Page 6-The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday, October. 13, 1988
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World-National
Rome, too, faces terrorisni, say U.S. Jewish
SUSAN BiRNBAUM NEW VORK (JTA) -
Morris Abram. chairman of the Conference of Presidents, of Major
American Jewish Orpni-zations, got a chance recently to tell a foreign leader why Israel uses the means it does to suppress the Palestinian uprising.
.Abram used the opponu-nity of a luncheon at the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai BTJth here to tell visiting Italian Foreign Minister Ciiuiio Andreotti.
a supporter of Israel and a "Palestinian stale, that Israel, like Italy, was faced with the danger of terrorism and. like Italy, must confront it.
WASHINGTON (JTA) -
President Reagan dedicated the cornerstone of the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum last week with a dehunciation of anti-_
semitism and a vow that, ' 'the Jewish people will never stand alone again.st tyranny."
' The Jewish people were on this earth at the time of the pyramids," Reagan told
the several hundred persons attending the dedication ceremony, held under a tent on the site of the future museum, near the Wash-jngtori MpniJment.
"Those structures are still standing and the Jews are still here. We must make sure that when the tall towers of our biggest cities have crumbled," the
President said, ''the Jewish people will still be on this earth."
Former President Jimmy Garter, in a message to the ceremony, said the museum is a promise that ''never again will the world stand silent, never again will the world look the other way or fail to act in time to prevent this terrible crime of genocide."
acts to
on
WASHINGTON (JTA)-U.S. Defence Secretary Frank Clarlucci last week rescinded a Pentagon directive that would have allowed military officers to bar the wearing of visible religious garb' 'under unique circumstances, such as basic and initial
tn
military skills and specialty training."
The original directive was issued Feb. 3, to help implement a bill signed into law a few weeks earlier that protected, among other things, the right of Orthodox Jews in the military to wear '■'ireat and conserva-
case to
TORONTO -
An Ontario Supreme Court justice last week approved a Crown application to take commission evidence from witnesses abroad in the case against alleged war crimiriai Imre Finta-:;-
Crown prosecutor Christopher Amer-asinghe and defence lawyer Doug Christie will traverto Hungary and Israel to hear. 22 Hungarian witnesses and seven Israelis, according to a
B'nai B'rith Canada news release.
Justice David Doherty also altered Finta's bail terms, allowing him to at-. tend the commission hearings should he wish.
Finta, 77, is charged with forcible confinement, kidnapping and manslaughter arising out of his wartime activities as a Cyaptain the the Hungarian police. He is alleged to have helped place Jews on board railroad transports, on vyhich an unspecified number diied.
tive" yarniulkes, aslongas they do not interfere in the .performance of military duties.
Rep. Stephen Solarz and Sen. Frank Lauteilberg." who sponsored the bills ;in Congress last year, argued in a May 6 letter to Carluc-ci-.that the directive ' 'would undermine, if not eliminate, the effect of the religious apparel amendment." "Preventing an Orthodox Jew from wearing a yarmulke during initial, military training would represent severe blows to his religious observance as well as to his morale, they told Carlucci. vSiephen : Silbiiger. Washington representative " of the American Jewish Congress, called Carlucci'.s Sept. 29 decision "a victory for religious freedom.
h is not known how many Orthodox Jewi; currently are serving in the U.S. armed forces. But Jererny Rabinowitz. Solarz's press secretary, said "no ;one ever came to us Xo corn-plain" while the Pentagon directive was :in effect.
He reminded the audience that he had created the President's Commission on the- Holocaust in 1979, whicheventrrally led to the decision to create the museum. He said he was "looking forward" to joining Reagan and his successor at the ceremony when the museum opens in late 1990.
The museum is on land donated by the federal government, but the $170 million needed for construction and exhibits is being raised privately.
Haryey Meyerhoff of .Baltimore, chairman of the U:S. Holocaust Memorial, Council, said funds are coming in, ranging from the pennies of school children to large donations of$l rnil-lion or more from 19 individuals, families and foundations.
: Andreotti was applauded warmly for his words for Jews, especially about their suffering during the Holocaust, and for his pledge to support without hesitation an Israel that is attacked for any reason.
But he cautioned his audience that they might not wish to applaud the next sratement he would make. in support of the Palestinians.
Speaking in gentle but .strong terms, Andreotti, bent with age, said in measured tones that the Palestinians must also have a state. • /
He said that "Jews first amongst all — and you
■ American Jews are exceptionally qualified, therefore — must seek and find
' forms of coexistence by not hindering the rights of the Palestinian Arabs to have, to the fullest extent, that state of theirs."
He said it was a state "whose birthright the United Nations recognized together with the State of Israel." ;
The borders of such a state, the Italian statesman .said, could be "decided afterward."
Andreotti said, this was * ■ an / unambiguous statement which I have always upheld and - explained'' with, abiding loyalty to members of both of Israel "s major political parties.
AndrecMti said that 'when ,. he.-reiumed from an 11 -day excursion in August, he was "shocked" to hear of the dramatic increase in the number of dead Palestinians.
"This is indeed a tragedy . . . God can not allow such a thing to occur," he said.
Andreotti thanked the Jewish leaders who had invited him, for "the opportunity of expressing to you what my heart is feeling."
Abram, who sat at the same table as Andreotti. took the podium and underlined the "many deep and abiding. connections between the Jews and the Italians."
But Abram rebutted in courteoiis but powerfully delivered words that Israeli soldiers have no choice but to react with force when challenged by stones and human excrement. -
He reminded the Italian
leader that when Italy was faced with terror, "youdid not succumb. You fought back."
Andreotti; a veteran of 40 years of service to the Italian government, including three stints as prime minister, emphasized that during the seven years he was defence minister, when Israel "was not so militarily .strong . . Israel received from us all our concrete solidarity."
He also reiterated that were Israel "once more put in jeopardy, we would not hesitate" to come to its defence again.
Speaking of his own country, Andreotti underlined the necessity for young Italian people to"be immunized against the poison of any revival of racial confrontation."
He assured the audience that the Italian government and people have taken —. and will again take — immediate measures against any resurgence of anti-Jewish acts or sentiment:
Andreotti said that although he did not believe there was danger to the Jews of Italy, "we must be vigilant."
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