Israel By ZACHARY SCHILLER THERE IS OFTEN a tendency in this country to view Israel as a nation that can do no wrong. This viewpoint is used to justify Israeli military policy, but it also obscures the reality of eco- nomic and social conditions in Israel today. Like the United States, Israel runs on the profit principle. And during the intervals when war does not obscure the divisions in Israeli society, the same problems fostered in any society run on that basis make themselves evi- dent in Israel. The National Insurance Institute has estimated that a fifth of the popula- tion lives in poverty; a quarter of Tetl Aviv lives in slum dwellings. The poorest areas are inevitably in- habited mostly by Sephardic (some call them oriental) Jews, the 60 per cent of the population who emigrated from Arab countries. They have darker fea- tures than their European Ashkenazi counterparts, who almost exclusively dominate the upper echelons of Israeli society. THOSE WHO POINT out the stark dif- ferences in conditions of Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews and the continued exist- ence of poverty are told that Israel is a society under seige, that security must come before social welfare. But Arthur Hertzberg, a lecturer on Jewish history who is prominent in American Jewish circles, pointed out in 1971 that "during the four years from 1967 when the country was under siege; the standard of living of the mid- dle class has doubled . .. It seems the country is only under siege when it Profit motive corrupts the promised land' comes to the needs of the 20 per cent of the population who are below the poverty line." In the quarter of Tel Aviv called Hatikva, most might agree with Hertz- berg. Living four and five to a room in tin-roofed shacks, 60,000 persons - 90 per cent of them Sephardic Jews - must bear the stench of the sewers. Yet, while these people must wait for new housing to be constructed, the Israeli press has seen a plethora of articles on the new elite in Israeli society. ONE NEWSPAPER reported this fall that the country had 200 millionaires. But the figure only amused Baruch Braude, head of an accounting firm: "Two thousand is more like it," he says. "The 200 are just the ones that admit it." Industrialists, bankers, contractors, diamond merchants - all have risen high on the boom following the 1967 wor. Foreign investment and govern- ment subsidies have helped along the new money makers, and the sudden ex- pansion of post-war markets did noth- ing to dampen the profit taking. Ben-Abaron commented in April, 1972, that a frenzied "rat race" for personal enrichment was under way. "One of the major problems which has arisen in the economy today," h: said, "is that the income to be dervied from non-work - that is, speculation - is greater than that which can be de- rived from work." Among those who have reaped much under the present system -re the very generals who commanded Israel to vic- tory in the 1967 war. "OLD SOLDIERS neither die nor fade away in Israel," said the New York Times in August. "Instead, they manage the nation's largest industrial enterprises, head up its universities and, in increasing numbers, run for political office." Dan Tolkowsky, former air force chief, is now general manager of the powerful Discount Bank Investment Group. Meir Amit, former chief of the operations branch and for seven years head of Israel's security service, re- signed five years ago to become presi- dent of Koor Industries. That congo- lomerate operates a fifth of all indus- trial enterprises in the -ountry, and Ait has brought seven former officers into top company management. Ezer Weizman, another former chief of the air force, retired three years ago and now chairs the right-wing Herut party; Gen. Ariel Sharon, lead- er of the southern command, resigned to announce his candidacy for the Is- raeli parliament, the Knesset. THE ISRAEL ELITE, with its inter- changing membership of generals and industrialists, has developed a whole subculture according to the dean of the Tel Aviv University Law School. And their influence, the New York Times says, "extends far beyond their im- mediate fiefdoms." What we might call "clout" goes by the name of "Proteksia" or "Vitamin P" in Israel. It consists of the ability to reach the right person in the right government ministry to cut through red tape and get a project under way. This is important in a country whose premier has acknowledged that it is not unique to Israel and we did not invent it," Premier Meir has said. "But we do have unenviable achievements in the field." Two autonomous agencies, for in- stance, handle immigration to the coun- try. Why aren't they combined? "Be- cause," says one agency official, "that would mean giving up part of our bud- get allocation, and the more money we manipulate the more power we have. Nobody gives up power without a fight." entangled in red tape. "Bureaucracy is ALONG WITH bureaucracy, resulting partly from massive government in- volvement in the private economy, comes corruption. Two years ago, a government oil geologist alleged that there was "rot, corruption and dishon- esty spreading throughout our social and economic life." He pointed to what he said was the theft of million dollar equipment by Netivei Neft, the government oil com- pany, laxity of high government offic- ials in acknowledging information im- plicating friends and associates, <. n d financial manipulatoin of government funds. The government commissun appoint- ed to look into the charges chastised the geologist for making the charges. But nevertheless, Mordechai Friedman, head of Netivei Neft, resigned. And among the commission's findings were an elusive corporation in the Bahamas and bank accounts in Switzerland in which Friedman's funds and govern- ment funds seemed to have been merg- ed and drawn interest without proper accounting. IN RESPONSE to the original charg- es, the comment of Deputy Finance Minister Zvi Dinstein, who is also co- ordinator of Israeli oil production, was hardly reassuring. "There are thefts everywhere," he said, "but that does not amount to corruption." The broadening of the profit motive has had other effects on the country. Among them has been the metamorpho- sis of the kibbutz into what the direct- or of the inter-kibbutz economic ad- visory unit called "a capitalist enter- prise." The chief financial officer of a kib- butz cannery observes that some see the formation of a two-class system in the kibbutzim - "those who give or- ders and those who work." But what- ever the changes on the kibbutz, the overwhelming number (85 per cent) iggle or Not all the factory workers stayed, like Shelton, to fight the harrassment. Not all were allowed to. Several quit. Others fought back, sometimes verbally, sometimes physi- cally, and were fired. Roughly one third of the active Cau- cus members were no longer working in the plant by the time Shelton had his personal encounter with the foremen. On June 28, Shelton was put on no- tice for not wearing his safety glasses -allegedly in a work area. Shelton recalls the incident some- what differently: he claims his glasses weren't on, but also adds that ne was on a break in the designated break area. "They just lied," insists Shelton. "My word didn't mean anything." SHELTON CLAIMED his right to consult with his UAW committeeman following the incident. Either the committeeman was never summoned, or he never chose to ap- proach Shelton on the matter. Shelton, after one-and-a-half days without un- ion representation, ran across him by chance in the plant. Eventually UAW filed a grievance on behalf of Shelton. Tensions in the plant rose to new heights. of Israelis now live in urban areas. Only about thre per cent of the coun- try's 3.3 million people live on the kib- butzim. IN CERTAIN WAYS, some aspects of Israeli society now mimic the United States. Despite a law requiring equal pay for equal work, for instance, one study shows the average full-time an- nual income of women is between 42 and 67 per cent of men's, depending on the field. Only 12 per cent of university fa- culty are women (compared to 20 per cent in the U.S.), and seven wo- men sit in the 120-member Knesset be- sides Meir. Women cannot initiate di- vorce proceedings, and divorces can only be granted with the husband's con- sent. A number of women, such as lawyer and writer Shulamit Aloni, see a thin facade of public relations equality pap- ering over the actual differences in Israeli society. "We have been brain- washed by our own legends of pioneer- ing equality," Aloni says. While the Israeli people believe they are living under siege, the Sephardic Jews may be temporarily less resentful of discrimination against them. The shanty-dwellers of Tel Aviv may agree to shelve their demands for better hous- ing, and the uproar over flagrant use of Protesksia may die down. But as the leaders of Israel them- selves know, the dissipation of protest cannot be a permanent condition. justice When Shelton told a foreman, "We have our rights," emphasizing his point with a clenched fist, the foreman claim- ed Shelton had "threatened" him. The denouement came when Shelton was summoned to his foreman's of- fice. On his way to the office, Shelton was pulled aside by six foremen who he said beat him, then called the police to arrest him for assault. Since his arrest, co-workers and sym- pathizers have organized the Shelton McCrainey Defense Committee, a group that has arranged speaking engage- ments across the state, including, ear- lier this month, Ann Arbor. IDEOLOGICALLY, they seek unity of all working people against what they view to be the real enemy: not fore- men, but the system of entrenched cor- porate wealth that has pitted them against one another, and threatens to impoverish each of them before it giv- es an inch. "Even if it takes the rest of our lives and our children's lives, we'll do it," said Shelton. "We recognize that it is a job that has to be done." In the meantime, however, he and his committee will settle for having Shelton leave the courtroom tomorrow a free man. Shelton McCrainey: One man's stri By CINDY HILL A TRIP TO Shelton McCrainey's home on Detroit's west side takes you through some of the grimier sec- tions of the city. Smoke belches forth from omnipre- sent smokestacks, almost obscuring the vast rows of dismal grey factories from a roadside view. Even smog, however, cannot blur a few images that are distinctively De- troit: a sign proclaiming "Ford - World Headquarters" rises arrogantly out of the murk. It's the birthplace of the American automobile - Motor City, whose rich suburbs house the country's auto bar- ons, and whose poorer sections, includ- ing Detroit's west side, house the fac- tory workers who make the autos and the auto barons. The tentacles of auto-power extend beyond Detroit, its rich suburbs and its poorer sections, reaching into the small towns throughout southeastern Michigan -like Belleville. Travellers are introduced to Belle- ville miles outside the little commun- ity. Another highway sign pictures a silhouette of a sailboat, advertising the "pleasure living" in the city. IRONICALLY, IN another dingy auto factory - Belleville's General Motors Plant 10 - Shelton McCrainey was ar- rested for attacking a foreman "with intent to commit bodily harm." Shelton claims he is innocent of the crime and that he is being framed. Tomorrow, the 34th District Court will decide whether Shelton's claim is true, or whether he will serve up to 15 years in prison for the alleged as- sault. , For Shelton, the issue is as basic as they come: freedom. For his fellow workers, the issue has assumed racial, economic, social and political implications. And regardless of the outcome of this particular case - and the 60 others like it now on the dockets - their struggle for equality and improved working conditions will continue. Shelton's story began two years ago after his discharge from the army when he rejoined his wife in Detroit and his father and his brother at the Belle- ville plant. CONDITIONS AT the plant, accord- ing to Shelton, were deplorable. The plant was without windows and many of the machines, still gasoline- operated, lacked necessary safety fea- tures. Moreover, the plant, drawing workers from across the largely black Detroit area was reflected by only 50 black workers out of 500, one black foreman out of 20, and no blacks in the skilled trades. Shelton joined the Justice f >r the People Caucus - a group dedicated to upgrading black positions in the fac- tory, and improving working conditions through petitions, strikes, and o h e r non-violent action. The Caucus' demands were occasion- ally met, more often given the "run- around," but usually, claims Shelton, they were simply ignored. "It's management's position to get the most out of the least," explains Shelton, "not to look out for people's safety." The addition of a third McCrainey to the ranks of the protesting factory workers - which included the active support of his father and brother - didn't exactly endear Shelton to his supervisors. INEVITABLY, THE RACIAL epithets appeared on bathroom walls: "The KKK want you, McCrainey," and "We are gonna get you, you dirty nigger." Shelton, however, was not the only one singled out for such "special at- tention." An uneven warfare developed between the Caucus and the management - with the bets riding heavily on the management. The foreman of Plant 10 began a campaign of harrassment, assigning Caucus workers to unfamiliar ma- chines, more strenuous jobs, reassign- ed them to new teams, and even re- sorted to calling workers "nigger" and "boy," Shelton claims that, in another man- agement strategy, another foreman lit- erally followed him around the plant, timing him on breaks, at the drinking fountain, in the bathroom and during lunch hours. Had the foreman found any delin- quencies in Shelton's record, Shelton could have been subjected to disciolin- ary action, Apparently no such discrepancy was ever found to justify the harrassment: no complaint was ever filed. SHELTON COMPLAINED to his own foreman, who first told him he had no authority over his peer, and later, after Shelton complained a second time, said he would look into it. u 1 A I -1 4e 3ftrIPtn PuuZUf Eighty-three years of editorial freedom Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan 420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, Mi. 48104 News Phone: 764-0552 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12, 1973 Attacking the Bill of Rights YESTERDAY'S Supreme Court ruling that police can thoroughly search a person under arrest without a search warrant goes a long way towards the de- struction of Fourth Amendment protec- tion of citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. The Fourth Amendment states ex- plicitly that "the right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers and effects, against unreasonable search- es and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon prob- able cause, supported by Oath or affirm- ation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized." At this point, persons under arrest have no Fourth Amendment rights what- soever, for according to Justice William Rehnquist, writing for the majority, a full search of the person under arrest "is not only an exception to the warrant re- quirement of the Fourth Amendment, but TODAY'S STAFF: is also a 'reasonable' search under that amendment." JN ADDITION, as Justice Thurgood Mar- shall noted in a dissenting opinion, the court has now turned its back on the previous Supreme Court principle that each case involving alleged violations of search and seziure rights should be de- cided individually. Yesterday's decision thus effectively cut off any chance that appeals could be made on the basis of illegal searches, for it implies that special circumstances in any particular instance are irrelevant. But more importantly, yesterday's rul- ing continues the process of whittling away at the constitution that has been in process under the Nixon Administration and the "Nixon court." Decisions by the "Warren court" that were blasted as "handcuffing the police" the steadily being reversed. As those de- cisions are dropped, so are the rights of citizens they were meant to protect, while the police are left to act as irre- sponsibly as they might wish. Letters To The Daily: WE CALL ON all prisoners to join in a nationwide prisoners boy- rott of the traditional Christmas dinner. We prisoners are expected to pause at Christmas-time with Mid- dIe America: to eat and be merry and feel thankful. But all across America, hidden behind the myths and the dollar signs and fancy tin- 3el, there is hunger of body and spirit. The system-enforcers are everywhere; repressing people, vio- lating the Bill of Rights, protect- ing and enforcing the priorities and lifestyles of the profit-mak- ers. Forty million people live in poverty.rMillions more can1barely make ends meet. There is massive inflation, unemployment, broken- down neighborhoods, outrageous price-tags on everything from the basic necessities of life to civil rights. And for the millions of Third World and poor white people, the injustices of poverty, institutional- ized racism, inequality of oppor- tunity, exploitation and oppression, is what life is all about. We pri- soners know this. These injustices are what prison is all about. Attica is to the prison syst-m' what the American police-court-pri- son business is to capitalism. At- tica is the reverse side of the American dollar. Attica is poverty is inequality is injustice is racism. Attica is My Lai is ITT is Water- gate is abuse of power is Behavior Modification. Attica was no mis- take. The machine-gun butchery carried out by the self-righteous mercenaries is officially sanction- ed. Nixon, Rockefeller, Oswald, those in power, clearly understood the effect that widely publicized negotiated settlement at Anica would have on other contained ghettoes. Attica is Law and Order is Status Quo is every prison is every ghetto is Attica. There will Prison nor sing praises to the survivors. Too many of us are still dying -thousands of us are buried alive. We refuse to take the Christmas meal as a gesture of solidarity with the 60 Attica Brothers who are taking the weight. We are protest- ing everything Attica represents. Two years ago, after montns of being lied to, harrassed, ignored in trying to negotiate their grievances, 1,200 men risked whatever tney had - and revolted. That New York list of 28 grievances has been echoed for many years all over the country, in every prison and city uprising from Walpole and Wound- ed Knee to San Quentin and Ne- wark. They were the same die- mands shouted for, inthe Tomos, in Alderson and Leavenworth, in Baltimore and McAlister, in Rhode Island and Georgia, in N w Hamp- shire and Illinois - demands for those human and civil rights that have long been denied to people held under the iron heel of the sys- tem, whether we be in ghettos or reservations, in sweat shops or mindless schools, or in prison. Three million dollars and all the fintastic resources of the state of New York have been geared to convict to 60 defendants to justify the state's barbarity. They have been indicted on 1,300 separate counts, calling for thousands of years, plus the death penalty. Their lawyers are all volunteering serv- ices, as are many people, but the defense expenses will cost over $500,000. And so we call on people every- where to join in solidarity with the Atticarbrothers. We ask our people who are not in prison ton buy one less Christmas gift for each othcr: and to donate the price of that gift to the Attica Brothers Defense Fund, c 'o the National Lawyers Guild, 23 Cornelia Street, N.Y. 10014. Christmas ities committee: eliminan The discussion of University bud- providin get priorities has overlooked a bud- able sal get item which is the source of -- continuing inequity: University se- cretarial salaries.I The level of secretarial salariesE at the University has remained1 consistently lower than that of other universities or civil service. A survey of secretarial salaries has disclosed the information shown To The1 below. This information was col- lected from the various Personnel UNIC offices. For t CURRENT SECRETARIAL to Cam STARTING SALARIES at sell at the F (Gradings equivalent to Senior of time Secretary at U. of NI.) $10,000v Organization (per year) year w Amo'nt UNICEF Wash. Comm. College $7,935 day, D Mich. Civil Service . . 6,870 two Peo Central Mich. University .. 6,760 thieves Mich. State University .. 6,643 approxin Eastern Mich. University . 6,250 cash. UNIV. OF MICH.. ..5,520 It was The salary table indicates that a incident secretary with the same qualifica- pect pe tions as a University secretary can is desti start working in a clerical j u b (United under Michigan civil service and uses the earn $1,350 per year more than a poorer c University secretary, while enjoy- whoever ing comparable fringe benefits. as badly For many University secretaries, aroundt a salary of about $5,500 is their I wou only income and the sole means of who help support for themselves or their who bou families. Why are secretaries will- you ha ing to work for such low wages? UNICE Openings in better paying jobs are by chec scarce in the Ann Arbor area. write an Thus, as the major em;) yer of replace secretaries in Ann Arbor, the Unr-et versity is in a positi )n to exploit the firs the surplus of competent women by cash it. paying low wages. Althougn Ui: UNICEF versity secretaries have received Account pay raises of from three to five per ion, c 'o cent in each of the last two years, sociation fast te the current unfa'rness ly g secretaries with reason- aries. Linda Pedell Gail Klein Kathryn West and 24 others Uov. 15 UNICEF Daily: EF has been robbed. he past three years people pus have been volunteering UNICEF Christmas cards Fish bowl. Over that period a total of approximately was sent to UNICEF. This e were hoping to send F over $3,000. Today, Mon- 7ec. 10 at about 4:05 p.m. ople, or perhaps the term would apply better, stole imately $400 in checks and a shocking and disgusting . One does not usually ex- ople to steal money that ned for charity. UNICEF Nation's Children's Fund) money to help children in countries. We just hope that r stole the money needed it y as many of the children the world. ild like to thank all those ped sell the cards and those ught them. Also if any of ppened to have purchased F cards Monday and paid k, you could, if you wish, nother check to UNICEF, to the stolen one since I as- hat the person who stole t check would not try to You can make it out to F and mail it to the Student s Office, 240 Michigan Un- International Students As- n. "4I I 'I