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While We Watched
So many times, when questions of atrocities sur-
rounding the war in Bosnia have arisen, we have
been reluctant to say, "It's the Holocaust all over."
There were reasons aplenty to think that this
was different, albeit cruel and bloody. Today's
Muslims, unlike the Jews of half a century ago,
fielded a heavily armed military and also num-
bered in their ranks fighters from other nations
to fight the Serbs. Yet, stinging words such as
"ethnic cleansing" and the chilling discovery of
detention camps, ones where gaunt-faced pris-
oners peered through barbed wire, made it
difficult not to see genocide's face.
But now, we must admit that the word Holo-
caust fits uncomfortably well in Bosnia. There
are reports from the Muslim men — the lucky
ones — who escaped mass killings. There are ac-
counts of adolescent boys literally taken from the
arms of their mothers, loaded on trucks and sent
away. They would die with their fathers and
grandfathers. Their bodies were disposed of in
mass graves and covered over by dirt and sod.
The Serbs cruelly borrowed a chapter from the
Nazis. And there is talk of rapes, stealing homes
and property and eradicating signs of several
hundred years of a minority's presence.
Now, NATO, the United States and other
European allies have the task of uncovering the
mounds of frozen dirt and grass to remove what
authorities believe are thousands of Muslim
bodies.
ISRAELI
EMICIPIAM
JEWISH
84IXID
DONOR
As the troops do so, they uncover not only bod-
ies, but the wretched reminder that as the fi-
nal chapter of the 20th century is written,
humanity is still willing and able to slaughter
itself. The picture of a 12-year-old son being taken
away from his mother, hysterical with tears, has
its own symbols. If the mother represents
humanity, then the son was our hope that a Holo-
caust was something of the past.
It may be too strong to say that the Bosnian
situation is the Holocaust all over again. But it
is no longer unjust to compare. Six million haven't
perished and there hasn't been a 12-year
systematic campaign. The circumstances facing
the Jews — the ghettos, social, economic and
political collapse of their world — differed. Yet,
the hope that we have learned from history —
that this sort of demonic government-sponsored
killing won't happen again — has. And, unlike
during the Holocaust of World War II, it has hap-
pened while we watched, waited and delayed
response.
It's gone by the way of the killing fields. When
our young GIs aid in the digging of and undig-
ging of graves, they'll experience what men in
similar uniforms faced only 50 years ago. What
will they see? How will it change them? What
will they tell their grandchildren in the year
2046?
Cannot it be called another "Holocaust"? And,
will we finally learn to act in time?
Letters
Stunning Victory?
The description by correspondent
Ina Friedman of Yassir Arafat's
election as a "stunning victory"
smacks of naivety.
Totally ignored are the facts
that:
• Arafat had, to quote the
Jerusalem Post, encouraged an'
obscure 72-year-old woman to
run against him while suppress-
ing any challenge by opponents
with any real following.
• Orchestrated candidacies for
the Palestinian Council only for
those who supported his policies
and made sure any self-styled
"independents" quickly joined his
party immediately upon being
elected.
• Suppressed the media and
arrested, intimidated and bribed
unwelcome candidates.
• Along with Arafat, most of
the successful mainstream candi-
dates specialized in incendiary
rhetoric espousing, with their pri-
mary goal being the destruction
of the State of Israel.
The independent monitoring
organization Peace Watch con-
cluded that several serious flaws
existed in the election process,
which called its democratic na-
ture into question. In the mean-
time, Dr. Ivyad Saray, director of
the Palestinian Citizens Rights
Commission, described Arafat's
18-month-old government as a
"militarized, corrupt regime." So
how is this a "stunning victory"?
Finally, Ms. Friedman con-
cludes that the elections "have
truly ushered in a new phase in
Israeli-Palestinian relationships
that the Israelis may have trou-
ble getting used to, "but, they
have had lots of practice adjust-
ing to things so recently consid-
ered unthinkable."
I totally agree with the word
"unthinkable" but would like to
embellish the description with
the word "suicidal."
J.S. Kaufman
Bloomfield Hills
Helping Teens
Get To Israel
The Miracle Mission for Teens is
one of Detroit's proudest achieve-
ments. No other community in
America has managed to pull to-
gether a mission to Israel with
240 young people, subsidized so
that every teen-ager who wishes
to participate may do so. We are
grateful to all the sponsors who
have made this mission possible,
including The Jewish News.
That's why I was surprised to
read in the Editor's Notebook of
Feb. 2 that a father objected to
being asked to "endure the schol-
arship process" in order to send
his son on the mission.
Contrary to the impression left
by the column, applying for a
scholarship is simple. The can-
didate fills out an application and
submits an IRS tax form. The ap-
plication is reviewed by the Jew-
ish Vocational Service and the
Israel Program Scholarship Com-
mittee. The applicant does not
have to appear before the com-
mittee, and all scholarship infor-
mation is confidential. There is
no discrimination; decisions are
based solely on need.
The Jewish News writer quot-
ed his friend as complaining that
"if I were a Soviet Jew, a new
American, the money would be
there for me, no questions asked
But because I'm native oorn, I
have to bare my soul." Comments
such as these are unwarranted,
.
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Letters
divisive and untrue. New Amer- work together? I am proud to
icans who are participating in the state that the Union of Orthodox
mission must undergo the same Jewish Congregations as well as
most Orthodox organizations ac-
process.
What a strange comment from tively participated at the Madi-
someone who, in fact, admitted son Square Garden rally.
The local branches of Young Is-
that the money was there for
him, "hassle-free," at the Hebrew rael do not agree with the posi-
Free Loan Association. At our re- tion taken by the National
quest this community-supported Council of Young Israel and
Federation agency agreed to would like it known that all
make interest-free loans to mis- Young Israels do not speak one
monolithic language nor are we
sion applicants.
Our synagogues, many par- represented by all of the decisions
ents, the Agency for Jewish Ed- taken by the national body.
ucation, Ben Teitel Charitable
Steven Well
Trust and Grand Family Fund
Rabbi, Young Israel
have joined the Jewish Federa-
of Greenfield
tion of Metropolitan Detroit in en-
suring that no teen-ager will have
to stay home because of insuffi- How Green
cient financial resources for this
Was Our Coverage?
mission.
Some parents have extended
themselves financially to send The Jewish News has a respon-
their children to Israel. Whatever sibility to this community to pro-
personal sacrifice it entails — and vide the news — the happenings
whatever community investment of the day. This service, which the
will help each child participate — subscribers pay for, must be
will be well worth the investment. available without regard to the
political positions that may be
Jane Sherman held by the newsmakers. The
Chairman, readers look to this newspaper to
Miracle Mission For Teens publish information and signifi-
cant events. Through knowledge,
its readers gain the capacity to
A Time For Unity
form individual and collective
opinions.
I'd like to respond to Mr. Isaac
Case in point: On Feb. 1, the
Lakritz's letter to the editor in the Detroit community was visited
Jan. 5 edition of The Jewish by Ruth Matar, co-founder of
News. Mr Lakritz lamented the Women For Israel's Tomorrow
boycott of the Madison Square (Women in Green). Ms. Matar
Garden rally by the National spoke to an audience numbering
Council of Young Israel and the about 200 at the Jewish Com-
Zionist Organization of America. ' munity Center.
I am pained as a Young Israel
Her comments were primarily
rabbi to state that he is correct. focused on the diminution of in-
The National Council of Young dividual civil rights in Israel,
Israel informed us that its re- using the administrative deten-
quest to have a member of the tion of Shmuel Cytryn (dual
Likud (which represents 40 per- American and Israeli citizen) as
cent of the Israeli people) speak her prime example. He has been
was rejected. They also requested held since Dec. 4 without being
that the speakers be asked not to charged with a crime. Neither he
use the memorial as a forum to nor his family know why he is in
bash the political position of prison. His file is closed to him
Israeli conservatives as Leah and to his attorney. Soviet im-
Rabin did at the Tel Aviv memo- migrants, who received similar
rial service, which took place last treatment by the KGB, have
month at the site of her hus- spoken against the Israeli gov-
band's murder.
ernment's treatment of Mr.
Nevertheless. now is the time Cytryn.
for unity, and if we can't come
There are many Israeli citizens
together for a memorial rally who have been served with ad-
(which does not turn into a polit-
ical rally), then for what can we GREEN page 12
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