WE RE 111E Go-AHEAD aro cittu DoWN 6 11-1E ENEMi3 OF DeAticeMY aio e.15.WiM EXIREktiguM , UNVONATELN iT Look 4‘,4r. .ftedimmaogmakuagitdomaiaw.,:diz&O.iii„.t vk".41ROF LIKE WE'LL NAVE Tb BE®iti Willi OURSELVES A Moral Call Even in a color television world, war still seems ,•-* to happen in black and white. Close your eyes for a moment and you can re- call pictures from World War II concentration camps, nightly newscasts from Vietnam, and photographs of starving children in Somalia. Like these stark, black-and-white newsreel and news- paper images of conflicts old and new war itself typically paints everything either black or white — no shades of gray. Every war, of course, is more complicated than that. In times of peace, we have the luxury of ex- ploring and debating the nuances of disagree- ments. But war forces us to take sides. For years, the complicated nature of the war in the Balkans has prevented the United States from taking military action. Which of the three sides would we defend? Anyone but the Serbians, perhaps, because they are the aggressors. But what about their history as victims? Even if we could fmd a side (and some say we did so in not arming the Bosnians), what is "America's vital national interest" in Bosnia? And how many lives are we willing to lose to pro- t,ect it? After years of the "terrible suffering of the peo- ple" of Bosnia, as President Clinton described it, including "the warfare, the mass executions, the ethnic cleansing, the campaigns of rape and ter- ror," during which "2 million people — half of the population — were forced from their homes," we have the opportunity to help end the misery. We have the chance, with the peace agreement between the Serbians, Muslims, and Croatians signed in Dayton, to see an end to the killing. While our expectations for the next year must include sacrifice and should certainly not include hopes of a completely. rebuilt country, we must support the president's plan based on our moral obligation — a responsibility that is by defini- tion within our vital national interest. The Balkan conflict is not directly analogous to the Holocaust — for one thing, all sides in Bosnia have arms — but Jews should be espe- cially cognizant of the moral lessons from the last European war. - In addition, we must be prepared to support the use of troops to enforce a peace treaty far from our borders, knowing a similar opportu- nity might arise in the near future for Israel. Should another American president appeal to the nation for troops to enforce a negotiated peace, for a limited time, between Syria and Is- rael on the Golan Heights, American Jews will want to make a moral argument to put Amer- ican lives at stake. Should that day come, we will argue for sol- diers to enforce the work of peacemakers, fully aware that similar efforts have eventually led to more war, but hoping that real peace is possible. Two and a half years ago, Elie Wiesel appealed to President Clinton at the dedication of the Holo- caust Museum: "I have been in the former Yu- goslavia last fall. I cannot sleep since what I have seen. As a Jew I am saying that. We must do something to stop the bloodshed in that coun- try." We must now support the president as he heeds this moral imperative. Letters Rejecting Certain Groups many of them American-born, to perpetuate some of the most heinous crimes in recent Jewish history. Baruch Goldstein and Yigal Amir are products of this dema- goguery and of horribly misguid- ed Jewish ayatollahs' decrees. Israelis are acting to isolate and punish similar elements. Many of us regret not speaking out and confronting the action of the mil- itant right wing in the past. American Jewry can and should support Israelis by condemning these groups and making it clear that they do not represent them, or express the majority's opinion. In my letter to the editor that you published on Nov.- 10, I pointed out the need of the American Jewish community to reject and condemn certain groups. These are the people who, while at- tempting to help Israel, cause much more damage than any de- clared enemy of Israel can inflict. Any reader of the Letters to the Editor section of this publication can identify these groups by their venomous attacks on the state of Israel, its legitimate government and the peace process. Groups cr) like "Americans for a Safe Israel" Avi Zechory and the JDL (Jewish Defense Bloomfield Hills LL, --, League) have carried the flag of 1-- this despicable action. o The Zionist Organization of Profound cc I-- America has lobbied in Wash- Sadness ington against sending U.S. forces to support the Golan Heights in After attend i rig the memorial ser- case of peace. They and their kind vice at Adat Shalom, I noticed help generate the kind of de- fliers had been placed on the support of the most ex- windshields of some of the cars \ 0 ranged , L1.1 L-LJ temple, mine included. Appar- ently vehicles parked on the tem- ple's grounds did not receive the same attention. The flier announced in huge letters: "Rabin: another sacrifice for peace." Smaller lettering then added: "His blood is no redder than the blood of the more than 160 Jews he killed with his peace process." There was nothing else. It was not attributed to any per- son or party. As the author obviously lacked sufficient conviction in his opin- ions to identify himself, I will probably never know the exact purpose or intentions of this mes- sage. His assertions insulted and outraged me at first, but consid- ering them in light of the occasion that brought me out that night, my anger quickly gave way to a profound sadness — the same sadness shared by all those of good conscience that night. The anonymous expression of this sentiment, at this time and in this manner, amounted to cm- elty and cowardice. While it was Letters ror of Mr. Rabin's murder at the hands of another Jew, in a small but significant way, it demon- strated the same loss of human- ity and total disregard for the democratic process. Harley Berger West Bloomfield Are We Living In Dreamland? To think that we are so assimi- lated that there is no longer a problem of anti-Semitism just be- cause it is not overt is like living in dreamland. My greatest wish is that nei- `Explosive ther my children nor my grand- children will have to face the Appearance' problem head on. Suppose there "To lobby Congress against are just one or two instances American taxpayers' money go- where it is brought forward un- ing to Yassir Arafat is tanta- der explicit, trying conditions. How will they act or react? mount to treason." The anti-Semitism of the 1930s This was the thrust of Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg's "explosive" and 1940s is still here though, as appearance on Peter Jennings' Jeannie Weiner indicated in her ABC-TV newscast on Oct. 2. It Nov. 3 Community Views column. was not surprising that the em- It is less overt, but don't for a sin- inent rabbi and Peace Now ideo- gle minute imagine it is gone. If you logue was eager to reinforce do imagine it is gone, just check the Prime Minister Rabin's ill-tem- feelings and actions of the mem- pered rebuke to American Jews bers of the United Nations. Part of the problem we have in which he accused them of not giving enough for the absorption brought on ourselves. For exam- of Russian Jewish immigrants in ple, Ms. Weiner says we will be Israel and not being sufficiently affected by shrinking government "loyal" to the Labor government funds to our agencies. She is right, but when was it ever and the peace process. Lobbying Congress against promised or expected? In years past, we developed our providing unconditional U.S. aid to the PLO, the prime minister own organizations to take care of implied, was tantamount to ob- the problems. There is no reason to structing the peace process. In a expect our neighbors to pay for our sharp, yet timely rebuttal, Avra- problems. When they do, they re- ham Burg, chairman of the Jew- sent it. It is far too early to forget that ish Agency, denounced Rabin's criticism of American Jewry as a anti-Semitism still exists. We "mistake of historic dimensions." should be prepared to face it unex- Arthur Hertzberg's propensi- pectedly at any time, either men- ty for putting his foot in his tally or physically as the situation mouth is not of recent vintage. In indicates, but never, never be afraid October 1982, in the New York to stop it head on, if we can. Daniel Natow Review of Books, Rabbi Hertzberg Southfield blasted Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin for his "con- Remembering frontationist" stance, which "frightens" the majority of Amer- Leonard Simons ican Jews and "risks Israel's I was saddened to learn of Leonard soul." Not one to shy away from reck- Simons' death. I met Leonard over less rhetoric, Rabbi Hertzberg 10 years ago, when he contacted postulated that in as much as Be- me about writing a book on the ear- gin's political support came main- ly history of Detroit Jewry. ly from "North African Jews" who • Due to Leonard's-unflagging en- lack political savvy and sophisti- couragement, interest and assis- cation, it would have been desir- tance, the book was published by able if the two superpowers, the Wayne State University Press un- United States and the Soviet der the title The Jews of Detroit: Union, would have agreed upon From the Beginning, 1762-1914. Whenever I came to Detroit, I and imposed a "solution" upon a would call Leonard and we would "strident" Israel to "save the Jew- meet at his home or for lunch. I ish state from itself." Ezekiel Leikin will never forget those meals — ,withfinld /