4 1111405
Pollard Followers Need
To Study Newest Spy Case
The discovery that Aldrich Hazen Ames, a Cen-
tral Intelligence Agency officer, has been accused
of selling some of our nation's most sensitive se-
cret information should make those following the
Jonathan Jay Pollard case take notice.
There is no way to measure the damage al-
legedly done by Mr. Ames, a former official of the
CIA's Soviet counter-intelligence branch. Mr.
Ames and his wife were charged with accepting
more than $1.5 million over a decade for spying
for the KGB and its successor intelligence agency
in Russia.
Prosecutors accuse the couple of giving the Rus-
sians some of this country's most important se-
crets.
Mr. Pollard, a former civilian employee with
the Naval Intelligence Service, was charged in
November of 1985 with spying for Israel. He is
serving a life sentence. Since his conviction, Jews
have argued whether they should fight for the
commutation of his sentence. There has been an
ongoing support effort by over 100 Jewish orga-
nizations seeking the end of his jail term. There
were even reports that President Clinton was con-
sidering such a move. Mr. Pollard is incarcerat-
ed at Butner Federal Correctional Institution
outside of Durham, N.C.
One of the major arguments by pro-Pollard
groups is the seventy of his sentence. Now with
CIA insiders calling Mr. Ames' action a disaster
for American intelligence, it will be interesting to
see what sort of punishment Mr. Ames and his
wife will receive, if found guilty.
Interesting, because we'll probably be able to
see the pressure the Clinton administration is un-
der to downplay this in its ongoing attempt to stay
out of a return to Cold War politics with the Rus-
sians. The test of its conviction in punishing spies
can't be judged by the strong rhetoric we now hear
from the president himself.
The Russians, of course, are downplaying this
as less-than-important news. But if the president
is true to the mark of consistency, and if Mr. Pol-
lard's sentence had to be so severe, than this one
should not be held back because of politics.
At the time of Mr. Pollard's sentencing, Israel
was hardly the darling of President Reagan's de-
fense secretary, Caspar Weinberger. There are
many who believe the Pollard sentencing as sym-
bolic punishment.
Pollard supporters should keep an eye on this
case. Consistent justice is what they should seek.
Early information already shows that this alleged
incident is far worse than anything associated
with Mr. Pollard. Relations with Russia are im-
portant. But the Russian bear still has teeth in
its mouth, and a decision, a strict one, is what this
bear needs to understand.
What we need to see, as American Jews, is that
as divided as some of us still are over Pollard,
there is a consistency of justice we can believe in.
That's what we'll watch for regarding Mr. Ames.
Letters
Divisiveness
And Reality
The Jan. 28 article by Phil Ja-
cobs on "Why David Cole Was
on Page 1" went far beyond sim-
ply justifying the front-page
presence of a Jew who is a
leader in the denial of the Holo-
caust.
With that article, Mr. Jacobs
brought to a head a continuous
failing on the part of Jews: that
is the refusal to face up to re-
ality. His Editor's Notebook is
worthy of being spread and giv-
en prominence in all Jewish-
American publications.
Actually, the barrage of fury
unleashed about a David Cole
z article seems to be a waste of
thought and energy. We all
.̀!:2 agree on our dislike of David
Cole, whereas some really sig-
nificant problems envelop and
1 = divide the Jewish people
The editorial "Isolating the
CD
Orthodox" in the same issue
cm points out appropriately "when
ul
= Jews attack each other, all seg-
ments of the :community ...
need to be reminded of what's
A decent and moral. Enough real
issues separate us."
UJ
Certainly the David Cole sto-
ry by Elizabeth Applebaum
cannot be considered enough of
a real issue to have created such
bitterness.
Sally and Morton Horwitz
New Haven, Conn.
Hechtman Residents
Recall Benefactor
It was with profound regret that
we, the residents of Hecht-
man Federation Apartments,
learned of the death of Samuel
Hechtman.
For us, Mr. Hechtman car-
ries a significant place in our
hearts. He was singularly re-
sponsible for our excellent qual-
ity of life here at Hechtman
Apartments. His foresight in es-
tablishing this building and its
wonderful services has given
200 residents a retirement un-
der very pleasant conditions
and at a modest cost we can
manage. Safe, caring, affordable
housing for the elderly is a great
and growing need in our com-
munity as evidenced by very
long waiting lists.
Our residents are in the
process of dedicating a memor-
Letters
tify the Serbs as the aggressor
and the Moslems as the victims.
There is not a Serbian family
Harmon S. Bayer
that cannot count at least one
President,
relative that was killed by the
Hechtman Residents Council
Croatian-Moslem coalition dur-
ing World War II.
During the war, the Croats
were German collaborators and
their anti-Semitism was so
fierce it embarrassed even the
There was a fatal flaw in Ken-
Nazis. Today these same Croats
neth Knoppow's Feb. 18 article
have been just as cruel as the
his
confi-
in The Jewish News,
Serbs in their effort to take con-
dence that Israeli security lies
trol
of parts of Bosnia from the
in "peaceful relations with its
Moslems. Allowing the
neighbors." Human relation-
Moslems access to arms will
ships are fragile (I speak as a
further the killings, not hasten
professional sociologist); they
the peace.
break down and otherwise
At the end of World War I,
change as leaders of govern-
the
term "Balkanize" came to
ments fall and as national in-
mean "to break up into small,
terests change.
mutually hostile political units."
At least equally necessary for
These people have continued to
Israel's security are material
live up to their reputation.
things: land, resources, eco-
Their hostility is centuries old
nomic strength and military
and its virulence seems to be
power. These are more stable
uncontrollable. Today, in parts
than political agreements and
of Bosnia, intermarriage be-
social relationships, however
tween the religions is often the
well-intentioned.
rule rather than the exception
Today's friend is tomorrow's
and yet the age-old "call to kill"
enemy, as in the volatile 20th
is more powerful than newly
century history of America's re-
formed families or friendships.
lations with Germany, Russia
We Jews may take pride in
and Japan.
understanding that our religion
Let Israel continue to nego-
teaches us a unique relation-
tiate with the PLO and other
ship with God and with our fel-
Arab entities but not place its
low man. It is this relationship
trust in any social understand-
that we must share with the
ings that develop, which tend
world and will serve to elevate
to be transitory, without also
mankind from animalism to
relying on material safeguards
civilization. Judaism should
such as territory and resources.
first offer the world our moral
Leon H. Warshay
ethics and respect for human
Detroit
life rather than military or po-
litien1 solutions.
We Jews have spoken out
and deplored the killings in the
Balkans and we have been
more vocal than most other seg-
Your lead editorial Feb. 11 chal-
ments of our community. Writ-
lenged all of us Jews to re-
ing our congressmen suggests
member our past and recognize
that they may have a solution
the atrocities being committed
or the ability force sanity upon
in Bosnia. We were chastised
a people that have come to de-
for our complacency and indif-
fine the word "hostile."
ference as we switched chan-
Hopefully, diplomacy, nego-
nels from the "ethnic cleansing"
tiations and threats will force
in Sarajevo to the downhill
an effective cease-fire. Howev-
races in Lillehammer. "Write
er, history predicts that these
our congressmen," "speak up,"
inbred hatreds will persist and
"take action," we were urged.
this savagery will emerge
Agreed, we must learn from
again.
history. However, history teach-
Alden M. Leib
es us many lessons and we
Bloomfield
Hills
must understand them all.
LETTERS page 8
Let us not be so quick to iden-
He will forever be in our
memory and our hearts.
Peace: Trust Vs.
Material Things
Lessons Of History
In War-Torn Bosnia
Sam Hech1man
ial plaque in his memory, of
a leaf on our Hechtman
Tree of Life, purchasing 10 trees
for the Hechtman Grove in Is-
rael and placing a dedicated liv-
ing tree at our buildings in West
Bloomfield to symbolize how his
legacy will forever continue to
enrich the lives of future gen-
erations of seniors.