To make a donation to the 
DETROIT JEWISH NEWS FOUNDATION
go to the website
www.djnfoundation.org

The Detroit Jewish News (USPS 275-520) is published every Thursday at 

29200 Northwestern Highway, #110, Southfield, Michigan. Periodical postage paid at 

Southfield, Michigan, and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: send changes to: 

Detroit Jewish News, 29200 Northwestern Hwy., #110, Southfield, MI 48034.

The Detroit Jewish News 
Foundation
Publisher

F. Kevin Browett
Chief Operating Officer
kbrowett@renmedia.us

| Editorial
Editor: Andrew Lapin
alapin@thejewishnews.com
Associate Editor: Jackie Headapohl
jheadapohl@renmedia.us
Social Media and Digital Producer:
Nathan Vicar
nvicar@renmedia.us
Multimedia Reporter: Danny Schwartz
dschwartz@renmedia.us
Editorial Assistant: Sy Manello
smanello@renmedia.us
Senior Columnist: Danny Raskin
dannyraskin2132@gmail.com
Copy Editor: David Sachs
dsachs@renmedia.us

Contributing Writers:
Nate Bloom, Suzanne Chessler, Ben 
Falik, Madeline Halpert, Jennifer Lovy, 
Mike Smith, Steve Stein

| Advertising Sales 
Vice President of Sales and 
Business Development: Carol Kruemmer
ckruemmer@renmedia.us
Senior Account Executive: Keith Farber
kfarber@renmedia.us
Account Executives: 
Kristine Bonds, Tim Brown,
Catherine Grace, Kathy Harvey-Mitton, 
Anne Perlin

| Business Office
Operations Manager: Andrea Gusho
agusho@renmedia.us
Operations Assistant / Event Coordinator:
 Ashlee Szabo
Circulation: Danielle Smith
Billing Coordinator: Pamela Turner

| Production By 
Farago & Associates
Manager: Scott Drzewiecki 
Designers: Jessica Joannides, 
Kelly Kosek, Kaitlyn Schoen,
Michelle Sheridan

| Publisher emeritus: 
Arthur Horwitz

The Detroit Jewish News 
Foundation
Vice President: Larry Jackier

| Executive Board:
Robin Axelrod, Stephanie Freedman, 
Norman Pappas, Jeffrey Schlussel

| Operating Board:
Andrew Echt, Scott Eisenberg, Matt 
Friedman, David Kramer, Ilana Liss, 
Mitchell Mondry, Karen Schoenberg, 
David Techner

| Advisory Board:
Chairs: Penny Blumenstein, The Hon. 
Avern Cohn, Nancy Grosfeld, Doreen 
Hermelin, Robert Naftaly

Board members: Jonathan Aaron, Peter 
Alter, Kari Alterman, Robert Aronson, 
Harlene Appelman, Pamela Apple-
baum, Mark Bernstein, Daniel Cherrin, 
Eugene Driker, Lena Epstein, Ben Falik, 
Wayne Feinstein, Irwin Field, Jonathan 
Frank, Dr. Conrad Giles, Dr. Lynda 
Giles, Linda Z. Klein, Aaron Lansky, 
Matthew Lester, Martin Maddin, Florine 
Mark, Prof. Deborah Dash Moore, 
Dulcie Rosenfeld, Mark Schlussel, 
Alan E. Schwartz, Jane Sherman, Sarai 
Brachman Shoup, Joel Tauber, Mary 
Lou Zieve
Administrative Manager: Tessa Goldberg
Alene and Graham Landau Archivist Chair:
Mike Smith
Founding President: Arthur Horwitz

How to reach us: See page 10

8 | OCTOBER 15 • 2020 

Views

T

he groundbreaking 
Abraham Accords, 
signed by Israel, the 
United Arab Emirates (UAE), 
and Bahrain, the first Arab/
Muslim nations 
to recognize 
Israel since 1994, 
come from full 
acceptance and 
partnership. 
Revealingly, 
the Abraham 
Accords are titled “Treaty of 
Peace” in Arabic, as the Arabic 
term for “treaty” is understood 
to be on a much higher and 
more important level than the 
less meaningful Arabic term 
for “agreement” (used for the 
Israel-Egypt-Jordan agree-
ments). Never before have two 
Arab countries simultaneously 
entered into a treaty with Israel. 
This is a peace treaty between 
peoples and not just govern-
ments: Opening tourism, 
business investment, cultural 
relationships, banking relation-
ships, air travel, cellular phone 
and internet exchanges — many 

which began immediately. 
Markedly, Israel’
s prior 
Egyptian and Jordanian agree-
ments resulted in a cold peace 
without tourism and business 
investment. Bahrain and UAE’
s 
self-interest underpins this 
Treaty of Peace, as they seek 
benefits from Israel’
s multi-
sphere expertise and strength 
and American support. Bahrain 
and UAE are among the richest 
and most stable countries, due 
to the security of their clan and 
leadership structure.
President Trump upended 
foreign policy experts’
 wisdom. 
He put the interests of the 
regional Arab governments 
first — and not the Palestinians’
 
continued intransigence of 
making true peace. 
The Accords were propelled 
by his unequivocal support of 
Israel as a major ally; imple-
mentation of the 1995 U.S. pub-
lic law, the Jerusalem Embassy 
Act, after 25 years of inaction 
by previous administrations; 
severe Iranian sanctions; and 
U.S. energy independence. 

The experts said recognizing 
Jerusalem would result in riots 
across the Arab world — they 
were spurious. 
This peace was also driv-
en by Israeli Prime Minister 
Benjamin Netanyahu staying 
true to the core truths at the 
root of the failed Oslo pro-
cess. You cannot make peace 
with people who pursue your 
destruction and reward mur-
derers. Peace is reached with 
those who accept you.
The Abraham Treaty of Peace 
is historic and revolutionary — 
with Arab/Muslim recognition 
of the Iranian and jihadists’
 
threats and destruction, failures 
of the “
Arab Spring,
” and that 
Israel is not the enemy. There 
is extensive exasperation with 
Palestinian rejectionism, cor-
ruption, selfishness and self-in-
flicted failures.
How does this Accord 
impact the Arab world? Dr. 
Mordechai Kedar, Arabic and 
Islamic cultural scholar and a 
leading Israeli expert on the 
Middle East and the Arab 

commentary
An Earthquake That Shook the World

Sheldon L. 
Freilich

Memories of RBG
This is a photo of our daughter, 
Helen K. Edelberg, MD., MPH 
(nee Christie) in February 2018, at 
the First University Wide Women’
s 
Conference (NYC), which included 
a talk by Associate Justice Ruth 
Bader Ginsburg at Columbia 
University. Helen was invited 
to a reception at President Lee 
Bollinger’
s home where she spoke 
with Daniel Stiepleman, Ginsburg’
s 
nephew (on left in photo). He 
introduced Helen to his aunt. Helen 
is a graduate of Seaholm High 
School in Birmingham and a past 
member of Temple Beth El.

— Adrian and Mynetta Christie

Birmingham

Correction
The caption for the first photo on 
“To Cuba With Gratitude,
” Oct. 1, 
page 36, should have read: “Street in 
the town of Agramonte, Cuba” (the 
setting of Letters from Cuba). 

letters

continued on page 10

