j
Page 4-Saturday, April 5, 1980-The Michigan Daily
[%.iiie~v Yeas of iEditoriai I Ir('f'(IoI1
Palestinian rights in Israel
Vol. XC, No. 147
News Phone: 764-0552
Edited and managed by students at the University of Michigan
s0
City Councd
endorsements
Last week the University was honored to
have Dr. Israel Shahak, Chairman of the
Israel League for Civil Rights (ILCR) speak
to the problem of Palestinian human rights in
Israel. Shahak was born in Warsaw in 1933
and migrated to Israel after World War II. He
appears much older than 47, a fact that might
be attributable to his years spent'"at Ausch-
witz. Having served in the Israeli Army from
1951-54, he still serves one month of reserve
duty each year, in addition to his work as a
noted research biochemist at Hebrew Univer-
sity.
His involvement in the civil rights
movement began after the Six Day War, the
shock of which he says changed him "from a
man of his profession into the completely op-
posite direction." Visiting the occupied
territories after the war convinved him that
"keeping the territories would lead to another
war or a series of wars." As his fears continue
to be realized, he devotes half of his time to
the problems of civil rights in Israel.
movement and create economic standstills;
" Arbitrary and daily humiliation including
beatings by citizen vigilante groups from
nearby settlements;
" Arbitrary detention at the whim of the
military governor; and
" Prohibitions on local travel and denial of
visas for foreign travel.
(This condition was the reason for the can-
cellation of the scheduled appearances here
of Mayors Bassam Shaka of Nablus and
Muhammed Milhem of Halhul.)
IN THE OCCUPIED areas, all meetings of
any political nature are forbidden. The result
of this restriction is that people have had to
resort to lunches and wedding receptions to
discuss political affairs. "Eyery week," says
Shahak, "many people are taken into deten-
tion in the middle of the night and told that
they are forbidden to attend a particular par-
By H. Scott Prosterman
First Ward
"
Greenberg
over the brash challenger
N BOTH the First and Second
Wards, incumbent Democrats are
running against Republicans who
happen to be University students.
The attractions of the newcomers
are obvious: They understand first-
hand what living in the student ghetto
is like and they would probably be.
more accessible to their constituents
than their opponents have been.
But a certain savoir-faire would be a
needed tool, particularly if the
prospective councilperson is going to
be fighting for student needs-needs
which are by and large not recognized
on the business-oriented council.
It is savoir-faire and tact which seem
to be most damagingly missing from
Republican,'candidate Don Hubbard's
repertoire. He has an abrasive and
strong-headed style that could serve to
alienate his prospective Republican
colleagues-if and when he should find,
himself opposing them for the sake of
student interests.
The alternative to Hubbard is no
paragon of legislative virtue either.
Susan Greenberg has come up with
very few of her own ideas over her two
years in office. Her virtually constant
assent to the Democratic party line
indicates a lack of careful
consideration of the issues. Still, her
votes on most issues match student
interests, and thus Greenberg has won
our reluctant endorsement.
Hubbard's high-powered campaign
has focused on some reasonable
stances, but he has also taken some
positions that seem more than a little
muddle-headed. His proposal to cut
back on parking violation citations
would sacrifice an important source of
city revenue. His suggestion that the
University has an obligation to provide
security personnel for off-campus
student areas is downright absurd:
Non-student renters get protection
from city police, and at the same price.
We only hope that 1982 will bring us a
student candidate with the credentials
and character to properly replace the
mediocre incumbent.
population, and are confined mostly to the
upper class, some members of the lower ,
classes are beginning to oppose the set-
tlements on economic grounds.
American Jews aren't faced with then
problems of food and housing shortages, and
an inflation rate of 180 per cent. Some=
Israelis, on the other hand, have come to op-
pose the settlements policy because they feel
that the money put into the settlements could
be better spent on social services and badly-
needed housing in the cities. They are seeing
that no new housing is being built in Israel
proper, as a way to encourage populating the
settlements," Shahak said.
When asked why American Jews are so in-
sensitive to the problems of Israel, Shahak
replied: "American Jews and Christian
friends of Israel don't care about the people of
Israel; they care only about the strength of-
Israel that gives them a sense of pride-an
ego trip. We care about society; they care
only about military power, and the display of
it. The United Jewish Appeal doesn'trealize
the drain of manpower through the military.
They care only about being able to point to:
Jewish heroes."
ALTHOUGH SUPPORT for autonomy may ;
appear to be a bold gesture, close
examination of the Begin plan reveals other-
wise. In all aspects, the Begin plan only:
strengthens Israeli control over the occupied
areas.
Autonomy institutions are prohibited from:.
any attempts to "express any national iden
tity in any way," and remain under complete
Israeli control. For example, Israel would
maintain control over all communications
and media, thus strengthening the legal "
grounds on which tocontinue the censorship.
The unpopularity of the Begin government
in Israel is indeed comparable to the wave of
dissent against the Johnson and Nixon ad-
ministrations. Begin personally is so un-
popular that he no longer appears in public.
His inability to compromise on human rights
and settlements issues can be partially at-,
tributed to the political pressures of trying to
hold together a weak coalition. Much of his
grass-roots support has turned on him for
doming as far as he has in the treaties with
Egypt. Thus, he has had to appease rightists
such as the Gush Emunim by approving new
settlements rather frequently.
SHAHAK DOES not consider himself to be a
leftist, and defines his concept of anti-Zionism
as promoting a de-Zionized Israel, in 'which
the law of return would be abolished and the
rigid classes of citizenship ended. When asked
to explain his commitment to live and work in
Israel with his stand of anti-Zionism, Shahak
said, "to be against the Jim Crow laws in
Mississippi didn't mean advocating the
destruction of the state of Mississippi.
Zionism is a form, of corruption of
Judaism-it corrupts theJewish community,
especially in America. They are false to the
Jewish religion for violating the principle that
God is to be worshipped beforethe stateor
any human institutions ... For Arerican '4
Jews, the state of Israel has become so much
their God that they have lost the quality of
being able to repent"
Perhaps the ultimate hypocrisy of Israeliis
its role in American foreign policy. Israel
plays a vital role in our policy, not only as our
strongarm of the Middle East, but also our
henchman to do the dirty work that political
considerations keep us out of. Israel has been
the go-between for the U.S. in giving arms to
El Salvador, Guatemala, Chile, Nicaragua,
and now Argentina. Israel also sells police
equipment to South Africa. It is ironic that
Israel should be cooperating with the U.S.S.R.
in training Argentina's military-a country
whose human record is one of the worst, and
which is widely recognized as one of the most
openly anti-Semitic countries in the world.
American Jews point to the holocaust as, a
justification for Israel's existence and for her
policies, but fail to see that Israel supports a
residue of the fascism that lead to the
holocaust.
H. Scott Prosterman is a graduate.
student in the Center for Near Eastern
studies.
ve fiasco
arijuana, influx of marijuana into the Ann
hange my Arbor area by designating April',
er seeing 1 as Hash Bash Day was an accep-
ar's Hash table idea, but after this year's
stand in repulsive' fiasco, I think that
"older" those who took part could be
is still more aptly described as "April
all facets Fools."
nalization -Bruce L. Dalkin
brate the April 2
for lack of a better option
E ARL GREENE, while a far cry
from the ideal, is a more attrac-
tive candidate than his First Ward
colleague Susan Greenberg. Toni
Burton, his opponent, strikes us as
being even less desirable a candidate
than Don Hubbard. Again, we offer a
skeptical endorsement of the
incumbent-here, Earl Greene.
She talks vaguely about city planning,
security, and incentives tobuild new
housing, but offers few specific
proposals. She ought to have used her
campaign to seek out (and point out)
Earl Greene's weaknesses. She failed
to do so.
We would urge the incumbent to
come up with more ideas in the way of
new legislation, and fewer in the way
of antagonizing his colleagues. Still,
the Daily's vote is for Earl Greene.
AP Photo
TWO ISRAELI SOLDIERS patrol the deserted marketplace of the occupied West Bank city of
Hebron.*Tensions in the area have increased in recent weeks as the Israeli government con-
.tinues its plans to allow Jews to live in the Arab city.
Burton does
independent or
not strike us as an
very careful thinker.
Fourth Ward: Fisher
deserves another term
WHILE SUCH issues have obvious political
overtones, he insists that his organization
wakes no political stands and he "works for
individual human rights in Israel - for Jews
and Palestinians on a case by case basis."
Shahak points out that the relationship
between Israel and the occupied territories is
similar to the Mother Country-Colony depen-
dencies of the British Empire, the difference
being that rather than being over oceans, the
colony is next door. In order to satisfy alleged
national security requirements, the Israeli
government places the following restrictions
on Arab citizens of the West Bank and Gaza:
" Bans on possession of specified books and
articles, including a wide variety of Arabic
poetry, which might be perceived as
revolutionary based on allegorical inter-
pretations;
- Curfews that restrict freedom of
ty or wedding, without an explanation."
We also learn from Shahak that terrorism
from organized crime in Israel claims ten to
twenty times more lives than political
terrorism. He asks, "Do American Jews ever
scream about Jews being killed by Jews in
Israel? No, they only care if it was done by the
PLO."
Taking a critical stand toward the Israeli
government is met with much less resistance
in Israel than in the American Jewish Com-
munity. Israeli Jews he finds "will at least
tolerate a discussion, Expressions like 'self-
hating Jew' are heard in Israel only oc-
casionally from American visitors." He com-
pares the human rights movement in Israel
with the anti-war movement in America of
the past decade.
WHEREAS ISRAELI anti-Zionists number
only about 10-15 per cent of the Jewish
ERHAPS ONE of the best quali-
fications a City Council candidate
can possess is experience on that
board. After two years of energy and
effort, incumbent David Fisher
deserves a chance to serve the Fourth
Ward on City Council for another term.
Since he was elected, the 34-year-old
Republican has come up with several
good ideas and has initiated legislation
on some of them. Realizing current
economic difficulties, Fisher has spent
time and energy researching and
supporting plans to deal with the city's
fiscal plight. His proposals to
restructure police patrols and to cut
mandatory housing inspections for
cooperatives are two examples of his
concern in this area.
Fisher is also to be lauded for his
scrutiny of matters that have come
before council in the last two years. On
several occasions, Fisher has taken
the initiative to gather information.
Fisher's opponent, Barbara Perkins,
would also serve well on council, but
because of the energy he has invested
in council, Fisher deserves another
term.
LETTERS TO THE DAILY:
Hash Bash was a 'repulsi
Fifth Ward: Bletcher is
the qualified, obvious pick
To the Daily:
As a junior undergrad, I have
seen the goings-on at three Hash
Bashes, the latest being last
Tuesday. It has been my im-
pression in the past that Hash
Bash day was intended as a day
for a peaceful smoke-in for all
those whose lives incorporate the
use of marijuana. I know -there
are a lot of respectable pot
smokers who are not involved in
happenings such as this, and that
not everyone present was respon-
sible for the mayhem, and to
them these remarks are not
directed.
In my opinion, the Hash Bash
folks are more than welcome to
spend the day on campus in
reverence of the evil weed. If
mothers and fathers want to
bring their young children and
expose them to this proven
detrimental agent to life, that is
ther own prerogative. If these
people want to get their pets so
intensely high that all they can do
is lay there on°the wet ground,
that is fine too. BUT, these people
have absolutely no right to deface
or pollute this college campus.
As I walked through the Diag at
9:30 p.m. on the night of April 1, it
was all but impossible to keep
from stepping on broken glasses
and bottles. There was trash lit-
tered everywhere, a thoroughly
ugly sight. Fortunately, nobody
left his or her children behind; I
was surprised. A further point to
ponder: sitting at home during
the day, I saw ambulances
frequently speed by-definitely a
sign of a peaceful smoke-in.
I always have been one for the
decriminalization of m
yet I am beginning to ci
mind. In all honesty, aft
the remnants of this ye,
Bash, I can onlys
agreement with the
generation, which
vehemently opposed to
of marijuana decrimir
or legalization. To cele
Police a,
To the Daily:
The Michigan Dail3
intent on killing the Hash
fostering ageism and a
elitism. But the Dail;
nalistic and editorial o]
to the Hash Bash just
unwarranted aggressio
Ann Arbor police. F
reason the articles in th
Daily failed to mention t
oi police swept the Diag
5:45 p.m. and then cir
perimeter of the Diag
prevent people from en
crossing. I don't enjc
O NE TRAIT that has all too often
been missing from City Council is
intelligent analysis of the complicated
problems facing the city. Clear
thinking on the issues is often replaced
by partisan rhetoric, personal political
feuds, and showboating.
But one Fifth Ward candidate would
offer the needed additional insight if,
elected. Democrat Thomas Bletcher
may be a longshot choice in the
traditionally Republican Fifth Ward,
economist, has a working knowledge of
the issues-not just the catchwords or
party positions, but the real
complexities of both the problems and
the proposed solutions.
For example, he displays a
familiarity with the city housing crisis
that his opponent, Joyce Chesbrough,
totally lacks..
Chesbrough, who shows a disturbing
lack of knowledge of most issues, has
promised to "do her homework," but
ggre-
y seems
Bash by
academic
y's jour-
pposition
fuels the
n of the
or some
ie April 2
hat a line
at about
rcled the
trying to
tering or
oy being
ssive at Bash
the largest mass civil
disobedience in the country every
year. The issue of "non-students"
is the same pretext that the
Berkeley administration used to
suppress political activity on
campus in 1964. (Which led to the
Free Speech Movement, which
led to the student movement).
The Daily should consider the"
consequences of its biased jour-
nalism and critical
editorials-increasedpolice
-violence and repression oft.
political liberty.
Bash stance pompous'
To the Daily:
In regard to your incredibly
nmnou§ editnria1 on the Hash
our sacred space: pathetic.
Crossing the Diag today, I saw
Andrew Hope
I