viewpoints » S end letters to: letters@thejewishnews.com DETROIT JEWISH NEWS theJEWISHNEWS.com editorial Arthur M. Horwitz Publisher / Executive Editor ahorwitz@renmedia.us Jerusalem Must Stay A United City F. Kevin Browett Chief Operating Officer kbrowett@renmedia.us | Editorial D onald Trump’s wavering in MAKING A CASE response to a question about On Dec. 4, the Zionist Organization of whether he would consider America issued a concise and unapologetic Jerusalem, Judaism’s holiest city, the undi- statement about the Jewish people’s indisput- vided capital of Israel brings to light Arab able claim to the city that has maintained a pressure to designate the eastern sector of Jewish presence for 3,000 years. the historic city as the capital of a future Israel holds what the ZOA called a “legal, Palestinian state. historical and moral right to its own As the Republican frontrunner undivided capital.” Jewish holy places, in the 2016 presidential race, the like the Western Wall, the Temple New York real estate titan’s per- Mount and the Mount of Olives, are spective on Jerusalem, a biblical located in the Arab-dominated east- city with a re-established Jewish ern sector. Hebrew University and the majority since 1850, is pivotal Jewish National Library also are there. for Jews. The JN is steadfast in its During Muslim Jordan’s illegal belief that Jerusalem must stay occupation of east Jerusalem from Donald Trump united although provisions could 1948 to 1967, Jews and Christians be made for some Arab autonomy faced violence and vitriol as well as in predominantly Palestinian neighbor- religious restriction if not persecution. Under hoods. Unity came when Israel won its 1967 Israeli sovereignty, Jews, Christians and war against Arab forces. Muslims alike are free to worship. Speaking Dec. 3 before the Republican Jewish Coalition in Washington, Trump STAKING A CLAIM refrained from taking a position whether As for Israel’s legal right to what Israeli Jerusalem should be a divided between poet Naomi Shemer described as Israel and the Palestinian Authority if it “Jerusalem of Gold” in Israel’s unofficial meant helping their decades-long conflict. second anthem Yerushalayim Shel Zahav, That revealing stance later became lost the ZOA points to Jerusalem being part amid Trump’s outrageous assertion that all of the territory earmarked for a Jewish Muslims should be banned temporarily from homeland in 1920 at the San Remo entering the U.S. in the wake of increased Conference, which drafted the League of fears about terrorists infiltrating Syrian refu- Nations Charter. gee pools. The San Remo Resolution, passed by the Supreme Allied Powers, recognized that Great Britain was granted the British Mandate in what then was called Palestine to establish a Jewish homeland — a “sacred trust in civilization,” according to the League of Nations. The San Remo documents recognizing the Jewish people’s rights have never been superseded by an internationally binding agreement. SURE DANGER It goes without saying a divided Jerusalem would jeopardize Israel by giv- ing Palestinian terrorists easier access to Jewish holy sites, heavily Jewish west Jerusalem and central Israel. What’s more, the Jerusalem Embassy Act passed by Congress in 1995 recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s undivided capital and mandated the U.S. Embassy be moved there from Tel Aviv. Only a presidential waiver in effect since then has stalled the long-overdue move. The act holds that “Jerusalem should remain an undivided city in which the rights of every ethnic and religious group are pro- tected” and that “Jerusalem should be recog- nized as the capital of the State of Israel.” The act sends a powerful message. Donald Trump’s waffling notwithstanding, Jerusalem clearly is, and should remain, the indivisible, eternal capital of Israel and the Jewish people. * continued from page 5 JN, Jewish Agencies Have Wrong Focus I find it surprising that the Detroit Jewish News manages to thrive despite being seri- ously out of touch with its readership. We have two major newspapers covering Detroit, and I fail to see any compelling Jewish inter- est in another rehash, and I say that despite a financial stake in Detroit’s survival. Sure, there are always the philanthropists worthy of recognition that take up Detroit’s cause, but they are too insignificant to merit the number of pages dedicated to them. Outreach is important, but not at the expense of protecting our own. Far more pertinent to Jews today is the raging anti-Semitism on college campuses, but that gets too little coverage to keep it on the minds of those busy with everyday life. In most cases, there’s no call for action or coverage at all. Colleges produce the leaders of tomorrow, and we should not be cavalier about the ideas being put in their heads today. If this journal is the voice of the Metro Detroit Jewish community, then it has a duty to first and foremost report on issues that matter to the Jewish community. We need to know about fellow Jews being slan- dered, harassed and assaulted; and once our community has risen to their defense, we then can be concerned for our neighbors in Detroit. There are serious existential threats to our community and Jews in general, and the last thing we need is to be lulled into apathy with a diet of feel-good journalism. Not one recent graduate in my family has remained in this community, and Detroit’s problems are not the reason. I seriously doubt that the dearth of printed rebuttal letters represents a con- currence with your editorial policies based on the comments of friends and family, and they are predominantly progressive and liberal. With no better option, they subscribe for coverage of events and obitu- aries; and most read from the back as if written in Hebrew. The problem is not limited to journal- ism. I hear many people renouncing fur- ther support of our Jewish charities and organizations after finding them too busy helping “others” to offer us assistance in things like finding an affordable Jewish nursing facility or even one in the neigh- borhood. I just heard a tirade from some- one whose mother landed in a Detroit facility where visitors fear to tread, and no tributes will be suggested in her obituary going to those who turned their backs. JVS is just “JVS” because the words no longer define them, and apparently, that includes the “J.” If these organizations are not here to serve the Jewish community and to address our unique needs or even to elevate our repute, then they are redun- dant to other secular organizations and a wasteful dividing of resources. Managing Editor: Jackie Headapohl jheadapohl@renmedia.us Story Development Editor: Keri Guten Cohen kcohen@thejewishnews.com Arts & Life Editor: Lynne Konstantin lkonstantin@renmedia.us Senior Copy Editor: David Sachs dsachs@renmedia.us Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello smanello@renmedia.us Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin dannyraskin@sbcglobal.net Contributing Editor: Robert Sklar rsklar@renmedia.us Contributing Writers: Ruthan Brodsky, Suzanne Chessler, Annabel Cohen, Don Cohen, Shari S. Cohen, Shelli Liebman Dorfman, Ryan Fishman, Stacy Gittleman, Judy Greenwald, Ronelle Grier, Esther Allweiss Ingber, Harry Kirsbaum, Barbara Lewis, Rabbi Jason Miller, Alan Muskovitz, Steve Stein | Creative Services Corporate Creative Director: Deborah Schultz dschultz@renmedia.us Graphic Designer: Rebecca Schock | Advertising Sales Sales Director: Keith Farber kfarber@renmedia.us Account Executives : Kathryn Andros, Wendy Flusty, Andrea Gusho, Annette Kizy, Melissa Litvin, Paige Lustig Sales Manager Assistants : Joelle Harder, Karen Marzolf | Business Offices Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner Collections Analyst: Hazel Bender | Production By FARAGO & ASSOCIATES Manager: Scott Drzewiecki Designers: Amy Pollard, Pam Sherevan, Michelle Sheridan, Susan Walker Published by: Renaissance Media Chairman: Michael H. Steinhardt President/Publisher: Arthur M. Horwitz ahorwitz@renmedia.us Chief Operating Officer: F. Kevin Browett kbrowett@renmedia.us Controller: Craig R. 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