Page 4-Wednesday, July 30, 1980-The Michigan Daily
Israel must
begin withdrawal
T APPEARS to be a prelude to an inevitable
showdown, one that could determine whether
the future holds peace for the Middle East.
"It" is the United Nations resolution, passed
handily yesterday, which establishes a deadline for
the withdrawal from lands occupied by Israel in the
1967 war. The United States voted in the negative,
and was joined by only six other nations. A block of
European nations abstained.
The weak show of support for the Israeli-U.S.
position reflects a growing sentiment, especially
among European countries, that if there is ever to
be peace in the Mideast, it must begin with a with-
drawal from occupied lands. The United States
must retreat from its stubborn and short-sighted
support of Israel, and persuade it that it must
change its hard-line position regarding occupied
territories.
But the showdown occurs this week, when the
Israeli cabinet is expected to approve a bill confir-
ming Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Ii ad-
dition, the Knesset is expected to grant Prime
Minister Menachem Begin's request to move his of-
fice from West to East Jerusalem. If the cabinet
votes as expected, the move will be a repudiation of
yesterday's vote.
But more importantly, the vote will imperil the
current Palestinian self-government negotiations
currently being conducted between Egypt and
Israel. Egypt has already indicated that it may halt
the negotiations indefinitely. This is distressing,
since the talks were already suspended once, by
Egyptian President Anwar Sadat, because of the
introduction into the Knesset of the very bill expec-
ted to be approved this week. Only through the
pleas of Washington were the talks resumed.
Jimmy Carter has a vested interest in the actions
of the Israeli cabinet. The Camp David agreements
of September 1978 were hailed as Carter's only
foreign affairs success. But those efforts may be
in vain should the Knesset approve the controver-
sial Jerusalem bill. Israel must act in a manner
that is both responsible and sensible. It must
recognize the grave implications of an affirmative
vote on the bill. It must also heed the resolution of
the United Nations, and begin an orderly and per-
manent withdrawal from occupied lands. Once
Israel recognizes the right of a Palestinian
homeland, the Palestinians must respect the right
of Israel to maintain defensible borders.
The issue, obviously, has proven itself a very dif-
ficult one to resolve. The Jews were without a
homeland for thousands of years. They know the
tragedy of not having a home, borders, a place
upon which to permanently settle. It appears only
logical, then, that they should empathize with the
plight of the Palestinians, who only want that which
the Israelis now so preciously guard: a homeland.
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sJocks' assistance unfair
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To The Daily:
I was quite surprised that
planning is underway to establish
a remedial educational program
for our football players (Daily
July 12). The term "remedial'
seems appropriate since the
skills that will be taught have
been to some degree attained by
most University students prior to
their admittance. The program
raises several questions about
University policy-making and
about the administration's intent
to provide quality educational op-
portunities for all students.
The lack of involvement by the
University's administration in
the program's planning is a clear
abrogation of their responsibility
entrusted to them by the people of
Michigan through the Regents.
Indeed, the Athletic Department
is stretching its authority by im-
plementing academic programs.
It seems only obvious that in
these times of fiscal austerity
decisions for the use of available
funds should involve con-
sideration of the entire Univer-
sity's needs, not just those of the
department from which the funds
derived. One must question the
wisdom of the administration
continuing its hands-off policy
with regards to the Athletic
Department.
In addition, the program
establishes a system of
educational inequity within the
University. The tenet upon which
this program is based is that "it
is not always reasonable to ex-?
pect each (athlete) to possess the
same academic skills as the non- system.
athlete" because of the "deman- I am not arguing that the
ds on their time beginning early University should not offer
in their school experiences." remedial courses, nor am I con-
Therefore, the program attempts cluding that the University
to address individuals' should deny admission to studen-
educational deficiencies that ts because their educational
exist prior to their enrollment at backgrounds were not superb.
the University. Inequity takes The University has a difficult
two different forms. locial responsibility to educate
First, the University, through the educationally-deprived as
this program, is not attempting to well as to provide an atmosphere
provide for athletes other than conducive to further educational
football players and other studen- accomplishment for those of
ts, whose other commitments significant academic attainment.
detract from their devotion. to But a University policy of admit-
their course work. Such assistan- ting students with severely
ce should not be expected, since limited academic abilities solely
the added burdens of extra- because of their athletic talents is
curricular activities should be wrong and inequitable.
consciously considered in the Therefore, this program does
initial decision of whether to par- not represent a commitment by
ticipate or not. The student- the University to help
athlete or student-activist should academically-handicapped stu-
not receive special assistance dents. Rather, it has the effect of
because he or she has decided to continuing the division between
make the commitment and athlete and non-athlete into the
sacrifices necessary to be suc- classroom.
cessful in their many endeavors. -Dan Solomon
Second, the program is President, LSA Student
discriminatory because it will Government
serve only those whose July 22
educational deficiencies derive
from one source, namely one's
voluntary participation in
athletics. The University should Cartoons frequently
only be concerned that a han- appear on both the left
dicap exists, not its source. If the
University was to be concerned and right side of the
about the source, it should give page; they do not
preference to those individuals
who had no control over their en- necessarily rep rsent
vironments and were the involun- Daily opinions.
tary students of a deprived school
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