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Power Of Freedom
e
the most
In Ann Arbor, Natan Sharansky expouses
the power of democracy.
SHOSHANA COHEN
Special to the Jewish News
dom around the globe."
The audience filled the newly renovat-
ed gym of the Jewish Community
Ann Arbor
Center of Washtenaw County.
he antidote to terrorism is actu-
Tani Shtull-Leber, 16, of Ann Arbor
ally the spread of freedom,"
called Sharansky "an excellent speaker.
Natan Sharansky told 300 Ann
He talks a lot like a philosopher; shows
Arbor Jewish Book Fair attendees Nov.
both sides, and breaks apart both sides.
15. "The weapon of freedom
He wants his audience to
and democracy in the hands of
understand and he does every-
the free world ... is a weapon we
thing possible to get them
have that we are very skeptical of
there."
using."
Marina Monoszon emigrat-
Sharansky spent nine years
ed to Ann Arbor from St.
imprisoned in the Soviet Union
Petersburg. "I think he's an
before he became the first politi-
excellent analyst," she said.
cal prisoner released by President
"He delivered a beautiful
Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986. He Sharansky
analysis of a political situation.
joined his wife Avital in Israel,
I have great respect for him
and took his great-grandfather's name,
since I read his memoir a year ago. I was
Natan.
amazed by his courage."
For the last nine years, he has served
Sharansky's thesis centered on "free
in both Labor and Likud governments
societies" and "fear societies." "People
in Israel. He is currently minister for
look at Arab countries and say there are
Jerusalem and diaspora affairs.
no dissidents," Sharansky said. "But look
Sharansky spoke about his new book,
at Russia of the 1930s and you can't
written with Ron Dermer: The Case for
remember any dissidents. Why? Because
Democracy: The Power of Freedom to
they were all killed!"
Overcome Tyranny 6. Terror.
He said Russian dissidents emerged
Sharansky asserted that "truth was the
when the punishment for dissident
weapon that destroyed the Soviet
behavior decreased and he believes the
Union." He believes that the spread of
same will happen in the Arab world.
democracy is the crucial element needed
University of Michigan freshman
for peace.
Jeremy Baruch of West Bloomfield
"We argue that the best response to
respected "Sharansky's honesty and love
fear is freedom," said Dermer, a Miami
for free and open society. I support his
Beach political consultant who has
desire for a peaceful and non-confronta-
worked in Israel for eight years.
tional foreign policy."
Sharansky said people express three
Sharansky wrote in The Case for
kinds of skepticism about democracy:
Democracy: "The great debate of my
• Is freedom good for people?
youth has returned. Once again, the
• Is it good for our security?
world is divided between those who are
• Is it our place to do anything?
prepared to confront evil and those who
His book and his lecture rebuked the
are willing to appease it.
skeptics. 'All peoples desire to be free ...
"And once again, the question that
Freedom anywhere will make the world
ultimately separates members of the two
safer everywhere. And ... democratic
camps remains this: Do you believe in
nations, led by the United States, have a
the power of freedom to change the
critical role to play in expanding free-
world?"
of your
T
o
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THE ISSUE
With a new Palestinian leadership
emerging, hopes are rising in Israel that
negotiations may resume. Might the
same be possible with Syria and
Lebanon?
Farmington Hills
28300 Orchard Lake Rd.
Suite 101
(800) 914-3524
BEEDID TEE ISSUE
2004
22
912720
Israeli negotiations with Syria are
unlikely, according to recent comments
by Syrian specialist Dr. Yossi Olmert,
with Syrian misbehavior the obstacle.
He says Syria needs to hear the message
that its anti-democratic actions in
Lebanon and against its own citizens,
and its support of terrorist organiza-
tions and use of them as a proxy
against Israel, will no longer be tolerat-
ed by the West.
--- Allan Gale, Jewish Community
Council of Metropolitan Detroit