Page 2-The Canadian Jewish News, Thursday. January 16, 1986
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RABBI \V, GUNTHER PLAUT
I am writing this article on Jan, 3, and by the time it reaches you in print, an American or Israeli response 10 terrorisin niayAvejl have taken pJace-Buteven now. before that jx)ssihle (or even like- : ly) event, Libyan and other sources have condeiiin-ed the."Zionist imperialists"' as the real terrorists, and the attacks at the Rome and Vienna air-pcvrts as "justified acts of war and selfnle-tence."
The faet that the majority of humanity understands a term like "terror"-in. a certain way fnakes no difference to those who chwse to use it different Iv . For their whole
Rabbi Plaut
pattern of thought gperates in a universe of its own and it may be 6f some interest to explore it brielTy, "Terrorism" in the niodern sense.origiriated in czaris.! Russia tosvard the end of the last century. There, writers like Mikhail Bakunin and Sergey
. Nechayev called for a re\ olution which would destroy "every estahlished object rixn and bi;anch. annihilate all state traditions, ordersand classes.", But while then, terror was directed at specific per-soiislsuch as thcc/ar who was assassinated in
; 1881). now, a hundred' \ears later, terror has .. widenedits targets. Those who mastsirminded.it are probably linked in a Uxise international network, though its partners ha\e a \ ariety of goalsv; Some (like the Red Brigades or the likes of the old Baader-Meinhof gang) aim at total destruction of aM e.Mablished values and institutions, and emploN terrOrand fear to advance their.aims.. Others, like . the PLG and its offshwls, target Israel, Jews, the U.S, .and so-called "nnxierate" Arab regimes.
In their universe of thought the reasoning runs something like this:
(\\ My goals ar'etnore imp*i.nant than anything, else in the world. . ■ , . • ....
(2) The established order (capitalism, the State of Israel, etc.) is immoral and hence fighting it is mor:af: , ■■■ .' V
(3) All means-are legitiinate to. achieve these ' purpiises. . ;.:
(4) An \vhb are not lor nie are against nie.'..
(5) There is .no such fhirig as an innocent bystander. In a world which pernijis injustice/ everyone is. in\olved.of whate\er age or class or 'country. ■ - ■■
. (6) The.lite ot"a hostage is the responsibility not of lho.se who have taken the hostage but.of those who un\(illing to ineei the conditions set by the hostage laker.
(7) : I will not,.be satisfied until 1 have achieved my objective fully and totally (for instance, the destruction of Israel)..
(8) It is cither all or nothing; Those who ■ bargain or.negotiate are traitors to my cause and; need to be eliminated like im othercneiiiies. •
The list can be lengthenetl, but even in this abbreviated form it makes clear that terror is not amenable to reason. Dialogue Hith terrorists is by defihitibn useless:.
Not until a|l nations recognize this, and hot Until they take, concerted action to isolate all states that support terror in any form, will we see a diminution of this scourge.
It would be helpful if Ottawa Were to express itself unequivocably in this respect and not hide behind a veil of caution.
Consefvative Republican now strong supporter
Torontonian may become the CSF's next president
- By DAVID FRIEDMAN
~\yASHlNGTON (JTA)-
One of the most interesting developments of ihe past year in Washington was the transformation of North Carolina Republican . . Senator Jesse Helms from someone considered un- ■ friendly to Israel to a str.ong supporter' of the Jewish
\:state. ".
In fact, Helms, like several other conservative senators and many in the Christian right, believes Israel should maintain control of the W«t Bank.
Helms explains his new position in an article in the upcoming issue of Policy Review, a quarterly published by thie Heritage Foundation, the. Washirig-ton-based conservative think tank. ■
The Helms article describes his first visit to Is- . rael last spring at the invitation of Nevada Republican ; Senator Chic Heeht to join Hecht and his brdther. Marty, in the dedication of .a new synagogue at the Hebrew University eahipus on Mount Scopus in honor of Hecht's 96-year-old father!
''We decided to follow in the footsteps of the patriarchs," starting in
Hebron and visiting Judaea^ and Samaria; -Helms says. "This area called the \Vest Bank is the heart of ancient Israel, the very land that the Bi- -ble is all about."
Helms goes on to note: "It is ironic that modern Israel is erammedalong.the seashore, where in biblical times, the Philistines and Canaanites lived:while biblical Israel, the home-; land of the Jews, is: the very territory which 'the \J.S. state department wants the Jews to leave."
But Helms also argues that Israel needs the ter^ ritories for security. He criticizes'the U.S. position of returning territory for peace and leaving the West Bank under Palestinian authority in association with Jordan.
"There is no piece of paper sufficently strong to uphold regional arrange- c ments that do not meet the dictates of coinmon sense.'" he wrote.
''The animosity of the neighboring Arab countries does not spring from concern over the present inhabitants of the so-called West Bank, or the fact that Israel exercises administrative and military control over that territory. The animosity springs from the fact that Israel proper exists.
''Concessions on the
Senator Jesse Helms,
West Bank territory would only whet the appetite of animosity, not appease it."
.Helms sees the strategy of King Hus-scin of Jordan in the current pedce process as aimed;at "iniposirig indefensible boundaries on Israel,"' /
Thus, Helms neither supports the administration's peace prcx'ess nor does he think its efforts to bring about negotiations is desirable, "It is not enough to say; that Israel >ould never agree willingly to conditions that would result in its annihilation." he stresses.
: "TheUnited States might pressure. Israel into agreements that otherwise would not: have been accepted."
Helms tak^ his argu^ ment further and notes that as a result of the Egyptian-Israel peace treaty, the US. has doubled its did to Israel and tripled aid to Egypt.
"The contribution to these two countries are a barely disguised attempt to buy peace — to repay Israel for the massive costs of meeting the Camp David agreement, arid to give Egj pt a basis for standing up to the rest of
the Arab_world," he argues,
.Helniji, w'ho_has continually oppc)sed all foreign ^did, adds that thi«fh>igh level of support to Israel results in compromising "the recipient's freedom of action:'"
He charges that this "is just theway that the state department wants it. Thc> seem towant servile allies eating out of our hand, rather than allies that make ■a posifive contribution to cooperation on major policies/;'
The U.S. must not set preconditions that would make Israel's security dependent on Ariab good-will nor provide U.S. funds to Arabs to ensure that goodwill. Helms stresses.
':'Certainly. the just rights x>f the Arab inhabitants to their homes, their properties, their culture and their religion must be upheld," he says
■"No one can iimgine that the Arab Palestinians would ineet the fate that JeVvs met in ' Syria. Jordan. Iraq. ■ Egypt or Moavcft; It Would not be difficult to design a . just settlement that does not include sovereignty or assiKi;ition with Jordan;
".And if mere ju.stice is not enough tor some disaffected individuals, political rights can easily be exercised to.a fuller degree in East Palestine, i;e. Jordan."
meet
TORONTO ;^
The Canadian Sephardic Federation nia) elect its first president from Tqron-to when it meets for its 6th national convention on Jan. 26 at Petah Tikya Synago^ gue, 20.panby Ave. ;
Max Benaim, executive director of the Ontario Sephardic Association, .said that as of J^nr 7 there was only one nomination for the presi-^ dent's position and if no"
other nominations were received by Jan. 16, the CSF would acclaim Leon Oziel as the federation's first president froni Toronto.
A.s wellas electing a new president. Behaijii said abvHit 300 participantsfrom , Montreal. Toronto and Ottawa, will gather'to elect a new board of governors and to e.xaniine the Sephardic; roles in the Canadian ■Jewish communitv. ~-
TORONTO
The Israel Defence Forces: will, ho.st the 4th .World .A.ssembly of Jew:ish .War Veterans in Jerusalem; iFeb.:23 to 27 for veterans and their wives.
According to a rele^ise Branch #256, some of the highlights will include a keynote address at the opening cereriiony by Israeli President Chaim Herzog; Plenary Session Address by Foreign Minister Vitzchak Shamir; and other speeches by Defence Minister Yitz-chiak Rabin, Knesset member Abba Eban, and Ahai-QU Yariv, head of the Jaffee Centre fot Strategk Studies at the Tel Aviv University.
"bur annual as.sembly in Jerusalem detnonstrates ou;;^ unity and solidarity^ and our. deep-rwted and solemn belief thai Israel is the heart of the Jew ish people," says Alec Caspi. world liaison officer of the Jew;ish War Veterans.
Participants will depart from Montreal,;Feb.; 17 via El Al Airlines, and return on March 3. Organizers :say the resp<ihse in Canada has been goixl but there is still room for more' bookings: Accohiinodations in Israel w'i II be only at ^5-siar. hotels, the (irgani/.ers say.
Travel arrangements for ; Canada are being bookcil from Toronto ihrough Hall of Fanie Travel Agcncv. More information can. bo o h t a i ned \ro m H a r r v -{Biirkc)) Beriistcin at (41 b) ■:86l-t)l38(>r^7H2r4H28: /
I - ELLEN GOODMAN
;i'-;..BosTON;~\;\;
e ., For reasons beyond my control, I am now one
5 of the.50 million Ariiericans who have seen Rocky = ; iV. It's notmy fauh . .T was drafted.
S Let me hasten to say that the.movie lived down
e to niyexpectations. By this^time. Stallone should
5 ju.st name all his nioviST Pectorals V, VI and Vlt.
e This cinematic conibat between Rocky and the = ; Riisskie was as offen.sively predictable, as e . jingoistically inplausible as the 32 blows Stallone S. iook in the firstround..;
S But what interested me — and I use the term" "in-
= terest'" loosely —Was not the utterly silly battle
e beween gocxi and evilempires. It was the battle = ■ .betvyeen good and evil technologies,
i The script sets Rocky, the product of the
s American streets, against Ivan Drago, the pro-S , duct of Soviet science. The sum total of = ; techhoiogkal wizardry in Rocky's corner- is a
i robot that he buys as a toy to serve his friend
e drinks. The Drago camp4 however, comes with
§ a full supply of high-tech printouts, with steroids
= arid electrodes dedicated to the creation of a
e human fighting machine.
S The American trainer .says of the champion,
S "You're all heart. Rocky." The .surly Soviet
e trainer sayspf his blond contender, "It's a matter
;s of science. Drago is a Iwk.at the future."
S To be hone.st, only a producer who has never
S tried to make a telephone call from Leningrad to
= . Mo.scovy would dare to present the Soviets as
e technological vvhizzes. Having btnight breadin a e: Moscow'bakery — first you stand in one lineto
S make a selection, then in another to pay the cashier,
.e and then back tiVthe first to pick up the bread ^
e I have no fantasies about their efficiency.
= But the niovie is not really.about (he U.S. and
i USSR, it's about Us and.Them mentalities. In this
= case, it's Us and Them technologies. The guy with
e the heart come.s up against the creature of science;
e The visual subplot (if a iiiovie with hardly a plot
'= has a subplot) is high tech. Among the gixid guy,s,
e technology is just a benign handmaiden, even a toy.,
e Ainong the bad ;iuys. it's a menace to the luiinan
e spirit: Scieiice is Jither soinething we caii play with.
-e w somethim: out toilehUmani/.e us. Nothinuin
between. ": ..\ S
It's not hard to find some real-lite sources for e
the opp^xsing views that make it to thectjntre ring., e
'.VSV' have all seertihe friendly consumer products. S
of progress in our homes; progranimed coffee S
makers. VCRs. microwave ovens. At. the same s
time, vveknbvv that the vvorld out there is full of S
less.-benign irnprqvements in the workings of S
automation or surveillance. . e
Evenourcomputer age comes in two distinct s
lis-and-them modes. Computers are user- s
friendly or user-indifferent. "Our" computer, 1
the one with a permanent place in our office or 5
horiie,'is programmed to, literally, obey our s
commands. We can play games with it, write =
on it, add on it, spread sheets on it. 1
: But the other cpmputers "out there" are dif-. S
ferent. To:"them," we are ju.st a number interred s
torevei" on a niieroGhip. Those computers havethe e
power to screv^' up our credit rating or give u.s e
money from a wall, to drop us uncaringly from S
the Social Security roils, or in the ultimate' s
dehumanizing act, reduce everything to ashes. ' :s
It'.s easy to project such schizoid attitudes about S
technology onto the split screen and onto.pqlitics. S
Americans become the people with the personable s
robots. Soviets, th& enemy, become the persons . =
turned into robots.; Good guys train by chopping ' S
vyocxl. Bad guys train by digital readouts. But e
science doesn't come as pristinely outfitted vyitii =
white: and black hats, or with Red Stars and e
American stripes. ,, e
; 1 don't want tomiake a Grhde B movie into a S
Class A question. R'tKkv'.s own introspection about s
life is limited tdpoetic. lines as, "I just gotta do =
what 1 gotta do."' The images about men and e
machines get as muddled in this movie as any head S
that."s been used as a punching bag. =
What you get for the price of admission is 15 ; =
rounds of bkxxl and parody. East versus West. But - =
you al.so gc;t a look.at a dangerously fal.se. e
dichotomy about niodern technology — one that =
pits a guy with a "heart" against the machine man. =
Tm not sorry-that Ivan "the future."" Ivan"thc =
machine"' lo.st.; But I have a tough time cheering =
for the vietorv of the Cro-Macnon man tVom =
Phiily:'/,;^-;■;■' / r '\':■:;/■.§
(Copyright WashingtoiTPost Writers Group)
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