• k‘ , Checking The Purpose Of The WZO Congress Vote Last week, The Jewish News used this space to urge our community to join the rest of American Jewry in taking part in the World Zionist Organization's Centennial Congress election. At stake is the disbursement of some $400 million to programs such as immigration and absorption as well as other important plans and programs within Israel. This is all supposed to be a positive happening. By and large, it is. But we find what has happened in some of our circles to be disturb- ing. While we encourage reli- gious leaders to speak from the bimah or in their communities to get the vote moving along, there are some who see this as a chance for interdenominational one-upmanship. These people seemingly haven't learned a great deal from the current di- visiveness in Israel. They are ostensibly revis- iting the after-effects of the Knesset's consideration of a bill delegitimizing non-Or- thodox conversions. What results are speeches here in America with almost an ulterior motive. That motive is clear: If you are Orthodox, mail in your ap- plication to offset the Conservative or the Re- form voter. If you are Conservative, your vote offsets someone else's ballot. Same with Reform or Humanistic. The opportunity to vote in these Zionist elections was clearly not created for this sort of poison. The bottom line of this vote is the efficient allocation of Diaspora monies within Is- rael. America represents the largest delegation outside of Is- rael. This vote goes a long way in determining the infrastruc- ture on many fronts. It's important to encourage one another to participate be- cause we want to help Israel. That's the point. If you're voting to make sure there are more Orthodox voices than Reform or vice versa, then we don't have to worry about what's going on Is- rael. We have to check on what's happening with ourselves. Israel doesn't need any more di- visiveness. And we shouldn't be adding our share. THE PROMISED LAND THE CONTINUING STORY OF JEWISH LIFE IN THE DIASPORA by Jordan B. Gortinkel I SO FAR: Becca's been roped into chairing her Jewish agency's annual dinner... .. THE TRADITIONAL. C01.0,/C0' CONTRIBUTOR 6IVE5 tXCI115/Yi- -g- * CA41.56. ✓EW/S1/ LY TO < 1 > GENERATION DOESN'T FEEL. MY THAT 7716-- is/f DON'T The most troubling sign about the Palestinian Authority may not be the way it talks to and about Israel, but the way it deals with its own people. The Palestinian Authority is acting like a ba- nana republic, torturing and killing prisoners and civilians. The fact that many of these ac- tions are being carried out in the name of boost- ing the security of the Palestinians, and even the Israelis, does not make them any less de- plorable. Even under its own twisted code of logic, the Palestinian Authority went too far when re- cently issuing a death sentence against Arabs who sell land to Jews. Such state-mandated be- havior creates a poisoned environment that quickly lessens everyone's security. Selling land to the Jews, the Authority says, is ultimately exporting the Palestinians' most vital commodity — the quest for statehood. Fur- ther, they say, these people weaken the Au- thority's position at the negotiating table. But no matter how harshly a governing body views an action, it can never be allowed to exe- cute a suspect without a fair and unbiased tri- al. As for this "crime," capital punishment is beyond comprehension. Fortunately, some Palestinians agree. Both the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group and the Palestinian Society for the Pro- tection of Human Rights and the Environment are vociferous opponents of this policy. The first group is working to save the lives of 15 Pales- tinians awaiting execution. But taking a strong stance against the Authority can be hazardous to your health. Just ask Daoud Kuttab, an interna- tionally recognized Palestinian journalist. He was recently jailed simply for broadcasting Palestinian Assembly meetings, ones in which there was open criticism of the Arafat regime. By speaking out against the Authority's use of torture and murder, these groups provide a ray of light in an increasingly dark period. They must be joined by the political and moral weight of the Western world. The United States and the Europeans, so desperately coveting a role in the Middle East, must demand this law be reversed. Any Palestinian government in the making, they should make clear, must be de- mocratic, shun state-sponsored murder and bring perpetrators of such real crimes to jus- tice. f!) BECCA BETH BERNIE the the the Skeptic Idealist Liberal -- AND YAEL the Perpleked LOUIS SAVES BURS the the the Rebel Tracktionakst Bubby INSTEAD HOST A ROLaR6HAT/N6 OV47t177 \1(// AUTOMATICALLY "6/1/0 1470.511." THAV5 WHY, FOR 1/1/6 YEAR/5 ANNUAL IIINDRA15/NG 0 .Y4/1/7, ( 5146605T 1, 16 FORGO c c/ Rat