Middle Ea
Dingell Challenged
Congressman reaffirms his support for Israel amid controversial remarks..
Don Cohen
Special to the Jewish News
_....
Council Executive
mative and frank."
Director Robert
He said they
Cohen explained
shared a commit-
that
Council,
ADL
ment
to finding a
ewish community lead-
and
AJC
had
sched-
long-term
peaceful
ers were surprised to
uled
meetings
with
solution,
but
that
read in a front-page
Dingell
as
well
as
they
didn't
"entire-
story in the Aug. 2 Detroit Free
U.S. Reps. Carolyn
ly agree" on how to
Press that they were upset and
Cheeks-Kilpatrick,
get to that goal.
had called for a meeting to dis-
D-Detroit, and John
"Every meeting
cuss remarks made by U.S. Rep.
with John Dingell
John Dingell, D.-Dearborn, during . Conyers, D-Detroit,
Rep. Dingell
in the wake of their
is frank and filled
a WDIV-TV interview broadcast
votes against the
with candor, that
on July 30, in which the congress-
resolution. Commenting on
is his style and I respect him for
man said he would not take sides
the meetings with Dingell and
that," said Jeff Levin, executive
between Israel and Hezbollah.
Cheeks-Kilpatrick — the meeting director of the Jewish Federation
Not only were they not aware
with Conyers was yet to be held
of Washtenaw County. Most of
of the comments, leaders from
Cohen said both made clear
Dingell's Jewish constituents live
the Jewish Community Council
"with no qualifications that they
in Washtenaw County.
of Metropolitan Detroit, Anti-
are strong historic supporters of
"We have powerful disagree--
Defamation League, American
Israel's right to exist as a Jewish
ments with John Dingell about the
Jewish Committee and Jewish
state and of Israel's right to defend Middle East," said Levin, saying
Federation of Washtenaw
itself. They were both strong and
he disagrees with the view that
County had met with Dingell the
unqualified in their condemna-
"Israel and Hezbollah just need to
day before the story appeared
tion of terrorism and of Hezbollah talk it out!" At the same time, he
to discuss his vote against
as a terrorist organization." Cohen noted Dingell's consistent record
Congressional Resolution 921 in
characterized the meeting with
of support for foreign aid to Israel
support of Israel that had passed
Dingell as "polite, cordial, infor-
and signature on a July 28 letter
410-8.
j
calling on the European Union to
classify Hezbollah as a terrorist
organization. In March 2005, he
had voted for House Resolution
101 that made the same request of
the E.U. Levin says his federation
meets with Dingell four to five
times a year and that he is very
supportive of social services agen-
cies and domestic agenda issues.
Dingell's office referred the
Jewish News to his congressional
Web site for materials explaining
his vote and remarks, and said
he was told by the Free Press
that the paper will be running a
clarification. Dingell's speech on
the House floor on July 19 called
Israel a "dear and unwavering
ally': stating "we must speak with
one voice that Israel has a right
to defend itself. I believe we are
unanimous in our opinion that
Hezbollah began this conflict; and
I believe that we are unanimous
that Iran and Syria continue
to destructively meddle in the
emerging democracy of Lebanon."
Calling for more active U.S. diplo-
macy and assistance for Lebanon
and Israel, he called the resolution
"an inadequate statement of pol-
icy to the parties who are friends
of peace."
Interviewed by Deyin Scillian
for the Channel 4 public affair
program FlashpO int, Dingell
defended his vote by saying
the U.S. needs to be a "fair and
honest broker and friend to all
parties, and the resolution did
not make us that." When Scillian
says marry see this as an issue of
Israel versus Hezbollah, Dingell
responds, "I don't take sides for
or against Hezbollah or for or
against Israel." When Scillian
asks if he is against Hezbollah,
Dingell responds, "No, I happen
to be against violence. I think
the United States 1-1s to bring a
resolution to this matter. Now,
I condemn Hezbollah as does
everybody else for the violence,
but I think we've got to talk to
them ..." to end the violence.
Rights Watch.
He also accused Syria of direct-
ly supporting Hezbollah.
"In the last couple of days, three
times the Israeli Air Force inter-
cepted Syrian convoys crossing
the Syrian-Lebanese border with
rockets. It's clear that this regime
provides ammunition and weap-
ons to terrorists."
Ya'alon, who served as chief
of staff for thee years until June
2005, was always against disen-
gagement from Gaza and told the
crowd Israel didn't act strongly
enough when a soldier was kid-
napped in Gaza.
By moving the IDF to the fence
instead of over the fence, he said,
"We did not respond in the right
way after the abduction. The best
defense is a good offense."
At the event, Ruth Vosko of
Farmington said the media has
been unfair in its coverage of the
war.
"Fox News and CNN need to
start showing some unbiased
sides of Israel's plight as well
as the Palestinians'," she said.
"They also need to get to the
brainwashed Palestinians regard-
ing the -fact that they are hiding
munitions in their homes and in
their churches and in their U.N.
buildings."
Dr. Milton Siegel of West
Bloomfield said he supports the
invasion of Lebanon.
"It's very unfortunate what's
happening to all the civilians in
Lebanon; but, on the other hand,
if we let Hezbollah hang around,
it's just going to last forever!"
Ya'alon was involved in a three-
car accident in a car driven by
Mark Segal of West Bloomfield,
who sustained a cut to the back of
his head and bruised ribs.
The event was sponsored by the
Zionist Organization of America,
Michigan region, Aish HaTorah
and the Jewish Community
Center. LJ
The Real War
Former IDF chief of staff points the finger at Iran.
Harry Kirsbaum
Staff Writer
•
H
is speech was delayed
by a traffic accident on
the way from the air-
port that left him with a bruised
forehead, but former IDF Chief of
Staff Lt. Gen. Moshe Ya'alon told a
rapt crowd of more than 400 sup-
porters of Israel that the Jewish
state is on the frontlines of a war
between radical Islamists and the
West.
"We are witnessing and facing
different radical Islamist ide-
ologies emerging from different
directions to achieve one goal:
Defeat the West and impose Islam
all over the world," he said at the
Jewish Community Center in West
Bloomfield on Aug. 1.
And Iran is the biggest enemy
in the region.
"Although Iran and Israel do
not share any territorial disputes,
Iranian ideology calls the United
16 August 10 2006
States the 'Great
F,- with 25 members
Satan, and Israel
in the Parliament
is the 'Small
° and two ministers
Satan,'"Ya'Alon
in the government,
said. "And the
"but they decided
Iranian presi-
without the
dent [Mahmoud
Lebanese govern-
Ahmadinejad]
ment to provoke a
believes he can
war.))
defeat both.
"The terrorists
"Iran is try-
intentionally target
ing to [create]
civilians and use
hegemony in the
their own civilians
region to domi-
as human shields,"
nate the Arabs and Lt. Gen. Ya'alon
he said. "The ter-
Israel;' he said.
rorists challenge
"His goal is to impose Islam every- the world order. The international
where, with Hezbollah in Lebanon
community interest is to keep the
fighting against the Christians, the
world order. Leaders should be
Sunnis and the Jews."
held accountable."
He said that not only is Iran
Ya'alon said the IDF did not
supplying Hezbollah with mis-
know that civilians were hiding
siles, but in Iraq, where "coalition
in the civilian building in Qana
troops are killed by Iranian-made in the south of Lebanon, where
improvised explosive devices."
28 people died and 13 are still
Ya'alon described Hezbollah
missing after an Israeli air strike
as terrorists and a political party
on July 31, according to Human