YOU DON'T HAVE TO GO DOWNTOWN TO GET THE ZIP "The best Pizza in Metro Detroit" " /-- A great example was how people dealt with President Clinton and Monica Lewinsky — they didn't care about the scandal because they liked this presi- dent. I think we are going in the right direction. JN: What about guns and violence, which you address in your book. LU: We are coming to moral impera- tives. In this country the proliferation of guns has reached a period of insani- ty. It's very scary. I think the media plays a role. When I was a kid the media covered things like famine in India, but now, anything goes. And, when a story develops, the media swarm — in the style of OJ, Monica Lewinsky and the death of Princess Di. Integrity skids and rumors spread. The press does not regulate itself well. There is this lack of self-control or desire to remain humane with your neighbors. We are swamped with information we can never use. JN: It's obvious you are concerned about the next generation. What do you think about youth today? LU: They are an outgrowth of us. They are the wisest, most educated, strongest, the best we've got. When you come to a millennium, you are handing the new generation one tough job. Still, you go back to the basics, which are the relationships of people to their fam- ilies and to society. We have become a little more electronic with each genera- tion, but the same problems are there. I think this generation is very capable of leadership. We worried about the lead- ership of Israel after Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir died, but they did fine. I think we will, too. JN: Speaking of Israel, what direction do you see Israel going in, and what do you think of the country's new leadership? LU: I think the new leadership is good. I believe the stranglehold of the Orthodox has to be broken or there will be a messy situation. These people represent a small minority of the Israelis and unfortunately are very reactionary. They want far more than their share and are not willing to give the nation what it needs. I don't think they are very democratic. We have the unsolved Sephardic and Ashkenazi split, and that has to be rectified. We have the great Russian immigration and little diverse commu- nities that have settled on a piece of land that isn't very large and has to turn away from agriculture as its mainstay. But Israel is already one of Tops on my list... Their Filet Mignon" the top powers in the world, with a democracy and great living conditions. John Tanasy•httl: Detroit Free. Press January 8th, 1999 JN: What about Israel's future? LU: There will be a Silicon Valley in Israel that compares with the Silicon Valley in California. That is obviously Israel's future. As for peace with the Arab neighbors — when [Israel] makes a peace treaty with Syria, you can take a deep breath. The Syrian hatred runs about as deep as you can get. • Pasta Specialties • Pizza • Steaks• Chops • Poultry • Seafood • Cocktails JN:What about a Palestinian state? LU: It's inevitable. You can't deny another people what you have been denied. I don't say the Palestinians are ever going to make a democracy, but the way that history has played out the cards, they are entitled to their piece of land and their government. WEEKENDS UNTIL 3:30 AM JN: Your novel Exodus was one of the greatest stories ever told about Israel. When you wrote it, did you ever think it would have such an impact? LU: I felt there was an untold story that was dynamic. It turns out it was instrumental, especially among the Russian Jews. It was one of the prime motivators of the exodus from Russia. Dozens of illegal translations of the book have been made and passed along from family to family and read in the dark of the night. I have one of the illegal books here, which is my prized possession, and you look at the hand- prints on it — the covers are dirty, and you think of the people who read it to each other throughout the night, and then decided to go to Israel. JN: You spent a lot of time in Israel writing Exodus. How many times have you been there?? LU: More times than you can count, although I have not been there within the last decade. OPEN DAILY - LUNCH & DINNER OPEN WEEKDAYS UNTIL 2:00 AM A Ferndale Favorite Since 1961 OUTDOOR PATIO?! MIMI MN= MOM MIMI 11•11M MIMI MON IMI1 FAMILY ITALIAN DINING & PIZZA "RATED #1 BY THE ONES WHO COUNT— OUR CUSTOMERS" 4033 W. 12 MILE, 3 Blks. 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