying Phil
Jacob's (Sept. 10) summary
of the year, I was disap-
pointed to see that the open-
ing of Safe Place was omitted.
Domestic violence is a sig-
nificant Jewish problem. The
National Council of Jewish
Women and Jewish Family .
Service should have been rec-
ognized for not only provid-
ing a safe haven for victims
but also for educating the
community about this fright-
ening situation.
Ann Zousmer
President, National
Council of Jewish, Women
Greater Detroit Section