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End The Anguish

Several years ago at a Council of Jewish Fed-
erations General Assembly meeting in San
Francisco, then-Israel ambassador to the Unit-
ed States Zalman Shoval told reporters that
when it came to world opinion during the in-
tifada, Israel was effectively shooting itself in
the foot.
The former ambassador was addressing the
constant TV news clips of rock-throwing Pales-
tinian youths as they were chased by Israeli sol-
diers. But the intifada wasn't where the
negative image started. Israel, the world dar-
ling after its dramatic 1967 Six-Day War vic-
tory, became the "bad guy" after its controversial
1982 invasion into Lebanon.
Once again Israel has gone from public world
favor to disfavor — and the reason is again
Lebanon. In a blink, sympathy over Yitzhak
Rabin's assassination and the horror of the more
recent bus bombings are gone.
The issues are complicated. Israel faces an
unchecked barrage of rocket fire from Hezbol-
lah fighters, creating refugees and terror in the
north. When Israel fires back, it forces the evac-
uation of innocent Lebanese civilians. Then, Is-
rael accidentally drops a mortar shell on a
refugee camp, killing more than 100 men,
women and children. The projectile, however,
was aimed at a nearby terrorist position that
had just fired on Israeli planes.
We know that it's important to stop Hezbol-
lah's rain of deadly missiles. But by even acci-
dently killing innocents, Israel is giving its
enemy what it craves: favorable public opinion.
World leaders are now outdoing themselves

in trying to gain an audience with Syrian Pres-
ident Hafez al-Assad, who still sponsors ter-
rorism and blocks peace with Israel.
Israel is right in pursuing a peace beyond the
status quo.
Regardless, world public opinion now belongs
to Syria and the Hezbollah, the Iranian surro-
gate. Footage showing abandoned Israeli vil-
lages just does not measure up to the painful
ones of blood-stained sneaker prints on the pave-
ments of a refugee camp. This, combined with
overwhelming and relentless Israeli air and fire
power, has turned the situation upside down in
the public's eye.
We only wish that the Jewish state had
turned up the diplomatic efforts by asking for
U.S. guidance before this started. Israel must
defend itself, but must ask if all options were
exercised before the bombardment began. But
second guessing is only a game now.
Israel realizes that this deadly exchange can-
not continue. The United States, through the
tireless of efforts of Secretary of State Warren
Christopher, is showing that its real power is
its leadership.
Ultimately, Israel's northern residents need
to feel secure in the long term. The Lebanese
people also need to feel that security. That will
come when Israel is confident that it can leave
southern Lebanon and when Mr. Assad stops
acting as godfather of that country as well as
supporting terrorists. Bombing runs and
Katyusha rockets are short-term non-solutions.
The hard work begins when it stops. We pray
that comes soon.

Chernobyl's Message

When uncontrolled fires ravaged five abandoned
villages near the Chernobyl nuclear power plant
recently, we were reminded of a chilling urgency
— the need to maintain and monitor the safe-
ty of these sites.
Today, April 26, is the 10-year anniversary
of the Chernobyl disaster. We cannot allow our-
selves to fall into a sense of complacency when
it comes to the issue of nuclear energy. It is a
Jewish issue for several reasons — because of
the energies we've spent helping Jews from the
area around Chernobyl, through Chabad Lubav-
itch and other groups, and because of our moral
commitment to the world's well-being. More-
over, the breakup of the Soviet Union has often
meant the suspected selling off of nuclear ma-
terials to governments eager to include these
materials in their inventory of mass destruc-
tion.
Closer to home, we don't have to go far to wit-
ness the results of this potential "destruction."
There are many Soviet Jewish emigres, now
our neighbors, who have suffered the physical
and mental pain from that disastrous spring in

the Ukraine. These new community members
don't need an anniversary date as a reminder
of what happened.
They live with their memories every day.
Some of them have physical problems, such as
thyroid conditions, which are a direct result of
nuclear radiation exposure. Others can re-
member the metallic taste in their mouths as
they marched dutifully during May 1 parades
in cities such as Kiev and Minsk.
Sadly, what most remember is how the gov-
ernment made little or no effort to inform res-
idents of the truth.
For emigres living here in the United States,
however, the biggest concern isn't self-focused.
Instead they worry about the effect the radia-
tion will have on their children, some of whom
weren't even born during the catastrophe.
There are many messages that this modern
society needs to learn from the Chernobyl dis-
aster. It shouldn't be that it's taken 10 years for
our world to realize that control of nuclear pow-
er is directly related to a place we want to leave
for our future generations.

Letters

Two Homers,
One Error

Angered By
King Complacency

May I please correct your copy re-
garding Hank Greenberg's 58
home runs?
The year was not 1935, but
1938. I was 11 years old at the
time and was fortunate enough
to be at the ball park with my late
brother Leonard (1920-1980).
Few people are aware, but No.
57 was inside the park and rolled
past St. Louis Browns' center
fielder Joe Grace to the flag pole.
Del Baker, coaching third base,
waved Greenberg through to
home plate. It was a close call, but
Greenberg was called safe.
It was a double header that
day. No. 58 was hit to the upper
deck in center field. Jimmy
Walkup pitched the second game
for St. Louis and walked Green-
berg three times. The last at bat,
Greenberg reached for an outside
pitch and lined it to the left field-
er — then on to Cleveland to fin-
ish the season.

In the interests of the Jewish
population, as well as other var-
ious peoples in differing reli-
gions, I firmly believe that Larry
King should be rebuked for al-
lowing actor Marlon Brando to
state his vulgar and narrow
views about Jewish executives
and talents in the movie indus-
try.
For a Jewish host on nation-
al TV to calmly accept verbal
slaps in the face, without utter-
ing one word of defense against
such low-class slander against
Jews, is absolutely inexcusable
and reprehensible.
This is a great affront to all
who are civilized in our great
country. What would have hap-
pened if this involved an African
American, Hispanic, Italian or
Catholic? There would have been
a great public outcry of protest
and rightly so. I would have been
equally outraged.

Ray Kahrnoff

Leon L Shoichit

West Bloomfield

Farmington Hills

Dry Bones

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