inion
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Hold High The Light
B
efore, it was there. Now, it is here.
And the challenge for America —
suddenly aware that it is as tragically
vulnerable as Israel to a monstrous ter-
rorism — is to stay as true to itself as the Jewish
state has.
Deciding what to do, America might learn from
the tough discipline that Israel has demonstrated
in the year since the new intifada (Palestinian
uprising) began.
To begin with, the United States must never
adopt the tactics or mindset of its enemies. It
must strike at them, but with maximum precision
and effect. If it were to unleash the full force of
its military against, say, all of Afghanistan
because it believed that Kabul had
allowed Osama bin Laden to mount this
horrendous action, it
would be no better than
the terrorists.
While President Bush
\( vas correct in expressing a
national resolve to find
and punish the perpetra-
tors, he must tread careful-
ly in proposing to find "no
distinction" between ter-
rorists "and those who har-
bor them." By that standard, Israel would have
reoccupied the West Bank and Gaza after the sui-
cide bombings began — likely killing thousands
and thousands of Palestinians who have enthusias-
tically supported Islamic Jihad and Hamas.
America must continue to stand for personal
freedom and liberty, the very characteristics that
so enrage and challenge the fundamentalist. While
America must exercise heightened caution to pro-
tect its citizens, it must not behave, for example,
as if every Arab here and abroad is committed to
destroying this nation.
Whatever courses of action it chooses, it must
try to find backing from the rest of the world —
just as Israel has tried to do. It must show that its
actions adhere to the highest standard of morality
and are not simply an exercise in projecting its
military might.
Often during our dreadful Tuesday, national
leaders spoke of how the attacks "changed every-
thing" and required draconian responses. That
would be the wrong path to follow; it would be
taking a path of evil that the fundamentalists
walk. We need to preserve our balance between
vigorous protection of national security
and equally vigorous protection of civil
liberties.
As Jews, we under-
stand better than most
what it is like to wit-
ness the massacre of
our innocents. Our
prayers this week for
those who died in the
World Trade Center,
the Pentagon and the
hijacked planes are
heartfelt cries against
the assault on the
sanctity of human life.
In summoning its powers to deal with this still
barely understood national calamity, America
must cling to its national character — to its hope-
fulness and generosity, to its belief in justice and
in the value of working for a better world.
We have long been a light unto the nations of
the world. During this uncertain period of dark-
ness, we cannot let that light go out. ❑
EDITO RILL
The United States must
never adopt the tactics or
mindset of its enemies.
The Voices Of Our Children
A
t 9 p.m. Monday, Sept. 10,
in a hotel ballroom filled
with more than 600 guests,
teenagers Keren Greenblatt
and Mariam Bazeed — one Israeli and
the other Egyptian — sang a duet of
hope and promise. It was the finale of
a remarkable evening honoring Ford
CEO Jacques Nasser for the benefit of
Seeds of Peace. There was barely a dry
eye in the house.
On that evening, the Ritz-Carlton
in Dearborn was the only place in the
world where an Israeli, an Egyptian
and a Palestinian, Fadi Elsalameen,
shared a platform, a handshake and a
hug.
While hopes for a negotiated peace
between Israel and the Palestinian
Authority fade with every suicide
bombing, drive-by shooting and retal-
iatory strike, the passion of the
"Seeds" and their unadulterated mes-
sage of tolerance, coexistence and the
common humanity that unites us"
was inspirational.
Veteran Hearst journalist John
Wallach reminded the audience of the
horrible circumstances which led to
the founding of Seeds of Peace. The
year was 1993. The event: the bomb-
ing of the World Trade Center by
Islamic fundamentalists. Since then,
the twin Manhattan landmarks were
repaired — and more than 1,800
teens "graduated" from the Seeds
camp in Maine with "degrees" in con-
flict resolution.
"
Thick smoke billows into the sky from the area behind
the Statue of Liberty where the World Trade Center
towers stood Tuesday.
But less than 12 hours after
really about Palestinian rights
the Seeds of Peace event,
and aspirations and Israel's
America was under attack.
desire to live peacefully within
Terrorists hijacked jets and
secure and recognized borders.
crashed them into the World
It's about fundamentally differ-
Trade Center as well as the
ent views of the world.
Pentagon. Death rained from
"He who has saved one life,
the sky. This time, the towers
it's as if he saved the entire
fell. Nothing left to reinforce
world." Our world will never
ARTHU R M. be the same again. But that
or salvage.
HORWI TZ
While the song of hope and
doesn't excuse us from helping
Publish er
promise was being sung by
to repair it. Our "common
innocent voices in Dearborn,
humanity" is that in the face of
terrorist masterminds were
raw hatred, we don't lose our
finalizing their cowardly plan.
hope and can still hear the innocent
Can one ever comprehend the hor-
voices of our children.
rific results of their work and the cele-
May the New Year 5762 bring you
brations and cheering by the "com-
peace, health and contentment. May
mon humanity" throughout the
all who cherish peace prosper in their
Middle East? Western Civilization
efforts.
came under attack on Tuesday.
"The Conflict," as it is called, isn't
Eshanah tovah. ❑
9/14
2001
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