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West Bloomfield man translates interviews with Israel's Yitzhak Shamir.

DIANA LIEBERMAN
Staff Writer

t 85 years old, his face and
body are no longer those of
the underground leader
who immigrated to
Palestine from Poland in 1935.
But, despite the passage of time,
former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak
Shamir still has fire in his belly, says
David Aisner of West Bloomfield.
Aisner, 31, recently translated the
book Conversations with Yitzhak
Shamir from Hebrew into English. In
the process, he got to know Shamir in
person and through mail and e-mail.
"Whether you agree with his politi-
cal ideology or not, his personality is
compelling," Aisner says. "That's the
only word for it. He is a mountain of
integrity."
So far, the book's English translation
is available only through Aisner himself,
who hopes to distribute it to schools
and other groups serving youth.
"Shamir wants to touch the Jewish
youth of the diaspora, to inspire them
with the ideas of Zionism," says
Aisner, secretary of the Zionist
Organization of America's metro
Detroit district.
Shamir, who served as prime minis-
ter from 1986 to 1992, stands for the
militant defense of Israel's borders and
against "Land for Peace" concessions.
He advocates aliya (return to Israel) of
at least half the world's Jews, with pro-
Zionist day schools in the diaspora
acting as catalysts for such movement.
Events of the past few days have
given new relevance to what the for-
mer prime minister has long represent-
ed. Arab violence erupted in the West
Bank and Gaza even as the Israeli gov-
ernment planned to return three Arab
villages to Palestinian hands.
In Conversations, Shamir summa-
rizes his policy as an "Iron Wall."
Originally advocated by defense leader
Ze'ev Jabotinsky, this is not a literal
wall, but a defense force that reacts
swiftly and surely to violence.
It is "the only way the Arabs will
understand that they cannot over-
whelm us, and, as a result, they will be
reconciled to our existence here [in
Israel]," Shamir writes.
Although the book contains sec-

A

5/19
2000

38

tions on Shamir's childhood and
youth, Conversations is not an autobi-
ography. Instead, it's a series of wide-
ranging exchanges between Shamir
and Israeli lawyer Haim Misgav, a fre-
quent writer for Israeli media whose
views parallel Shamir's own.
Aisner, a mechanical engineer who
works for Electronic Data Systems
(EDS), first read the book in the original
Hebrew. "It boiled my blood," he says.
Aisner studied at Hillel Day School
of Metropolitan Detroit and North
Farmington High School. He lived in
Israel for four years, and earned engi-

AIM SGAV

CO ' •'S IONS WITH
VI HMI SHAMIR

ords
Of A
arrior

Left: David Aisner

neering degrees both in Israel and at
Lawrence Technological University in
Southfield.
What excites him most about
Conversations is its belief in the impor-
tance of aliya to protect political inde-
pendence, Aisner says. Shamir also
believes that no Israeli government
can give away land until the majority
of Jews make aliya.
After reading the book, Aisner
translated the first two chapters so
others could share his excitement.
"Then I said, 'This is stupid: maybe
they have it in English.'"
Aisner wrote to Misgav in March
1999, expecting a form letter in reply.
Several months passed. Then, Misgav
called at 5 a.m. Detroit time, a week
before Aisner and his wife, Susie, were
about to leave for a trip to Israel.
On July 11, they were in Israel,
meeting with Shamir.
"Our relationship has really flow-

From the pages of the Jewish News for
this week 10, 20, 30, 40 and 50
years ago.

Secular-studies teachers at Yeshiva
Beth Yehudah continued their strike.
Soprano Avra Weiss was slated to
perform at the installation of offi-
cers for the Women of the Jewish
National Fund.
Robert Schwartz of Oak Park
won a full scholarship for the
Machon L'Torah summer learning
tour of Israel.

jsk

IRAN AT ED BY DAVID AISNER

Above: Book jacket for
"Conversations With
Yitzhak Shamir"

Remember
When • •

ered and developed over the past nine
months," Aisner says. Shamir sends
him clippings from Israeli newspapers
and commentary on the political situ-
ation, while Aisner spreads the mes-
sage of vigilant Zionism.
Despite his hawkish positions on
national defense, Shamir is a liberal
on social issues, Aisner says.
The record shows that Shamir's
tenure in office was marked by tension
between the United States and Israel.
And, despite his apparently unwavering
position on compromise with the Arabs,
he still participated in the Madrid peace
talks as Israel's prime minister.
"He's a feisty guy," says retired
teacher Judy Miller of Bloomfield
Township, referring to Shamir. Active
in both the Anti-Defamation League
and National Council ofJewish
Women, Miller has vacationed in Israel
18 times, at four to six weeks per stay.-
"It's very scary at times. When I think
of them giving back the Golan Heights,
I get a stomachache," Miller says.
"I've never met an Israeli who does-
n't want peace. But on the other hand,
they say, 'We fought too many wars
with these people. Who are we going
to trust?"' ❑

Cantor Shabtai Ackerman of
Congregation Beth Abraham Hillel
Moses was elected to the national
executive council of the Cantors
Assembly.
Michael J. Nathan was named
director of planning for Sinai
Hospital.
Barbara Kukes Goldman
announced her candidacy for county
commissioner in the 15th District.

Sheryl Silver of Detroit has been
selected a UCLA Regents' Scholar,
having maintained all A's during
her freshman and sophomore years.
She was a Detroit Junior Miss in
1968.
David E. Salzman was promoted
to program manager at WKBD-TV
Hillel Day School announced that,
as of September, all classes would
meet in the new building on
Middlebelt Road in Farmington Hills.

k . Awnkrz • ,.:\;

Stanley J. Winkelman was elect-
ed president of the Jewish
Community Council.
Morris Becker of New York was
named the new director of the
Workmen's Circle School.

Vandals in Boston overturned 69
tombstones in the Congregation
Hadrath Israel Cemetery.
Eliahu Elath, Israel's ambassador
in Washington, has been named
minister to Britain.

— Compiled by Sy Manello,
editorial assistant