Page 4-Wednesday, November21, 1979-The Michigan Daily
Israel's commitment to Palestine autonomv debated
By H. Scott Prosterinan
With the deadline for the Palestine
autonomy talks set for the end of May,
many are already questioning Israel's
willingness to advance to the critical
second stage of the Camp David
Agreement. Numerous actions and
statements of Israeli policy have led
observers to question Israel's inten-
tions, and ask how Israel can be
pressured into recognizing Palestinian
autonomy.
The appearances at the University
last week of four representative voices
of the Arab Israeli dispute helped to
isolate the key issues, and provide in-
sight into the motivations of the parties
involved. Sharing a platform with Dr.
Jim Zogby, National Chairperson for
the Palestinian Human Rights Cam-
paign (PHRC), was Sheila Ryan, a
prominent member of the Palestinian
Solidarity Committee, who recently
completed a two-month fact-finding
mission in Israel and Southern
Lebanon.
Ms. Ryan spoke of the Israeli reign of
terror being wreaked upon Souther'n
Lebanon as evidence of its aggressive
campaign to isolate and destroy
Palestinian terrorist bases, as opposed
to the previous policy of one-to-one
reprisals. But while Israel claims to be
seeking only terrorist outposts, this new
policy has resulted in approximately
one-quarter million civilian refugees
from the regular shelling of non-
military areas by Israeli forces, and the
Enclave of Free Lebanon, under Major
Sa'ad Hadaad. -
THE MOST devastating example of
this policy is the city of Tyre, which
never had any military activity, but
was the victim in August of three days
of constant shelling. As a result of this
destruction, 90 per cent of that city's
former population of 60,000 remains
evacuated, while 60 per cent of the
buildings in Tyre were hit, including
two hospitals. One is reminded of the
Allied bombing of Dresden in 1945 - a
massive offensive against a non-
militarized city. Non-militarized .
refugee camps such as al-Bash and
Rashadiyya have also been heavily hit,
leaving them virtually empty.
Many of the civilian victims have
come to feel that this destruction is a
direct result of the Camp David accord;
which, according to Ms. Ryan, calls for
alternative leadership to the PLO, and
thus, the elimination of the PLO as a
viable political force in Southern'
Lebanon. While the U.S. occasionally
expresses "deep concern" about the
situation, it is rapidly becoming an ob-
ject of hate to those who find American
markings on the spent shells. The
people of Southern Lebanon have an
acute awareness of the U.S. as being
the source for their destruction.
Israel claims to be seeking only
terrorist outposts, but villages of no
military consequence have been hit in
the middle of the, night with a
sophisticated range of anti-personnel
weapons, including cluster bombs and
scatter bombs. The economic results of
this policy have been an economic
standstill in the area occupied by
UNIFIL troops.
One of the indirect consequences of
Camp David has been a growing hate
for the U.S., for their having taken no
actions to prevent the Israeli raids. The
critical nature of the U.S.'s role was the
subject of Zogby's address. He spoke of
the inconsistency of the U.S. policy in
the Middle East, with its public ad-
vocation of human rights, while ac-
tively supplying Israel with "the
military, economic, and political sup-
port" to pursue its policy of aggressive
attacks on civilian outposts.
ALONG WITH military support, U.S.
aid has gone to the digging of wells in
the Jordan Valley and Gaza Strip,
which have robbed Palestinian set-
tlements of their long-time water sup-
plies, creating agricultural wastelands
out of formerly productive farming
areas. This is another of the tactics, ac-
I
cording to Zogby and Ryan, by which
Israel seeks to quash Palestinian
resistance, and make possible the fur-
ther annexation of territories. Another
is the harassment of Palestinian village
within the occupied areas, from set-
tlements like the one recently declared
illegal by the Israeli Supreme Court.
This settlement, operated by the ultra-
religious Guish Emunin, was a base for
repeated Israeli harassment until it
was declared illegal on the grounds that
its nature and presence constituted a
"provocative action." The Guish set-
tlement was a clear manifestation of
the Israeli policy of intensifying the
civil conflict, to bring about the ex-
pulsion of the Arabs from this land, for
further annexation.
Israel's intentions of increased an-
nexation were also mentioned by leftist
Knesset member Mair Pail, of the Sheli
Party. Pail stated, in no uncertain ter-
ms, that the Israeli government is
doing whatever it can to dissolve the
Palestinian autonomy conditions of
Camp David, by creating turmoil in
Palestinian communities, and forcing
them out, for future annexation. In sup-
port of his observation, he pointed out
how Moshe Dayan was severely
chastized by Begin for talking to the
PLO, because of the Israeli intentions
for dissolving the second stage of Camp
David.
Though Zogby had no kind words for
Pail in reference to him, Pail represefi-
ts the only voice in the Israeli gover-
nment, which maintains a realistic
stance about Israel's need to alter its
ideology, and recognize the Palestinian
right to self-determination. Pail,
however, is among only 15 per cent of
all Israeli Jews, who recognize the PLO
as the "most acceptable representative
of the Palestinian cause." He says that
when Begin speaks of "autonomy" for
the Palestinians, he is speaking only of
personal autonomy, and not political or
economic. While rightly stating that
Israel seems to have no sense of
"carrots and sticks", he further pointed
out that Israel must now take the
initiative to motivate the Arab har-
dliners to moderate their stance. Sadat
took a bold step in going to Jerusalem
two years ago - a gesture that has yet
to be reciprocated. Specifically, he
proposes the evacuation of settlements
in the West Bank and Gaza, for the
establishment of an independent
Palestinian state alongside Israel.
THOUGH PAIL and his party are
heavily criticized by ardent Zionists for
endangering the security of Israel, he
displays a strong sense of Zionist
ideals, and speaks of Israel as "the
most important common denominator
for Jews all over the world." Though he,
doesn't directly say so, he makes it
clear that the most inherent danger to
Israeli security is the intransigence of
its policies, which will eventually cause
it to be branded as "a new South
Africa". The disposition of Israel
toward the Palestinians, is making it
increasingly 'inconvenient' for Jews all
over the world to identify with Israel.
:While it is generally taken for gran-
ted that non-Jews do not have the same
rights of Jews in Israel, the government
still has an active policy of trying to
present itself to the contrary. The
propaganda inside Israel, and that
disseminated to Zionists everywhere
was accurately related by Israeli U.N.
Ambassador Yehuda Blum.
In interviewing Blum, after hearing
him speak, one finds it difficult to leave
him, not feeling insulted, if not angry.
As many of his responses contain a
curious mix of arrogance and paranoia,
one might sense some of the outright
lies that he tells, and the weak position
that he is defending. He made a number
of faulty and erroneous assertions
about Camp David, including:
"If the principal partners are happy,
why should outsiders be unhappy?" In
response to his statement that, "the
treaty is bound to have beneficial effec-
ts on the rest of the Arab world," one
might ask how it has effected the con-
tinuing economic problems of Egypt,
and the increased destruction of South
Lebanon.
0,oo
While Ryan pointed out how the PLO
has come to be an important social ser-
vice organization in Lebanon, with its
schools, day-care, and refugee relief,
centers, Blum still contends that the
PLO exists for the sole purpose of the
destruction of Israel. "Take the
'destruction of Israel' out of the PLO
covenant," he said, "and what remains
of it?"
He also stated that, "There is no
discrimination between Jewish and
non-Jewish citizenry in Israel," and
"We don't divert water from the Arab
sector." Not only do we hear first-hr nd
accounts of Palestinians being re-
located or violently forced out of their
homes, but much Arab agricultural
land has been robbed of its water sup-
ply. An interesting paradox of Israel, is
the discrimination persisting among
the different Jewish populations.
Zogby touched on the problem of
racism toward Sephardic Jews (of
Asian and African descent) in Israel.
Since the creation of the state, Sephar-
ds have been discriminated against in
jobs, housing, and various societal ad-
vantages. Some African Jews talk of
being lured to Israel with false
promises of wealth and freedom, and
finding themselves dispossessed into
poverty. In response to Sephardic
demonstrations for better housing in,
the slums of Jaffa, Haifa, and
Jerusalem, Begin told them to move to
the new settlements.
NOT ONLY are the new settlements
manifesting Israel's expansionist
policy, but they are coming at the ex-
pense of badly needed housing and ur-
ban renewal in the cities. Correspon-
dingly, Zogby points out, the increased
exportation of U.S. arms abroad is
coming at a time when many domestic
programs are being cut.
Perhaps the most arguable point that
Blum made was that: "Israel is a'
stabilizing factor in the area," and that,
"a Palestinian state would only de-
with strong Islamic ties could be expec-
ted to openly welcome the Soviets -
only the persistent refusal of the U.S. to
recognize the PLO could force a
Soviet-Palestinian alignment.
Blum's forensic tactics clearly
revealed his personal paranoia, and
further weakened his stance:
* Correcting the semantics of his
questioners. ("Now I know you don't
mean .. . you must mean ...")
" Responding to factual confron-
tations with, "I find it difficult to
believe that."
* Cutting off the interviewer in the
middle of a question with, "I know this
argument, and let me tell you how it
is ...
THIS IS THE Israeli voice to the
United Nations.
Pail, on the other hand, conveys a
more realistic perception of Israel and
its place in world politics. If Israel is to
survive beyond the mid-80's, it must
make radical changes in its ideology.
Unfortunately though, Pail's view of
the need to establish a "National
Homeland for the Palestinian People"
is shared by only a small minority.
Like Zogby, he feels that the only way
to get Israel to relax its stance toward
the Palestinians is through American
pressure.
The expression of "deep concern
has proven to be a useless tool for
diplomatic leverage. Cutting back on
arms exports would only be a first step,
followed by serious gestures to raise the
oppressed state of the Palestinian
people. The self-defeating nature of
Camp David was highlighted by Yasser
Arafat when he asked, "What kind of
peace costs $5 billion in weapons?" We
also must ask, what kind of peace has
Camp David brought to South Lebanon
and the occupied areas of Israel?
IL' Scott Prosterman, a gradluat
.tutt ttinthe (:enter for N., r East
and North A frican Studies, - is a
Jrequen - (tonributor to the Iailh
'tlitorial page.
stabilize
client to
the region, and would be a.
the Soviet Union." No entity
F-.--
Ninety Years of E
Vol. LXXXX, No. 66
Edited and managed by stude
The Fith Ai
S OUR honorarium of tomorrow's
Thanksgiving Day holiday, the
Daily presents the fifth almost-annual
Turkey awards, presented for fowl
play for the worst in over a dozen
separate categories. This years proud
winners are:
The Chuck Barriis Turkey goes to the
Ayatollah Khomeini, for offering a free
trip to Mecca for. anyone who
assassinated the Shah and the royal
family, and for adding that the winner
need not be Moslem.
The "You Can't Please Everybody"
Turkey goes to Jimmy Carter, for
comparing the P.L.O. to both the black
civil rights demonstrators, and later to
the Nazis and the Ku Klux Klan.
The "I'd Rather Switch than Fight"
Turkey award this year goes to
Chicago mayor Jane Byrne, for telling
President Carter she would support his
- reelection about a week before she en-
dorsed Sen. Edward Kennedy-and
then giving the Kennedy campaign all
the money earned from a Carter fun-
:draiser.
rThe "Government As Good As Its
People" Turkey goes to defeated
Mayoral candidate Jamie Kenworthy,
for believing that you can tellthe truth
and still be elected to political office.
The "Crisis of Confidence" Turkey
goes to White House Chief of Staff
Hamilton Jordan, for asking all the
federal department heads to fill out
report cards on all of their employees,
ranking their ability on a scale of one
to ten.
The "See No Evil" Turkey is awar-
ded to Cambodia's Vietnamese puppet
president HengSamrin, who observed
"no one is starving in Cambodia,"and
that the famine was all a plot contrived
by the supporters of ousted president
Pol Pot.
The "Who's In Charge Here?"
Turkey goes to the Department of
.. a.~I -411 a u ci-
i
ditorial Freedom
Letters
ants
News Phone: 764-0552
at the University of Michigan
Editor's note: Noth
appear in the Daily for t
several years has arou
much reader response as
Smith's November 13 c
review, "Take The1
Please," a critique o
Grateful Dead concert.
space prohibits running
the letters today, belov
representative sampling.
will be printed whe
resume publication.
nual, Turkeys
while we were waiting in mile-long
gasoline lines, then told us there'd be
no heating oil for winter, and then told
us everything would be all right, and
then told us they may have
miscalculated, and then told
everybody to forget it.
The "Really??? What Ever Gave
You That Idea??" Turkey goes to the
House Assassinations Committee,
which took eight years to conclude that
thereamay have been a conspiracy in
the John Kennedy and Martin Luther
King assassinations.
The "Anybody Can Make A
Mistake" Turkey goes to the operators
of the Three Mile Island Nuclear
Power plant, who proved once and for
all the infallibility of human error.
The Oreo Cookie Turkey Award goes
to Bishop Abel Muzorewa of Zimbab-
we-Roodesia, who never once failed to
speak Ian Smith's mind.
The "Look Who's Talking" Turkey
goes to Sen. H. I. Hayakawa, who said
Ronald Reagan is "too old" to be
president.
The Andrew Young Foot-In-Mouth
Turkey goes to Senate Majority Leader
Robert Bird, who said he understood
Americans "throwing rocks or eggs or
anything else" at Iranians in this coun-
try, adding "I'd feel like taking a pun-
ch at one myself if I could get to him."
The "I Get A Kick Out Of You"
Turkey, goes to the Michigan
Wolverine kicking squad, Brian Virgil
and Ali Haji Sheikh who managed to
end the season with a whopping three
successful field goals out of 18 attem-
pts. Virgil gets the special "Just for
Kicks" Turkey for averaging 34.6 total
yards for punting out of 50 punts-four
of which were blocked.
The "Ask Me Anything" Turkey goes
to General Bo "George, Patton"
Schembechler who, following the
great tradition of Woody Hayes, never,
let arnnrter stand in the way of a
To the Daily:
Okay, you really screw
this time. Not that you
know exactly what you
doing. R. J. Smith not on
doubtedly planned to w
negative review of the Gr
Dead concert, he anticipate
relish the response from i
of M "deadheads". Well,
Smith does not have to l
East Quad, and he obvious
no consideration for those
who do. This morning in th
lounge, I chanced to ask a
"Quaddie" if he had see
issues of the Daily fl(
around. The result of ti
nocent query-was a black el
I will have for days.
Then, at dinner tonight, i
tioned to the girl sitting n
me that I thought R. J. Smi
"one hell of an editor". A
joke, right? Well, she didn'
so. This girl has seen the D
times, had first row seats
day, and is going to see they
week in Cleveland. I, the
was subjected to a 45 r
defense of Jerry Garci
company, after which she
her alfalfa salad in my face
Personally, I couldn't ca
about the Grateful Dead.
they might be boring; b
philosophy is: hey, when
on acid, who cares? Which
explainfthe fanaticism of
Dead fans. And then ag
might not. All of which i
much beside the point. Th
is that I have to live with
freaks, and now it's not g
be easy. It's hard to study
there is a mob of people b
R. J. Smith in effigy outsi
door. The smoke gets in
room and everything-it's
annoying. Remember wh
and Mrs. Tom Hayden can
and spoke about student a]
Well, they would be please
the unity among East
residents now. You've
them a co
denominator-hatred for
TAKE THE DEAD
Smith had their first meeting
ing to today, and called for (among
he last other things) the naming of Steve
sed as Hook as Arts Page editor.
R. J. All of this activity is bother-
oncert some and distracting to me, as I
am surrounded by it constantly.
Dead, But what really adds salt to the
f the wound is knowing that while I'm
Since suffering, R. J. Smith loves every .
all of minute. Don't even try to deny it.
w is a He probably has-been-waiting for
years for an opportunity like this,
More and is now basking in the con-
'n we troversy.
Please, in the future, try to use
a little more discretion when
writing subjective reviews.
'ed up Remember, there are normal
didn't people in East Quad too, and we
were should not be made to suffer the
ily un- consequences of articles that
rite a don't pertain to us. For hell hath
rateful no fury like a Dead fan scorned;
dwith therefore please limit your
rate U "scathingly negative" reviews
R. J. to groups with less of a
live in following-like Bruce
ly has Springsteen or the Rolling
of us Stones. Thank you.
e E.Q. -Jeffrey Schneider
fellow
n any
oating To the Daily:
his in- R. J. Smith's review of the
ye that Grateful Dead concert entitled,
"Take the Dead, please",
I men- (Michigan Daily, Tuesday,
next to November 13, 1979), is yet
th was another exasperated example of
A little journalistic childishness that so
t think exemplifies this worthless
)ead 24 "newspaper", The Michigan
Satur- Daily. The author of this
m next miserable piece is but one of a
refore, seemingly unending line of shoot-
minute from-the-hip-writers who are'
a and blinded by delusions of jour-
threw nalistic prowess. Becauseof such
e journalistic sloppiness, the
re less Michigan Daily continues to be
True, an embarrassment to the Univer-
ut my sity community. The editors of
you're this University disgrace should
might attempt to settstandards
fmany somewhat higher than the low
am, it ones adhered to now. Apparently
s very the motto that best illustrates
e point present Michigan Daily jour-
h these nalistic standards, reads,
oing to -"whatever comes to mind, goes
ywhen to print."
yurning R. J. Smith's confused attempt
de your to use wit and sarcasm in this
your critique of the Grateful Dead
really concert last Saturday night, is a
yen Mr. pitiful failure because his world
ne here perspective is limited to the im-
pathy? becility of the television set, on
d to see which he was apparently weaned.
Quad The pretentiousness that oozes
given from this mindless attack on a
mmon first-class rock and roll band
R. J which gave a spectacular per-
-. J, ,,..c - .C- l- n r ;l + 1
personal sides of the Grateful
Dead, is but the ugly symptom of
a more profound disease which is
reaching epidemic proportons
among students in the -1970's.
While the Grateful Dead.
represents a generalization of
students who thoughtfully con-
sidered (and often rejected)
joining an establishment whose
perverted value system even-
tually led us into the savage
destruction in Vietnam, R. J.
Smith represents a generation of
students who have discarded the
independent soul-searching of the
1960's in favor of the selfish
desire to "get anything done"
(translation; make money),
regardless of the value to society
of what they get done.
After suffering through R. J.
Smith's shallow, trite, and
thoughtless critique of one of the
finest concerts I have ever seen, I
became convinced that listening
to the Grateful Dead, taking acid
and using nitrous oxide
simultaneously is infinitely
healthier than the debilitating ef-
fects of prime-time television and
sweet cereals which have so ob-
viously victimized R. J. Smith.
-Louis B. Schwartz
To the Daily:
The recent reivew of the
Grateful Dead by R. J. Smith was
really good, but it didn't go quite
far enough in it's condemnation.
It's absolutely disgusting the
way these "Deadheads" go wild
over this immenselyruntalented
group. All I heard for days was
"Hey, man! I'm going to see the
dead for the 23rd time! And I'm
really psyched, man! Me and
Garcia think along the same lines
about life, man!" Such childish
behavior can only be associated
with this group (and perhaps the
equally stupid conduct associated
with Springsteen fanaticism).
I was somehow pressured to go
and see the Dead, even though I
had much better things to do (i.e.,
go to see Claude Chabrol's Violet-
te, one of my favorite films).
Well, what I was subjected to was
much worse than anything I
could possible have imagined.
Not only were the Dead boring,
but they were boring for 4 hours!
I can't say that I really like any
rock and roll (music for naive
children), but this took the cake.
Neverhad I seen a more distur-
bed crowd of people. The at-
mosphere was teeming with the
effects of drugs. Both the smell
and the obnoxious stoned fans
were enough to make me want to
leave, even if the music were
good. It wasn't, and if my
girlfriend hadn't threatened to
kill me, I would never have
stayed.,
I can see how certain concepts,
such as jazz and classical, would
especially in the singing (Garcia
and Bob Weir sound like wounded
puppies). The fact that Garcia
could change a string without
missing a note in an indication of
the relatively little emphasis that
is placed on true feeling and
emotiori by these groups,
especially the Dead. He could
have done practically anything
he wanted, including frying ham-
burgers at McDonalds, and not
missed a thing.
If this University wants its'
reputation to be that of a major
schol, the behavior of these
students (Dehdheads and other
rock and roll addicts) must be
controlled. In the future, I
suggest that the Major Events
Office concentrate on bringing us
programs that are enjoyable and
substantial.
Keep up the good work, Mr.
Smith. BURY THE DEAD,
PLEASE!
-Steve Zatkin
To the Daily:"
Congratulations are in order
for R. J. Smith's brilliant parody
of a typical Michigan Daily con-
cert review. His "Take the Dead,
please!" column demonstrated a
rapier-like wit. He captures with
biting satire the crucial elements
of an Arts Page review: ridicule
of the artists, ridicule of the con-
cert, ridicule of the concert
goers, and ridicule of the readers.
And one must not overlook Mr.
Smith's capturing of the essence
of the opinionated drivel of the
critic with an apparent deadline
of before the concert: to not men-
tion the actual show at all. R. J.
shows us allhis Swiftian sarcasm
(Tom, not Jonathon), poking fun
at reviewers with nothing to
say. I heartile recommend that
Mr. Smith be given a regular
byline; his work is the funniest
I've read in the Daily. since its
gubernatorial endorsement of
write-in Zolton Ferency..
-Alan Wenokur
To the Daily:
Today's Michigan Daily
(November 20) Oas a front page
story on SACUA's review of its
meeting with the Regents. This
story unpardonably distorted the
nature of our review. The opinion
expressed by SACUA in the
review was that the meeting had
gone very well and that the
Regents had been open and forth-
coming.
There were criticisms, but
these were largely criticisms by
SACUA of its own performance.
We felt that we could have
presented the faculty's concerns
more- effectively. Entirely
lacking in thevstory Were the
many positive statements made
about the meeting.
The annual meetings between
i