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We Wish You A
Happy and Healthy
New Year

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search, showed that overall con-
fidence in the peace process was
down only one point from July,
while support for the Oslo agree-
ment declined by a mere .4 per-
cent. What's more, contrary to the
impression conveyed on the small
screen, in the Channel 1 poll a
full 79 percent of the respondents
declared that they "hate, or pret-
ty much hate" to participate in
demonstrations, while only 17
percent relished joining them.
On the special broadcast fea-
turing the Channel 1 poll, Sarah
Gal, an advertising executive who
lives in the West Bank but works
in Tel Aviv (and thus has daily
contact with people on both sides
of the political divide), summed
up these contradictions by defin-
ing last year "as the most con-
fusing [one]."
"People are perplexed; people
are divided," she observed from
her own experience. "They don't
know where things are leading,
and they're perturbed."
All of which suggests that
there may well be a gap between
what Israelis think and what
their leaders claim they do. To

"People are
perplexed; people
are divided. They
don't know where
things are leading,
and they're
perturbed."

— Sarah Gal

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our sincerest wishes for peace,
health and prosperity in the New Year

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unravel the contradictions, many
citizens crave an ultimate "poll of
polls" in the form of a referendum
to be held before the Interim
Agreement is signed.
Since Mr. Rabin has categori-
cally rejected that idea, Knesset
member Zevulun. Hammer of the
opposition National Religious
Party has been quietly working
on a plan to hold an independent
vote (for which $2 million in do-
nations have already been
pledged from abroad). The results
of such a referendum would, of
course, not be binding on the gov-
ernment, but its proponents be-
lieve that its "moral weight" will
force Mr. Rabin to amend his
peace program.
Meanwhile, Zo Artzeinu, the
ever-resourceful grassroots move-
ment that expresses its views by
blocking the country's roads, has
a unique way of conducting an in-
stant poll. It has called upon fol-
lowers to turn on all their lights
and electrical appliances at a giv-
en moment, causing an instan-
taneous (and presumably
dramatic) drain on the national
grid.
"Rabin knows how to read the

Electric Corporation's meters"
their flyer reads, "and it will tell
him of the massive opposition to
[Oslo II]."
Whether this sort of "poll" will
also do damage to the national
electricity grid and to such sen-
sitive equipment as televisions,
VCRs, and computers — thus an-
tagonizing the public even fur-
ther — remains, at this writing,
to be seen.
Only one thing seems certain
from this spate of pulse-taking:
Even in a country that takes ob-
vious pleasure in reporting its
thoughts and feelings one more
poll will not ease the frustration
from wanting both security and
change. ❑

Syrian Presence
In Brussels

Brussels (JTA) — The presence
of the head of Syria's Jewish
community at meetings of world
Jewish leaders in Brussels was
a "clear, political signal from Syr-
ia," said Elan Steinberg, execu-
tive director of the World Jewish
Congress.
A few months ago, Syria
would not have let the Jewish
leader, YousefJajati, go to the
meetings of the WJC and the Eu-
ropean Jewish Congress, said
Mr. Steinberg, who was in Eu-
rope for a series of meetings on
Jewish issues, specifically World
War II restitution.
Mr. Steinberg, in an interview,
called Mr. Jajati's presence "very
significant."
Mr. Jajati said that some 250
Syrian Jews now live in Damas-
cus and 50 live in Aleppo, Mr.
Steinberg said.
In October 1994, the exodus of
Syrian Jews came to a close
when Syrian Chief Rabbi Avra-
ham Hamra immigrated to Is-
rael. The emigration, which
began in April 1992, brought
nearly all of Syria's 4,000 Jews
out of the country.
Mr. Jajati called the condition
of the remaining Jews "excel-
lent,"adding that three syna-
gogues and a minyan exist in the
capital city, Mr. Steinberg said.
Children can get a Jewish edu-
cation, but there is no rabbi in
Damascus. And once a month, a
shochet, or ritual slaughterer,
comes from Istanbul, Mr. Jajati
apparently said at the meeting.
Mr. Steinberg added that the
Syrian Jewish community "could
become a bridge" in building a
peace accord between Israel and
Syria.
The Syrian Jewish leader also
invited the WJC officials to visit
Syria. The officials accepted the
invitation, Mr. Steinberg said.

c.