Violence And Peace

Confronting Disillusionment

Depth of Arab outrage, violence shakes Jews across the spectrum.

JULIE WIENER

Jewish Telegraphic Agency

New York

A

t Yom Kippur services on
Monday, Norman
Podhoretz was approached
by half a dozen fellow con-
gregants, all of whom said basically the
same thing: "I have to tell you, you
were right all along even though I did-
n't agree with you before."
Podhoretz, editor at large of
Commentary magazine, has long been
critical of the Israel-Palestinian peace
process, asserting that the Palestinians
cannot be trusted.
Amid the escalation of violence in
Israel and the Palestinian destruction
of Joseph's Tomb, a Jewish holy site in
Nablus, some of Podhoretz's longtime
critics were visibly disillusioned about
the chance for peace.
He wondered, he says, whether it
was just a "heat of the moment" thing
or a genuine shift.
Calls to a sampling of

prominent American Jewish thinkers
from across the political spectrum
revealed that most are shaken, if not
despondent, about the depth of Arab
violence and deeply discouraged that
Palestinian Authority President Yasser
Arafat took no action to quell the
unrest.
Writer Cynthia Ozick, long an out-
spoken critic of the Palestinians, said
she envisions the future "very darkly,"
and is "feeling emotionally close to the
way I felt in 1967 — it was a time of
great, great horror because then it
seemed as if there was going to be no
Israel. I think the Jews have to
unashamedly defend themselves in any
way they can," she said.
Menachem Rosensaft, one of five
Jewish activists ostracized for meeting
with Arafat and other Palestinian
Liberation Organization leaders in
1988, long before Israeli leaders recog-
nized Arafat as a negotiating partner,
was also critical of the Palestinians.
"It's troubling when listening to the
Palestinian leaders speak that

possibility that some kind of
radical direction might be
haven't cancelled anything.
taken and everybody's anx-
We celebrated Rosh
ious about that.
Hashanah and Yarn Kippur
"I think everybod•'s also
and are now building family
wondering who these part-
and communal sukkot in
ners in peace Nkrere. Where
Marc itt firers
preparation for the holiday
does it stop? This is not the
We even have tourists in our
way you make dialogue.
region.
There seems to be an inability to find
Mark Myers, the Jewish Federation
the common denominator right now
of Metropolitan Detroit's community
that we thought we have already
shaliach (Israeli emissary), represents
achieved."
the many Israeli. Jews who live in the
On Tuesday night, David Bitan and
area and who have deep-rooted feel-
Sheila, his wife of seven years, left their
ings for what's going on in Israel,.
two children Ann, 5, and Jonathan, 2,
"On a personal level, it's just hard
with a babysitter, headed west six miles
being away from home. It's a time
to a small restaurant in Rarnat Eshay,
when you want to be there when these
where they had dinner. "It was a relax-
things are happening," said Myers,
ing nice evening, a peaceful night," he
who, in Israel, in Kibbutz Masagan
said. "Life goes on."
Michael, one hour north of Tel Aviv
on the Mediterranean. "You have a _job
to do here, so here we are. Personally,
.Local events
it's been an extremely upsetting week-
While events and violence seemed to
end, and we're in constant contact
be spinning out of control in Israel,
with friends and family,"
reaction has been slow but steady in
He has a great deal of anxiety about Detroit.
what may happen, "including the real
Donald Cohen, director of the

LOCAL FROM PAGE 7

you found no sense of trying to calm
the rioters," he said. "You want to
accuse Israel of using excessive force?
That's a discussion to be had once the
stone throwers have stopped throwing
rocks and once people have ceased
sniping."

Not Surprised

Those who never felt peace with the
Palestinians was possible are, not sur-
prisingly, saying the violence is vindi-
cation of what they've been saying all
along.
That Palestinians have reacted with
violence to Israel's offer of "far-reach-
ing concessions," said Podhoretz,
means that "there is no desire for
peaceful coexistence, no matter where
Israel's borders are drawn or whether
or not there is a Palestinian state or
even whether or not the Palestinian
state shares sovereignty over
Jerusalem." Podhoretz predicts "a big
war in the future involving all the
Arab states."

Anti Defamation League/Michigan
Region, began an effort to display
signs that read 'Israel, -Y'ou Are In Our
Prayers" at the entrance to Jewish
places of worship in metro Detroit and
Ann Arbor, as an expression of solidar-
ity.
"The best response I had was when
a man from Temple Emanu-El saw me
place the sign. He came up and gave
me a hug," Cohen said.
Cohen was upset by rumors of
threats made to the Jewish community
were reported by the media over the
weekend. After contacting local law
enforcement and the FBI, Cohen
found "no indication that there was
any specific threat against any institu-
tion in the community."
"I've always encouraged people to
err on the side of caution, but the
media reports were inaccurate," he
said.
Cohen, who attended the Arab-
sponsored march <in Dearborn on Oct.
7, was also dismayed by the extremist
chants of some of the 4,000 marchers.
"While the organizers billed it as a
pro-peace rally, certainly many partici-

-

But on the left, some of the most
disillusioned are still arguing that the
recent violence underscores the neces-
sity of a lasting peace agreement.
Robert Freedman, professor of
political science at Baltimore Hebrew
University and a board member of
Americans for Peace Now, said he is
both discouraged and worried and
fears "we may have a bloody war com-
ing up." However, he still believes that
the only solution to the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict is establishment of
a demilitarized Palestinian state, giving
control of the Temple Mount to neu-
tral international authorities and
removing Jewish settlements in the
middle of densely populated
Palestinian communities such as
Nablus.
"My worry is it may take one more
war to convince the Palestinians that
that's the way to go," he said, adding
that he will not be surprised if Israel
intensifies armed force against the
Palestinians and even forces Arafat into
exile.

pants may have had stronger views for
war.' he said "Vrhile there was an
official chant of Down, Down Israel,'
many were chanting Die, Die Israel.'
There were pro-Ha pass and pro-
Hezbollah chants, and an Israeli flag
with a swastika stead of a Mogen
David. Other signs equating Israelis
with the Nazis."
The Arab community also spon-
sored a candlelight vigil supporting the
Palestinians last week. It's planning a
Town Hall Meeting in Dearborn on
Oct. 14.
The Jewish Federation and the
Jew = ish Community Council of
Metropolitan Detroit have countered
with a pro-Israel rally on Monday,
Oct. 16, at 5:30 p.m. at Yeshivat
Akiva, 21100 W Twelve Mile, between
Southfield and Lahser road, in
Southfield (see related box).

Strained Relations?

The view of local Arab-Jewish relations
is as diverse as the views of the vio-
lence in. Israel.
David Gad-Harf; JCCouncil direc

