COMMUNITY VIEWS
=Arabs And Jews,
Can They Be Friends?

and his family. This gentleman, now
or the past 16 years, I have
a
friend, is among many with whom
been a member of an orga-
I
have
shared conversation, commu-
nization called the
nity
projects
and social situations.
American Arabic and
Recently,
my
husband and I trav-
Jewish Friends. This group is unique
eled
to
Turkey.
While
not an Arab
in the United States. It is one which
country, Turkey is a religious Muslim
not only has survived over time but
country. The Turkish military and
has been in existence longer than any
most of the Turks we met were
other similar group.
deeply
concerned that the country
Over these years, I have learned a
remain
secular in spite of its peoples'
lot about myslelf and about my
deep
religious
beliefs.
American Arabic neighbors. I have
We
had
the
good fortune to attend
learned that all Arabs are not terror-
a bar mitzvah in Istanbul at Neve
ists (and we know from Oklahoma
Shalom Synagogue, which was the
City that not all terrorists are Arabs).
location
of a terrorist bombing in the
I know that Arab Americans,
1980s. The synagogue's
like Jews, are concerned
clock
is stopped at the time
about protection of minority
that
the
deadly bomb
rights, immigration issues
exploded
on the-Shabbat
/- and prejudice reduction.
morning.
They too worry about crime,
Jews have lived in Turkey
the Red Wings, the strength
since the 4th century BCE,
/- of the public schools; and
making the Jewish commu-
they too agonize about ter-
nity
there one of the oldest
rorism in the Middle East
in
the
world. There are
which adversely affects the
JEANNIE
25,000
Jews living in
\_ peace process.
WEINER
Turkey
now, the majority
I have come to know Arab
Special to The
in Istanbul, which has 17
Christians and Muslims —
Jewish News
synagogues.
Americans whose families
The bar mitzvah we wit-
came from Syria, Egypt, Iraq
nessed was full of joy and
and Lebanon. Many years ago, after
high
emotion.
The synagogue was
/- meeting a local Arab businessman, I
packed
and
the
young man, greatly
asked him where he was from. He
accomplished,
gave
the sermon in
told me he was born in Beit Shean.
Hebrew,
Ladino
and
Turkish. The
We talked at length about the region
Jews in Istanbul state that the Turks
Jeannie Weiner is past president of the
were horrified about the bombing of
Jewish Community Council of
Neve Shalom and they enjoy a good
Metropolitan Detroit.
relationship with the governemnt,

EDITORS
NOTEBOOK

Liberal,
Conservative

PHIL JACOBS
Editor

I'm trying to
think of what it is
I want in the
Middle East.
Editors of Jewish
newspapers are
supposed to
"know" these
things. Yet, I can't
or the life of me figure out anymore

whether I'm a hawk or a dove or if I'm
right-wing or left-wing.
Truth is, I don't want to be either.
What I do want is peace in the
Middle East. I don't want more Jewish
kids taking shrapnel on Ben Yehudah
Street. No more young Israeli soldiers
cut down in Lebanon.
I remember watching on television
as the late Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin shook Yassir Arafat's hand. I
was admittedly hopeful that this
might lead to something. At the same
time, though, in the back of my mind
I figured that somehow, someway it
wouldn't work. I thought this because,
quite simply, I don't trust Arafat to
hold his end of the deal.
I still don't trust him. But sadly, I
don't love Bibi either. I saw this man
up close and personal when he was a
guest at a Bloomfield Hills parlor
meeting before Rabin's assassination.
On one hand I was thinking,

which recognizes the community
through its chief rabbinate. As in
many cities of Europe, Istanbul's syn-
agogues are closely guarded with high
levels of security provided by local
police.
We were personally treated with
great respect and friendliness by all
we met in Turkey, even in the
rural areas
where little
English was
spoken. The
beauty of
the land,
low prices and
close proximity to
Israel make Turkey
as popular vaca-
tion spot for
Israelis.
My expe-
rience in
Turkey brought to mind that
Muslims and Jews can and have lived
in peace with each other. My experi-
ence with the American Arabic and
Jewish Friends has shown me that
locally, Jews and Arabs can and do
share concerns and friendship. As two
significant ethnic groups in the met-
ropolitan Detroit area, Arabs and
Jews have the opportunity to share
more than just the love of hummus
and pita bread. We are neighbors
here as well as in the Middle East.
We know from history that Arabs,
whether Muslim or Christian, and
non-Arab Muslims can live peacefully
with their Jewish neighbors. For the

sake of our children, we must face
our prejudices and begin to break
down stereotypes.
Not only can peaceful co-existence
bring stability to the communities in
which we live, but individually the
friendships that can occur enhance
one's own life
immeasurably. Learning
about reli-
gious and
philosophi-
cal differ-
ences can
break down
fear and mis-
conceptions.
. Detroit
has been
characterized
as an ethni-
cally
diverse city
that is one of the
nation's most segregated and
provincial. This need not be so. At
least we Jews can get to know our
own neighbors and colleagues, no
matter what their religion or ethnici-
ty. Arabs and Jews in Detroit have
broken some barriers. We began 16
years ago and continue today, but the
effort affects too few — it needs to
grow and expand in both communi-
ties.
As we begin a new year, let us
remember that nothing good
can exist for long between people
who consider themselves to be ene-
mies.

"What if Rabin is giving away the
country? Is it possible that Palestinians
and Israelis can work together?"
Bibi wants security. I want security.
He doesn't have much trust for the
Arab leaders. I don't either. Yet what
Bibi and his opposite, Mr. Arafat, are
doing is partnering the destruction of
peace. They are going beyond the
thinkable.
I don't want Hamas in Israel. I
don't want Israeli soldiers burning
down houses on the West Bank. It
doesn't work. There's too much pain
being caused on both sides.
At this point, I wish Madeleine
Albright could find two new leaders to
work with. I think she did right by
telling the two current ones that when
they were ready to get serious she and
the U.S. will return to help.
There are so many, many frustrat-
ing issues. I don't think at this point
that the Arabs are even speaking the

same language as the Jews. I don't
know if they ever will.
But how can the language reach the
same point when Israelis and Arabs
aren't just policing themselves, they are
building a cultural tradition of hatred
for one another.
Oh sure, there's a program here or
there bringing kids together. Here or
there.
Right now, if it's got to be Arafat,
he needs to once and for all control
the bombers. He also has to stop play-
ing to his audience. He's got a horrific
history of telling the Israelis and the
United States one thing and then
turning around and telling the
Palestinians something else.
I want the Palestinians to get the
money they need to build their infra-
structure, to create jobs for their peo-
ple and to live in peace. I was against
a Palestinian state. Now, I grudgingly

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LIBERAL, CONSERVATIVE on page 27

9/26
1997

25