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Without A Partner

To quote the bard, it's clear that something is
rotten in Denmark — let alone Gaza, Jericho
and anywhere else that the Palestinian Au-
thority seeks to exert its influence. Were the
Palestinian Authority a mature negotiating
force, it would not react to every bump on the
road as a newborn baby separated from its
mother.
By this point, it is clear that amendments
are needed to the framework of the September
1993 Israel-Palestinian Liberation Organiza-
tion declaration of principles. As a string of ma-
jor and minor terrorist attacks have shown —
including this week's on an Israeli bus that
killed two Jews and possibly the wounding of
an Arab teen-ager — all is not going according
to plan.
The continuing negotiations are about find-
ing new ways to address the legitimate needs
of both Palestinians and Israelis. That's what
Israel tried to do recently when it offered the
Authority municipal and economic control of
the West Bank city ofJenin and possibly Beth-
lehem. Israeli soldiers would remain for a while,
giving way to a phased pullback and simulta-
neous municipal elections. Yassir Arafat re-
jected the option. Then leaders of his Fatah
movement named Mahmoud Abbas to head a
committee supervising the talks. Mr. Abbas
was an architect of the 1993 agreement, but

has since become a harsh critic of Mr. Arafat.
He and some other PLO leaders say that their
accord with Israel concerning withdrawal from
the West Bank can't be broken down into phas-
es.
Agreements have also called for the Pales-
tinian Authority to stop terrorist attacks against
Jews and Israelis. The problem, of course, is
that the Palestinian Authority is not capable
of doing so. Therefore, Israel, knowing that con-
tinued progress is in its best long-term inter-
ests, goes forward, looking for alternatives to
meet the shifting landscape of life with the
Palestinians as negotiating partners.
Regardless of Israel's attempts, it keeps
smacking into Palestinian absolutist ideology.
Such philosophies will result in one thing only:
the strengthening of radicals on both sides.
Palestinian terrorists will continue to target
Israeli soldiers and civilians. That will play into
the hands of Israelis opposed to further talks.
If either group gains control of their govern-
ments — a distinct possibility on both sides,
the future of the West Bank will make the in-
tifada look like the good old days. If this plays
out, Israel will answer the call of Mr. Abbas
and others with a unified plan of redeployment.
But it will be with more troops rather than less
as it tries to control an uncontrollable situa-
tion.

Fixin' To Run You
In the Jewish News:
Go Ahead, Draw!

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So, you were the one in class who phased in and
out of Ancient Greek History 101 with
lively drawings of the teacher in
toga and laurel leaves gracing the
inside covers of your notebook.
Everyone you know thinks you are
funny, not funny looking. And, you're
also politically knowledgeable. Let's see
now. You can draw, you're funny and you
know what's going on in Jewish Detroit
and the world. That can only mean one
thing. It's time to get a life. Just kidding. You
open up your local newspapers, and when you
see the editorial cartoons or comics say to no
one in particular, "I can do that."
But you never have.
Here's your big chance. The Detroit Jewish
News is looking for one or two people to take part
in an editorial cartoon rotation. But first you must
pass the supreme test. No, it's not a Greek His-
tory 101 exam, it's even more difficult: the ap-
proval of our readers. When we receive significant
numbers of entries, we'll run them on our edi-
torial page and we'll ask our readers to vote.

We'll take the
\ Itt, popular decision along
. \-\ with those of our editors
and art team and who
knows, maybe the stuff on
your notebook cover wasn't such
a waste of time after all.
We're looking for editorial cartoons that in-
clude local subjects. While a likeness of Rabin,
Clinton or Arafat is fine, we want you also to
illustrate local people and issues you might see
in The Jewish News.
Go ahead and give it a try. Send three nonre-
turnable entries to Phil Jacobs, Editor, The De-
troit Jewish News, 27676 Franklin Rd.,
Southfield, MI. 48076. No phone calls, please.
Just send us your stuff.

Letters

Consider Funds
For Scholarships

Dear Mr. Jay Kogan: Thank you
for your "gift" of $5 million to Hil-
lel Day School. I have had three
children graduate and two oth-
ers are currently enrolled. Both
my husband and myself are very
pleased to have been able to give
them this excellent start in life.
It is not to whom you chose to
give your "donation," but the
manner in which it is being giv-
en which I question. Your "gift"
is what I put into the "if only" cat-
egory. "If only" we move the
school close to the Jewish Com-
munity Center. Then, at the
board meeting two weeks ago, it
was "if only" we use a specific par-
cel of land located at Maple Road
just east of Halsted. I am trou-
bled to believe that we have not
heard the last of the "if onlys."
The board very responsibly
made up a task force of four com-
mittees. These dedicated people
spent hundreds of hours collect-
ing and writing reports, which
frankly, impressed everyone at
the meeting. Three out of the four
reports led the parents to believe
that it was wiser to stay at our
present location. The fourth re-
port stated that teachers will
teach just as well wherever they
are.
There were still parents who
cannot help but feel that no mat-
ter what the results of the reports,
Hillel cannot afford to turn down
$5 million. Other parents feel that
we cannot afford to move. The old
joke, "two Jews, three opinions"
is not funny when the parent
body turns against itself.
In addition, there is the larg-
er question of how our moving
will affect the entire community.
Hillel Day School is a corner-
stone. Twenty percent of our stu-
dent body comes from the
suburbs of Oak Park, Hunting-
ton Woods and Southfield. Many
families may move as a result of
the school's moving. This places
those three suburbs and the syn-
agogues within them in jeopardy.
I don't think that we can afford
for that to happen.
In Europe, our grandparents
and great-grandparents learned
in a one-room cheder. It didn't
have a wonderful location, the
newest gadgets, the shiniest win-
dows or even central heat. Yet, we

produced geniuses who enriched
our own community and the gen-
eral society as well. All it took was
smart kids, interested parents and
dedicated teachers. We have all
of those at our current location.
Our Hillel is the finest
Solomon Schecter day school in
the country. The problem is not
that we will not have an ade-
quate building once we enlarge
our present one. The problem is
that, in the past, we have not
been able to reach out to all of
those families in the community
who otherwise could not afford a
Hillel education.
Please Mr. Kogan, give the
Jewish children of metro Detroit
your $5 million in the form of a
scholarship fund to Hillel Day
School. Our future is day-school
educated children. This money
that you would give would be felt
far beyond the present genera-
tion and you would be doing a
great service to the Jewish peo-
ple. Think about it.
Harriet Drissman

Farmington Hills

A Repetition
Of History?

I would like to clarify a point con-
cerning the late Dr. Abrams and
myself that appeared in the
March 17 issue. In an article con-
cerning the turmoil at Temple
Beth El, it was implied that when
Dr. Abrams and I ran and were
elected to the board of trustees
as opposition candidates, it was
for the express intent of retain-
ing Rabbi Dannel Schwartz. This
is not entirely correct.
While both of us were open
and ardent supporters of Rabbi
Schwartz, we felt the issue con-
cerning the rabbi was a symptom
of a much larger problem. We
firmly believed that the temple
leadership was vastly out of E /\
touch with the congregation and
not responsive to either its wish-
es or needs.
Our hope was that the election
of two nonpolitical neophytes
against the incumbent candi-
dates endorsed by the nominat-
ing committee would send a
"wake-up" call to the temple lead-
ership. It seems ironic that his-
tory is about to repeat itself.
Dee Dee Lynn

West Bloomfield

