Rabbi Herbert
and Rachel
Yoskowitz at
the Tzippori
• excavations
in the Central
Galilee.
The Argentinean immigrants gave
the same answer, adding, "We should
have come here sooner." They were
among the 2,000 people who arrived
in Israel from Argentina in 2001. Of
these, 180 came to Nazareth'Illit, one
of our Partnership communities, buy-
ing houses and helping to strengthen
the community by their contributions.
This month, another 43 Argentinean
olim will arrive in Nazareth Illit.
Builders And Dreamers
Union. Aliyah and absorption have
always been hallmarks of Israel, and,
even now, in spite of the Matzau (the
Situation), immigrants continue to
arrive. They receive the same integra-
tion into their new home as they
would have in calmer times.
Each group of new immigrants had
a collective experience as well as an
individual experience to share. Yet all
the ohm (immigrants) said making
aliyah was the right decision.
At a kibbutz absorption center for
Ethiopian immigrants, the new arrivals
sat in an ulpan class to learn Hebrew.
Painfully thin, they looked older than -
their years. Many are experiencing ongo-
ing health problems as a result of their
difficult lives. But all seemed happy.
Speaking in Hebrew, I asked them,
"Is it good for you here?" Their beau-
tiful smiles gave the answer even
before their words did. They gave no
thought to the Matzav or to the fact
that they were next to Jenin and lived
in a fenced compound guarded by
armed border patrol soldiers. "Yes,"
they said, "Israel is very good for us."
There is so much more we saw and
want to share; but the images we con-
veyed portray a picture of the special
people who are part of the uniqueness
of Israel. Their commitment and ideal-
ism are truly building a strong region
in the Central Galilee. They dream
and build for the future in spite of the
harsh reality of the present Matzay.
For eight days, we had the privilege
of being with them, working with
them and sharing the dream. At no
time did we feel unsafe or threatened.
We lived among Israelis on a moshav
Palestinians is signed.
4. The Saudis protest American sup-
port for Israel as one-sided, but have
no comparable objections to one-sided
support for the Palestinians by the
Arab/Moslem states and most of the
Europeans.
5. The Saudi tone is anything but
peaceful. At the United Nations last
week, Saudi Ambassador Fawzi
Shobokshi barely mentioned
Abdullah's suggestions, choosing
instead to launch a vitriolic attack on
the Jewish state. He accused Israel of
"racism . . . and systematic terrorism"
and said it "has no desire for peace,"
but seeks instead "to expel the Arab
people from Palestine."
6. Abdullah reportedly spoke to his
Jewish interlocutors about normalizing
relations with Israel, territorial swaps,
flexibility regarding Jerusalem and
peace. His U.N. ambassador demand-
ed total Israeli withdrawal in return
for "good neighborly relations," but
said nothing about diplomatic recog-
nition or full peace.
7. Abdullah has rejected all requests
for specifics, relying only on second-
hand reports of others, which can easi-
ly be denied.
8. The real test of Abdullah's inten-
tions will be how hard he works to
line up support prior to the Arab
League leaders summit in Beirut,
scheduled for March 27-29.
So far, the signs are anything but
encouraging.
American officials are concerned
that Palestinian Authority leader Yasser
Arafat might view the Saudi initiative
— as he did the recent European
Union proposal — as insulation
against American and Israeli pressure.
That's why the administration has
stressed that before anything can hap-
pen, Arafat must end the violence and
crack down on the extremists.
Abdullah enjoys more respect than
Fand and has Arab nationalist creden-
tials that his brother lacks. The impor-
tant question is whether he has the
will to place his prestige on the line to
play peacemaker by putting some
meat on his concept and working hard
.
in the Galilee adjacent to the archaeo-
logical excavations at Tzippori. We
drove around the region, walked the
streets and met the people. We saw
the neighboring Arab villages up
north, walked in Arab Nazareth and
even went off the beaten path.
Yes, there are areas to avoid and
occasional roadblocks; but life in Israel
goes on and the people of Israel are
determined. Our experience convinces
us that true to the words of the folk
song from Israel's early days "...believe
me, the day will come when it will be
good for us in our land of peace..."
Perhaps you'll put Israel on your
schedule for 2002. Go there and see
what a nation of determined people
are doing to make the dream of Israel
a reality. Go and see for yourself. ❑
Rabbi Herbert Yoskowitz is a spiritual
leader at Adat Shalom Synagogue in
Farmington Hills. He visited Israel with
his wife, Rachel, director of immigration
and citizenship services for Southfield-
based Jewish Family Service.
to build bridges of peace in the
Middle East — or whether this is just
another PR exercise designed to mend
fences in Washington. ❑
DOuglas M. Bloomfield is a former
executive director of the American Israel
Public Affairs Committee. His e-mail
address is dmb@his. corn
Perspectives on Israel: a continuing series
What is Zionism?
the national liberation movement of
ry.1
ZIOnioi the Jewish people, holds that Jews,
like any other nation, are entitled to a home. Zionism has estab-
lished the modern state of Israel in the ancient homeland of the
Jewish people.
"Zionism is creating a society, however imperfect it may still be,
which tries to implement the highest ideals of democracy—politi-
cal, social and cultural—for all inhabitants of Israel, irrespective
of religious belief, race or sex."
Yigal Allon, an Israeli Founding Father
Anti-Israel propaganda routinely equates Zionism with racism in
spite of the fact that Jews are not a race.
For more information on Zionism visit:
www.us-israel.org/jsource/zion.html
Israel's remarkable effort to rescue tens of thousands of Ethiopian
Jews so they could become citizens of Israel demonstrates the
essence of Zionism and eloquently shows the absurdity of the
racism charge.
Criticizing nationalism is one thing. Singling out Jewish national-
ism as racist, as was done at the recent Durban Conference on
Racism, is anti-Semitism.
Jewish
Community
Council
To learn more about how you can become an effective Israel advocate, visit www.jewishcommunitycouncil.orq
3/8
2002
35