Architect of Peace Or Catalyst for War? An Open Letter to the American Jewish Community Ani All Fri'nf People around the world have hailed the recent Rabin-Arafat agreements as marking the end of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Is this conclusion valid? Is Prime Minister Rabin really bringing peace, as he claims, or is he seriously weakening Israel's ability to defend itself and encouraging greater Arab violence, bloodshed and war? . ifI•1 .ni Mil 1. E A PLAN FOR DISASTER To advance his plan, Rabin and his associates now routinely minimize PLO threats and terrorist acts — or deny them altogether. Under slogans like "taking risks for peace," they have embarked on a campaign of mass deception. aimed at selling a plan to Israelis. world Jewry and others that could mean disaster for the Jewish state. RABIN'S BROKEN PLEDGES Before and since his election in June 1992, Yitzhak Rabin repeatedly pledged to the people of Israel: • He would not negotiate with the PLO. In fact, Rabin began secret talks with the PLO in late 1992. • He would never allow the creation of a Palestinian state. In fact, Rabin has agreed to turn over to the PLO, in stages, Israel's heartland — Judea and Samaria (the "West Bank") — and Gaza. While he claims that he is only allowing the PLO to establish self-government and not a state, his recognition of the PLO, his agreement to allow the PLO to set up legislative councils, and his pledge to assist the PLO in raising funds, all indicate that he is deliberately promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state. • He would preserve a united Jerusalem under Israeli sovereignty as Israel's capital. In fact, Rabin has agreed to negotiations over Jerusalem. His Deputy Foreign Minister now talks about turning over eastern Jerusalem — the City of David with the Western Wall — to the PLO. • Furthermore, a weakened Jewish state, reduced to nine miles wide near its major cities, would make an inviting target for its homicidal neighbors. Violent Arab attacks have already increased greatly. Chaos is quickly developing as Rabin attempts to carry out his plan. jsrael is now like a bus going downhill with no one in the driver's seat. He would never surrender the Golan Heights to Syria. In fact, Rabin has agreed to negotiations that could lead to such an outcome. • Were a PLO state to gain control of Judea, Samaria and Gaza, more than 35% of Israel's limited water reserves could be cut off. Another 30% could be lost if the Golan Heights are turned over to Syria. In addition, the PLO would be able to bring into the area under its control advanced weapons, including Katyusha rockets, which could rain death on Israeli cities. Terrorists would also feel free to attack Jews, knowing that PLO "police" would not interfere. It is no wonder that Israel's top military commanders, who were not consulted before the agreements were announced, expressed concern that Israel's ability to prevent terrorism would he undermined. He would protect the 136.000 residents of the Jewish "settlements" (cities, towns and villages) in the territories of Judea, Samaria and Gaza and not uproot their communities. In fact, since his election in 1992, he has instituted a housing freeze and cut off government funding to these communities, apparently to force their residents to abandon their homes and communities to the Arabs. Under his plan, Jewish residents of the territories, now being killed in increasing numbers by Arabs, would be living in isolated ghettos facing the ominous added threat of a "strong police force" that he has agreed to assist the PLO in creating. A BLIND LEADERSHIP Before and since the agreements with Israel, Arafat and other PLO leaders have openly and repeatedly declared that the PLO's strategy remains its 1974 "phased plan" — to acquire territory and then use it as a base for attacking and eliminating the rest of Israel. (Examples: Arafat, Radio Monte Carlo, Sept. 1, 1993; and Arafat, Jordanian TV, Sept. 13, 1993 — the day he shook hands with Rabin.) Similarly, Arafat has failed to keep his promise to seek revocation of the PLO covenant provisions calling for Israel's destruction. He also urges Arab countries to continue their economic boycott of the Jewish state. In addition, PLO terrorist gangs — including Arafat's own faction, Al Fatah — continue to murder Jews. Despite all this, Rabin and his associates continue to place their trust in Arafat and refuse to accept the reality that he remains determined to wipe out the Jewish state. Recent polls in Israel, however, show that Israelis are not as blind as their leaders and that the initial euphoria over the Rabin plan has largely passed. One recent poll shows that Israelis now oppose the plan by 47% to 43% with 10% undecided (Ma'ariv, 12/3/93). PRO ISRAEL is an independent, non-profit, tax-exempt [Section 501 (c) (3)] organization whose mandate is: • To promote an understanding of the historical, social, economic and political realities of Israel and the Middle East. • To support community development throughout the Land of Israel. • To maintain an information and research center on Israel and the Middle East, with particular emphasis on current developments. P THE FAILURE OF AMERICAN JEWISH LEADERSHIP Over the years there has been a progressive erosion in support for Israel by many Jewish leaders. Jewish leadership reached a low point when the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations voted to admit Americans for Peace Now, a small extremist group with an anti-Israel and pro-PLO agenda. Many of these same leaders now suppon the Rabin-Arafat agreements. Because of this, Rabin has apparently concluded that he can count on American Jews. He has only to continue sending over Foreign Ministry officials to speak at synagogues and elsewhere and American Jews will accept the line that Arafat is now a moderate who only wants peace with Israel. The failure of American Jewish leaders to speak out on behalf of Israel has also made it easier for President Clinton, who publicly maintains a friendly tone towards Israel, to pressure the Jewish state to accede to Arab demands. Clinton has kept almost all of Bush's and Baker's anti-Israel advisors and added others, including a few from Americans for Peace Now. On all this, the American Jewish leadership has remained silent. WHAT YOU CAN DO American Jews and other friends of Israel are now confronted with a dilemma. In the past, they have supported the government of Israel, even when disagreeing with some of its policies. They never anticipated that a government would arise in Israel that would be ready to lead the people of Israel over a cliff by giving away to Israel's enemies portions of the Land of Israel vital to Israel's defense and part of the national and religious heritage of the Jewish people since Biblical times. For American Jews to support such a government — a government of national suicide — would be to actually work against the people of Israel. With Israel's survival at stake, Jews and others are morally obligated to speak out and demand that their leaders tell Rabin that his policies are endangering Israel's existence. American Jews must also tell Clinton and other American leaders that they must not pressure Israel, nor encourage Rabin in his suicidal policies, nor provide financial aid to the PLO. Finally, American Jews must reach out to help the gallant and courageous pioneers of Israel's heartland — Judea and Samaria — and Gaza and the Golan Heights, who are trying desperately to hold on to their homes and communities. Over the years, the major Jewish fundraising organizations have refused to provide financial help to these communities. PRO ISRAEL does provide such help. At this time of mortal peril for the iewish state. we call on all friends of Israel to act now and join PRO ISRAEL'S efforts to help save the Land of Israel. YES! You can count me in! I want to show my steadfast support for Israel by joining with PRO ISRAEL. I want to help ensure that the real message about Israel, and the threats to its security, is heard. Enclosed is my tax-deductible contribution of $ . (Please make checks payable to PRO ISRAEL.) Please print the following information clearly: Name Address City State Zip Phone f PRO ISRAEL [ ] Send me more information about PRO ISRAEL. 17 EAST 45TH STREET NEW YORK. NEW YORK 10017 212-867-0577 Note: A contribution of $36 or more will bring you an informative newsletter written by people living in Israel. You will be kept up-to-date on important issues concerning Israel and, in particular, Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan Heights. GG rn rn I. ›- PRO ISRAEL: Dr. Ernest Bloch, President; Dr. Donald Miller, Vice President; Rusty Moslow, Executive Director. This message is supported by: Rabbi David Algaze, Chairman, Coalition For Israel; Jerold S. Auerbach, Professor of History, Wellesley College; Ronald A. Bergrin; Steven A. Eisenberg; Dr. Joseph Frager; Alex Friedman; Dr. Jack E. Friedman, Professor Emeritus, CUNY; Beth Gilinsky, Jewish Action Alliance; N. R. Greenfield; Rabbi Abraham B. Hecht, President, Rabbinical Alliance of America; Richard A. Hellman, President, Christians' Israel Public Action Campaign; Bunny Horowitz, Coconut Grove, FL; Bernard Kaplan; Jeremiah Kaplan, Attorney at Law; Irving Katz; Dr. Manfred R. Lehmann, World Committee For Israel; Sol Margolis; Taffy Gould McCallum, Miami, FL; Avi Moskowitz; Michael J. Orbach; Rabbi Hershel Reichman, Yeshiva University; Prof. Leonard Rosenbaum; Prof. William Rosenbaum; Leo Sametz, Esq.; Sam Schachter, President, American Friends of Likud; Rabbi Max N. Schreier, Avenue N Jewish Center, Richard H. Shulman; Rabbi Aaron Soloveichik, Dean of Yeshivas Brisk, Chicago, IL; Chaim Stern; Howard B. Weber, Esq., President, Coalition For Israel; Herbert Zweibon, Chairman, Americans For A Safc Israel. (Organizations arc listed for identification purposes only.) CC CC 03 U-I 17