OTHER VIEWS
Boycott Gas-Guzzlers To Help Israel
o my friend says: "I would love
to visit Israel, but I just can't do
it. I keep thinking of the risk
and my family. I'm frustrated
because I want to do something."
I respond: "Your decision'is regret-
table although understandable. But
there is something you can do. And it
would be much more meaningful
than a visit to Israel, which in the
end, while important, is still symbolic.
"Sell your SUV," I said.
"That's hardly a sacrifice and it
would impact the fight against terror-
ism much more than a trip to Israel."
My friend did not respond, as few
have, when I've made this recommen-
dation to get rid of their Sport Utility
Vehicles.
But we need to understand that the
dollars we are spending on oil directly
aids terrorists and countries such as
Saudi Arabia, which supports terror-
ism and helps finance it.
Bed Falbaum, author, playwright,
Farmington Hills public relations
executive and former political reporter,
teaches journalism at Wayne State
University in Detroit.
George Easterbrook, writing in the
. New Republic, makes a cogent case for
reducing oil consumption to impact
terrorist states. He cites these statistics:
• In 2000, the U.S imported 1.6 mil-
lion barrels of oil per day from Saudi
Arabia and 613,000 barrels from Iraq
• More than one-fifth of America's
petroleum imports come from Persian
Gulf states, most of which have some
connection to anti-American and anti-
Israel terror
• Americans burn 875 gallons per
year per licensed driver and of that,
about 100 gallons come from Persian
Gulf states. (This works out to rough-
ly $75 per year transferred from the
typical American driver to Iraq's
Saddam Hussein and the "desert
princes who smile as their allies chant
death to America" and Israel.)
Easterbrook notes that if America
simply reduced its petroleum use by 2
percent annually, "Gulf-state oil
income would falter." His editor,
Martin Peretz, followed up with a col-
umn in which he said he has bought
an electric-gasoline-powered car that
achieves 51 miles per gallon.
So it's clear we can do something
When Students Die Maliciously
A
s a member of the Jewish
. community, I hesitate before
turning on the morning
news, aching every time ter-
ror reigns in Israel.
As a member of the board of direc-
tors of Women's American ORT — a
supporter of the ORT Israel network
of schools that educate 100,000 annu-
ally — I mourn, too, every time one of
our students or graduates is directly
affected, when they lose family and
friends, or fear attending a class trip or
climbing aboard a bus to go to school.
Patti Aaron, a West Bloomfield resident,
is a past president of Michigan Region,
Women's American ORT.
And indeed, June 18 once again
proved that this fear is rightfully earned:
In Jerusalem, a No. 32 bus exploded
merely 150 feet from the gates of ORT
Spanian, killing 19 people (including
10 schoolchildren) and wounding 52.
The incident comes in the wake of a
harrowing year for the ORT commu-
nity. Since the beginning of the latest
Palestinian intifada (uprising), 36
ORT students and graduates have lost
their lives in terror incidents and mili-
tary action. Somehow, it seems surreal,
as reports of the unthinkable pepper
the papers day after day.
But the students of ORT Spanian make
it all the more tangible. Many of the
Arafat Just Doesn't Get It
Washington, D.C.
f you can believe Yasser Arafat
— and few do — he is the
only one on the planet who
hasn't figured out that
President George W. Bush wants to
get rid of him.
I
Douglas M. Bloomfield is a former
%TN
7/ 5
2002
34
executive director of the American Israel
Public. Affairs Committee. His e-mail
address is dmb@his.com
The discredited Palestinian leader
not only said he doesn't believe
Bush's call for new Palestinian leader-
ship applies to him, but he also
offered to meet the American presi-
dent anywhere and any time to talk
peace.
There are a few problems with
that, starting with the fact that Bush
refused to meet with Arafat even
before evidence surfaced linking the
Palestinian Authority leader to a
about terrorism by reducing
that would advocate ridding the
gasoline consumption, which
highways of wasteful vehicles
would not only impair the eco-
like the SUVs — which, in a
nomic strength of anti-Israeli
moment of candor, Ford Motor
Arab nations and terrorism but
Company Chairman William
would help in the development
Clay Ford admitted not only
of foreign policy.
guzzle gas but are dangerous and
Oil-producing Arab nations
damaging to the environment.
would be much more forth-
A side benefit would be that
BE RL
coming if their pocketbooks
with
oil demand decreased, gas
FALB AUM
were affected. After all, it is
prices
would plunge, helping
Comm unity
the threat of oil boycotts or
the
economy.
Vie
oil higher prices that makes
Would non-Jews and others
the world, including the U.S.,
who may not feel strongly
so compliant to Arab demands in the
about Israel support such a boycott?
Middle East conflict.
Just make the case that the same
Thus, if the entire national Jewish
countries that attack Israel financed
body politic were to launch a major
the Sept. 11 terrorists and that it is in
campaign to not only eliminate SUVs,
this country's interest in fighting
but also boycott other gas-guzzlers, we
world-wide terror to reduce this coun-
could make . a difference and help Israel.
try's dependency on oil.
Forget about expensive full-page politi-
Never has the political environment
cal ads in newspapers, forget about devel-
been more favorable to such an effort.
oping talking points and sending e-mails
The United States has experienced terror
to ourselves, abandon other "feel good"
on its own soil for the first time in histo-
programs which in the end do little to
ry. It now understands — perhaps still
affect the policies of those who kill Israeli
not as fully as Israel — the horrors of ter-
men, women and children almost daily.
ror, and would be more sympathetic to
Take all the limited financial resources
such recommendations than in the past.
and allocate them to a major program
What's more, selling our SUVs is
school's 600 students come from
low-flying plane had caused
the nearby southern Jerusalem
the boom, until his friend
neighborhood of Gilo and travel
came running into the shul
on the No. 32 bus route. After the
shouting about a terrorist
blast, administrators began a
attack outside the school.
frantic search to ascertain
•
"We started assisting people
whether their students were safe.
in need who had been wound-
"Our school was under a lot
ed," Eliran said. "The sights
of pressure," said Ariel Tzaba, a
were really scary. A few minutes
ATTI
ninth-grader at ORT Spanian,
later, there was already a long
AARON
who auspiciously went to school
line of corpses covered with
Com munity
late that day. "Teachers tried locat-
black bags being identified
Views
ing students, and guidance coun-
according to serial numbers.
selors came into the classrooms to
"I hope never again to witness
talk to the students they could find."
an event as frightening as this," he said.
One of those students was Eliran
We stand as surrogate witnesses."
Shalom, who was in the process of put-
Peace cannot come fast enough. I,
ting on tefillin (phylacteries) in the
along with members of Women's
school synagogue when he heard a
American ORT, join the entire Jewish
tremendous explosion. He assumed a
community in prayer for its arrival.
number of recent terror
week, however. According to
bombings and arms-smug-
American diplomats, few of
gling schemes. And now, so
the leaders, if any, trust
does the rest of Bush's govern-
Arafat and most see him as a
ment.
threat to regional stability
Arafat is not entirely friend-
and an obstacle to peace.
less, however.
A top Arafat lieutenant
Following Bush's call for
blasted Arab leaders for
DOUGLAS M. "their strange silence."
Arafat's removal, the French
leaped to his defense, proba- BLOOMFIELD
Finally, contending for
Special
bly out of reflexive anti-
Hypocrite-of-the-Year hon-
Commentary
Americanism, followed by
ors, Egyptian President
the United Nations and
Hosni Mubarak said, "Egypt
most of the Europeans.
strongly supports the democratically
Arab leaders held back for nearly a
elected Palestinian leadership." This