To celebrate Jewish news, Give The Jewish News. Parents! Continue the tradition. Give your children another great gift...a subscription to The Jewish News. It was a chapter you started teaching your children at a very young age. In it were the holidays, rituals and joys of Jewish life. And now as your children start a new life, and eventually a new fam- ily, you can keep those past lessons alive and growing. A gift subscription to The Jew- ish News brings young couples a first-hand look at their community. From the events and happenings of the day, to the challenges of the future. We can help add meaning to their lives. And, at the same time, serve as a foundation for building a proud family...just like the one they came from. THE JEWISH NEWS invest in continuity. Order a Jewish News wedding gift subscription today! Call 810-354-6620 or return the coupon below. Save 37h off the newsstand price by resporxling today. Receive 52 issues of The Jewish News plus five issues of Style magazine for only $42 ($58 out-of-state). Yes I'd like my own subscription to The Jewish News. f0. ❑ Please bill me. ❑ Payment enclosed. ❑ Charge to my ❑ MasterCard ❑ Visa Card # Name Address Exp. City Signature (required) Zip Gift Card Message My Address Phone State Phone is My Name City ❑ I'd like to send a subscription as a gift to: State Zip New subcribers only c, Please send all payments along with this coupon to: The Jewish News, P.O. Box 2267, Southfield, MI 48037-2267. Allow 2-3 weeks for delivery. "*" 127 For faster service call 810-354-6620 and charge it to your Visa or MasterCard between the hours of 8:30 an and 5:00 pm AD195 TRADE page 3 about the trade forum. And one, Tallal Turfe of the Detroit Inter- faith Round Table, said he was surprised, considering that Mr. Fawaz is a member of the exec- utive committee of the Round Table. Carl Rashid, a chairperson of the American Arabic and Jewish Friends, also hadn't heard about the conference. Nor could he re- call a similar reaction to a non- political event. But, he said, both the Jewish and Arab communities in the metropolitan area can be touchy about the other. "What we try to promote is a community harmony between the two communities, an under- standing, a cultural exchange," Mr. Rashid said. The all-day forum at the Novi Hilton features speeches by offi- cials from the U.S. Overseas Pri- vate Investment Corporation and the U.S. Department of State, among others, and seminars and panel discussions by Commerce Department officials and Michi- gan companies that are eager to make commercial inroads in the Middle East and North Africa. Representatives of the various countries, including Egyptian Ambassador Ahmed Maher El Sayer and Moroccan Ambassador Mohamed Benaissa, will talk about opportunities in both the private and public sectors. "This is a sign right here that there is an incredible change" in relations between Israel and its neighbors, Mr. Corson said. De- spite the recent Hamas-inspired terrorist bombings in Israel, "I'll emphasize: Trade is a win-win situation." He said it's highly unlikely the chamber will reverse its decision, but, "we will, of course, continue to work with the American Arab Chamber of Commerce. The up- shot is, we're going to have a very exciting conference. American companies should get a tremen- dous amount out of it," Mr. Cor- son said. In the meantime, reaction to the withdrawal of the American Arab Chamber of Commerce ranged from puzzlement to dis- appointment. Shelly Jackier, a co-chairper- son of American Arabic and Jew- ish Friends, speculated that local Syrian and Lebanese business- people might have influenced the decision. "There are a large number of businesspeople in the communi- ty with ties to those countries, so maybe it's more understandable," she said. But, "the whole idea is to take the politics out of business and make business the focus of this conference. Unfortunately, with the peace process taking place, there will be incidents taking place that will detract from the purpose of the conference and create sensitivities. Once there is more interaction among coun- tries in the Middle East — poli- tics will always be there — people who are serious about de- veloping business ties will be able to focus their attention on that." Michael Traison, president of the America-Israel Chamber of Commerce of Michigan, is slated to speak at the conference on commercial opportunities in Is- rael. He noted that the American Arab Chamber of Commerce "is exactly the kind of organization we've tried over and over again to identify, and when we find an organization like this, we want to work with them." Despite Mr. Fawaz's valiant attempts in the past to win the support of the Arab chamber's members for events involving Is- rael, a "conservative" and "aloof' attitude still prevails, Mr. Trai- son said. "But we think it's probably an old-fashioned attitude that will disappear shortly." As an advocate of vigorous trade between Israel and its neighbors, Mr. Traison believes economic growth in the region is the way to a lasting peace. "The Israeli policy has been and continues to be that we should do whatever we can to build the economy of the region. It's not an altruistic policy; it's one based on our conviction that peace is going to be best secured in an area where people have food in their stomachs, money in their pockets and opportunities before them," he said. The March 20 conference, Mr. Corson said, is a way of infusing capital in the region. In 1994, Michigan trailed only California, Texas and New York in the amount of goods it export- ed to overseas markets. According to U.S. Commerce Department figures, the Middle East is a top destination for Michigan products. In the third quarter of 1995, Michigan com- panies exported $140 million worth of goods to Saudi Arabia and $74 million to IsraeL Its third and fourth largest markets in the region were United Arab Emi- rates and Kuwait, followed by Lebanon and Qatar. Michigan's biggest exports are automobile-related equipment, industrial machinery and com- puter technology. ❑ edn 1:1 1Witt Is 21111 Iftelltitiotration b eginsat7:30 ii40#0. cost for the 'full day, including a continental breakfast, lunch and materials, is $100. For in- formation, contact Richard Corson at the Pontiac Export Assistance Center, (810) 975- 9600. N