War Hero
Iiikind Acquitted
Of 13ribery
New York (JTA) --- New York
State Assemblyman DCA" Hikind
was acquitted of accepting bribes
from officials of the Council of
Jewish Organizations of Boro Park,
a. neighborhood of Brooklyn, N.Y.
But in the same trial, a federal
court convicted Rabbi Etimelech
Naiman of bribing Hildncl by pay-
ing yeshiva tuition for the assem-
blyman's children and also for pay-
ing a Paris hotel bill after the
Hikind family v-arationed there.
The jury acquitted Hikind after
finding that he accepted the gifts
with no intention of providing
favors in return.
Israeli voters are showing
great interest in
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak.
LARRY DERFNER Israel Correspondent
There is a need for a dis-
fter retiring as Israeli mili-
course in Israeli politics
tary chief of staff last week,
about these civic issues," he
Amnon Lipkin-Shahak
said, adding sarcastically, "I
became the hottest potential don't think Israeli politics
property in Israeli politics. Matan
suffers from a lack of atten-
Vilna'i, who retired as an army general
tion to security issues." In
about two weeks ago, ranks not too
Ben-Ami's view, Israel doesn't
far behind Shahak in political market
need more politi-
value.
cians just out of uni-
Since Israel is always more or Former chief form.
less at war, generals and war
of staff
When the top
heroes are always welcome at
Amnon
national-level political posts
the highest ranks of Israeli poli-
Lipkin-
are spoken for, there are
tics. From current office-holders
Shahak.
always plenty of mayoral
such as Ezer Weizman and Ariel
offices to be filled by ex-gen-
Sharon to former leaders such
erals. In the campaign for the Nov. 10
as Moshe Dayan and Yitzhak Rabin,
municipal elections, the two leading
the public loves them — and trusts
candidates for mayor of Tel Aviv,
them.
Doron Rubin and Ron Huldai, are
The spotlight is now on. Shahak.
both ex-generals.
Upon his retirement from the army, a
Rubin, of course, doesn't agree that
Gallup Poll found that the public pre-
Israeli politics is top-heavy with mili-
ferred him over Netanyahu for prime
tary brass. "I don't have to apologize
minister, 42 to 35 percent.
for being a general," said
Interestingly, this made Shahak a more
Rubin, who left the army
popular figure than Ehud Barak, who
eight years ago and
was found to be leading Netanyahu by became a real estate bro-
the much thinner margin of 40 to 39
ker in Tel Aviv before
percent.
declaring for mayor. Ex-
Shahak has not yet announced his
military men "have led
plans for a second career: Neither has
people in battle, we
Vilna'i. Still, Barak and most of the
bring a holistic perspec-
Labor Party leadership can hardly wait
tive to politics. And the
to bring the two ex-generals into the
fact is, the public votes
fold. But there are dissenters.
for us. People feel we can
"Add up the number of retired gen-
be counted on to run
erals in politics and you get a shocking
things like they should
picture, said Labor Knesset Member
be run."
Shlomo Ben-Ami. "I'm not saying that
And for all the challenges that can
a great many of be raised against retired warriors going
they aren't talented
them are — but on the whole they
into politics, Prof. Asher Arian, a
bring a limited imagination to poli-
political scientist at Haifa University
tics," he said. Ben-Ami came to poli-
and senior fellow at the Israel Institute
tics from a career as a professor of
of Democracy, said ex-generals actual-
European history.
ly raise the level of local government.
"They look at Israel in terms of
"They tend to have a greater aware-
security, defense, strategy, not in terms
ness of, and appreciation for, modern
of a civil society that has to grapple
technologies and methods of organiza-
with questions about rights and
tion," Arian said. "Most of them try
responsibilities, and this is very bad.
Restitution
From Lithuania
Moscow (jTA) -- Lithuanian
to apply standards of professionalism,
and make decisions based on merit
and rationality, in a system in which
political considerations often outweigh
rational considerations." Nevertheless,
Arian believes that top army officers
— as well as all other higher-ups in
public service — should be barred
from entering party politics for at least
a year after their retirement. This, he
says, would ensure that such senior
officials made their final decisions
based strictly on profes-
sional considerations,
not on how public
opinion or party king-
makers might react.
Such a bill, dubbed
the "Shahak Law," is
now making its way
through the Knesset. If it
passes, though, it would
only take effect after the
next national election, so
Shahak is free to jump
into the political waters
if and when he pleases.
Ehud Barak, who retired as IDF
chief of staff on Jan. 1, 1995, was
asked on Israel Radio how long it had
been before another ex-army chief of
staff, then-Prime Minister Rabin,
approached him to join the Labor
Party.
"A few days," Barak replied.
Asked when he would approach his
old army buddy and new civilian
buddy, Shahak, to join Labor, Barak
replied, "I'll wait a few days."
War heroes
are always
welcome in
Israeli
politics.
President Valdas Adamkus
promised a top U.S. official that he
would try to advance efforts to
restore Jewish communal property.
During his visit, U.S.
Undersecretary of State for
Economic Affairs Stuart Eizenstat
also discussed the restitution issue
with leaders of the local Jewish
community. Meanwhile, Jews in
Lithuania's second-largest city of
Kaunas are continuing to battle in
court over who should control five
synagogues already returned to the
Jewish community.
iniV;;N*
House
Holocaust iiiikoths
private citizeri8.
❑
7/24
1998
Detroit Jewish News
35