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The Canadian Jewish News, TTiursday, December 4,1980 - Page 5
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The polities of public rdatioiis
On Parliament Hill
The PLO is an nmbreila organization several Palestinian groaps, some more militant than others. In recent years, the PLO has attempted to shed its violent linage by agreeing to take part in Mideast peace talks.
the Israeli government regards the PLO as a terrorist gronp, pore and simple, and its spokesmen detect no sign of changes In its attitude toward the Jewish state. Others, however,disagree.
William Raspberry, a columnist with The Washhigtbn Post, claims that PLO chairman Yasser Arafat is trying to create a new Image. Raspberry says Arafat may lose ground to radicals in the PLO if Israel and the U.S. do not talk to the PLO.
Richard Ottlnger, a New York congressman, counters: "We are being deluded Into believhig that Arafat's cause is a moderate one." His piece appeared In the Jewish Press, New York City.
Research of this feature is by Sheldon KIrshner.
Arafat is trying to create new face for PLO
By WILLIAM RASPBERRY
It is easy and natural to react to international violence when it occurs. What is a good deal harder is to take notice of the relative absence of violence.
Thus we find ourselves focussing, quite naturally, on Monday morning's raid by Palestinian terrorists on an Israeli icibbutz. But we are paying scarcley any attention to the fact that Monday's was the first itiajor terroristattack for a long time.
"That is not to say that peace is at hand in the Middle East. But it does seem to reflect the fact that Yasser Arafat is trying to create a new, non-terrorist image for the Palastine Liberation Organization.
The image-revamping dates back to last fail's visits to the Middle East by delegations from two U.S. civil ■rights organization, Jesse Jackson's Operation PUSH and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.'" : _ .
Both delegations urged Arafat to get out. of the terrorism business on the ground that diplomacy was more likely U> secure what he wanted: a Paletitiniah homeland.
Much of the press reporting dwelt on the fact that the visitors hid the temerity to^ embrace Arafat. Relatively little notice; was given Arafat:s. pledge; to Jackson, that thei-e vvpuld be no more PLO raids iiito Israel from Lebanon. ■
Arafat, despite major criticsm from
within the PLO, apparently has tried to keep his word. There has been sporadic violence for which one PLO faction or another claimed "credit," But, in general, Arafat has been able to make good on his pledge. For example, credit for this week'sraid was claimed not by Arafat's Al Fatah faction of the PLO (by far the biggest faction) but by a radical PLO splinter group, the Iraqi-supported Arab Liberation Front.
At the time of the talks between the PLO and the American civil rights leaders, many observers pointed out that Arafat would have difficulty taking his organization on a nohviolenttack, even if he wanted to, since to make the attempt would subject him to attack by the more radical element of the PLO.
But the civil rights leaders said they were able to persuade Arafat that the world would more easily see the justice of his cause if he moved the PLO away from violence. He appears to be trying to do just that.
It is hard to overestimate the importance of this shift — if indeed that is what is happening. It could be the most hopeful sign to come out of that part of the world since the Camp David agreement between Israel and
Egypt.
But Arafat can hardly be expected to continue along his present line if (1) the world takes no notice of the change and (2) Arafat gains no diplomatic or political advantage from it.
So far, it seems to be working, at least to some degree. There was, for instance, the UN Security Council resolution condemning the Israeli settlementsin the occupied territories — the issue that created such trouble for President Carter, probably costing him the New York primary.
In addition, some European leadisrs have recognized the right of Palestinians to self-determination, and. according to PLO officials, 110 countries now recognize the organization. Qearly this would not be so if the PLO was stillviewed primarily as a consortium of terrprists.
Still, if Israel and the United States continue their policy of not even tallcirig to the: PLO, the result will be to reduce the influence oiF Arafat within the PLO in favor of its more redicalelements.
How this can be in the interest of Israel — orAmerica — ishardtosee.
PLp committed to destruction
of Israel
B>^ RICHARD OTTINGER
A.merica is fast approaching a dangerbus crossroad in its Middle East policy. We find ourselves on one path toward stability and another toward volatility, and 1 fear that we
are embarking on a terrifying journey upon the latter. In our concern for the Begin government's alleged ''stubboriiess," there has been increasing acceptance of the PLO in the international community iand, unfortunately, also in the Carter administration.
As Israeli rightfully resiists the international pressure which would jeopardize its borders and deny its legitimacy, our press, public, and politicianis begin to consider the distorted claims of Arafat and his terrorists. I sense that people are becoming so frustrated with Israel's alleged "intransigence" that they begin to legitimize the brutal tactics of the so-called Palestinian cause.
While I have serious reservations about some of the Begin government's recent actions, I deplore the use of such reservations to undermine Israel in any wiy or to legitimize the PLO which is committed to the; destruction of Israel .and has consistently acted upon that commitment in the most .brutal ways.
We must never forget the scbOolbus ambush hi May, 1979, which kUIed 12 and wounded 19 innocent children.
We must never forget the: terrorist attack on a Ma'alot school In May, 1974, which resulted in 24 deaths and 62 iqfuries.
We must never forget the 33 vtu»tIonIng men, women, and children who were murdered In March, 1978, when 13 . terrorists attacked 2 buses carrying families oh the Halfa-tel Aviv highway.
We must never forget the Israeli athletes who were killed when a terroirist arm of the PLO inarred theMunlch Olympics In 1972.
The overall record of PLO atrocities is horrendous. From July, 1967, to August, 1979, there were 9,400 PLO attacks around the world; 994 people were murdered and 5,139 were injured, mos^t of them women andchildren. ■ Is this the record of a moderate group with which Israel could feel secure if it were to controlthe West Bank? Does this record justify the legitimacy granted to the PLO by ■the European Economic Community and the . United Nations?' Does this record • deserve the embrace of various parties in our nation? : .
"We are being deluded into believing Arafat's cause is a moderate one. How can the PLO claim tb.be moderate:when its National Covenant states that: "The partition of Palestine in 1947 and the establishment of the State of Israel ar^ entirely illegal." This same covenant claims that: "The Arab Palestinian people reject all solutions which are substitutes for the total liberation of Palestine;"
Was it an indication of moderation for the PLO information office in Oslo recently to ; state that "There is no new pblicy by the PLO to recognize Israel." The declared program of the PLO;is to bring about the destruction of the Zionist entity of Israel?"
Israel's refuisal to bow to pressure and make itself vulnerable to increased terrorist attacks is certainly understandable. Let us . not waver from our commitment to Israel by joining in the pressure.
By SHELDON KIRSHNER OTTAWA —
" Herb Gray is glad to be back in the saddle again, practicing the demanding art of ministerial responsibility.
Last March, after a six-year hiatus, Gray was ushered into the federal cabinet, invited by the Prirne Minister to take on.bne of the toughest, most prestigious jobs in Ottawa.
Pierre Trudeau, who had unceremoniously dumped Gray from his cabinet in 1974, named the MPfrom Windsor West niinistbr of industry., trade and commerce, and political minister fbr the province of Ontario.
In the view of observers here. Gray's appointment, signaled a greater willingness by the Liberal government to adopt policies asserting Canadian sovereignty in political and industrial matters.
It also meant that Trudeau could no longer ignore one of the party's outstanding spokesmen, they add. '
"Frankly, I think Trudeau and his colleagues came around to my point of view because I was able to convince them that the party had strayed too far from the smaU '1' liberal principles which were the party's true foundation," sayS Gray^ whose last cabinet post was that of minister ■ of consumer and corporate affairs^
"If the newly constituted Liberal party was to get anywhere, they hadto get back to theold small T principles. I think the defeat we suffered in May of 1979 forced many of theold Liberals to rethink things through."
Gray, 49, harbors no bitterness, at least ;,Ui^an interview, regarding the imperibus treatment Trudeau meted out to him six years ago. "Many people felt the wrong decision had been made," he observes. .
What accounted for his firing? "I'm not prepared to speculate," he replies. "You'll have to ask Trudeau."
(In his new, admirable, book, "The Northern Magus" (McClelland and Stewart). Richard Gwyn hints at the incident. Gray, he writes, angered Trudeau with his Anti-Profiteering Bill, which was discarded. Gwyn describes Gray as ' 'stolid, solid, decent, almost morbidly serious," a minister who took his work seriously.)
Gray, the party's financial critic during Joe Clark's short-lived stewardship, believes the unhappy results of the .1979 election catapulted him back to the centre of power in Ottawa. "I can't say 1 was happy the Liberal government was brought down," : he explains. "But the policy reappraisal that was forced on us after the defeat opened up the collective minds of
the party.
"My voice wa;s loud and persistent in the caucus and I'm happy to say that along with those Liberals who sided with me. we wbn the day. I felt 1 had something of value to being to jpublic life . . . anda substantial number of people agreed with me."
In spite of Us prplongied absence from the Ubenil Inner circle. Gray feels as If he never left. His transition from minister to backbencher to minister was not, he claims, traumatic. "I began Immediately to be active."
Known as an ardent Canadian economic nationalist, Gray hopes to implement a vigorous industrial development policy that would expand local control of the economy while increasing the benefits for Canadians from foreign investment already here.
"Our whole ap^^roach is activist." he says, dismissing critics who argue that a government shouldn't "meddle" in what they see as the affairs of the private sector.
"My immediate reaction is that it is,, especially in today's world, unrealistic. For one thing, it ignores the fact that one of the essential functions of government is to set a legal and economic framework which permits business and other groups in the economy to operate — and to prosper — with the reasonable expectation of fair and honest treatment in the marketplace."
In addition to expanding Canadian control over the economy and ensuring that Ottawa plays an activist role in industrial development. Gray wants to capitaHze on Canada's energy base so a? to build a
[Wayne Cuddlngton photo] Herb Gray in repose
Cadet makes military history in her U.S. academy career
lUpmanSanh Kovel to one of 43 Jewtoh cadets at West Point this year.
WEST POINT, N.Y. —
She is a midshipman at West Point. She was the first Jewish woman to attend the U.S. naval academy. She plays the contrabass ,bugle,'the largest instrument in the drum and bugle corps, though she is probably one of the smallest musicians in - the corps. She wants to be a flight officer, but one of these days she might write a book.
A non-conformist 20-year-old midshipman, Sarah Kovel, is currently attending West Point on a half-year exchange program between the service academies, at the same time maintaining a family tradition. Though she opted for the navy, she follows in the military footsteps of her father. Col. Maxim Kovel, who graduated from West Point in 1957, and her brother, Lt. Jacob'Kovel, a. 1980 USMA graduate. Both are engineers. —
Sarah considered ocean engineering as a career goal and chose Annapolis instead of WestPoint. A second year statistics class, however, convinced her that she wasn't goingtoenjoy engineering, so she switched her major to English. V
'■I really enjoy English and eventually I'm going to write a book. In any case, I'll s get trained for whatever I do in the military..
I want to be a flight officer. As a physics . major I still wouldn't know how to fly a plane,the slight red-haired young woman explained.
Sarah was a high school aophomore when the decblon wasmade to admit women to the mllltaiy academics and she knew that she wanted to go. . . ./
Her. father's military career took the/' family to many army1)osts. She and her^ brother Jacob were bom in West Germany.' Her three sisters, Ruth, Rebecca and ' Rachel were bom respectively in North \ Carolina, Ft. Belvoir.Va., and West Point ,
when Col. Kovel was teaching there. They have also lived in Brooklynv Leavenworth, Kansas, and California.
Despite all that moving around, the family has maintained another strong tradition—^Judaism. Sarah is the granddaughter of the late Rabbi Mordecai Cohen of Annapolis, Md. Shehadabas mitzvah and was confirmed. Her mother, the rabbi's daughter, teaches Hebrew school. Her father is on the advisory board of the West Point Jewish Chapel, Fund.
Sarah finds Jewish life at West Point to be stronger and more organized than at Annapolis".
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J,"At the naval academy, we were given time off for religious services on Sunday and n^services^were held at the acacemy. We decided we wanted our services held on 'Friday night and\permission was granted. Midshipmen mostly lead the services because there is no rabbi, although we sometimes have visiting chaplains. : "It seems there are more Jewish students at West Point and a larger Jewish community here. Friday night services here provide an informal atmosphere where
upperclassmen can talk to plebes and where cadets can relax and get to know one another in addition to taking part in religious observance," she said.
"It is pretty well accepted among the cadets that the Jewish services are a good deal because they are very informal. The groups at the Catholic and Protestant services are so big that you don't get to know the other students. Because Jewish cadets get extra leave for Jewish holiday services, some other cadets joke about converting to Judaism," she said.
She added: "The Jewish community at the military academy works very hard to . make the experience pleasant, but it will be much nicer when a Jewish chapel is built."
Jewish services are currently held in a chemistry lecture room with a portable ark. A $5.5 mlUlon West Point Jewish Chapel Fund has reached the halfway mark., A -national campaign headed by Edgar Mi Bronbnan, chairman and chief executive officer of Seagram Company Ltd., and Heifoert M. yCmes, president of Pack and Process Inc. of WQmlngton, Del., to under way to raise the rest of the funds. The rock-faced modem chapel, which will be bollt on a site between the Protestant and Catholic diapeto, wU Include a musenm-gaOery and will be open to the 2'/} million vtoitore who come to West Pobt.each year..
Sarah Kovel has a model for Jewish life in the military because her family has maintained'a strong one. She isn't quite sure yet what life as a woman in.the n^vy" will be like — as a flight officer. (an intelligence officer; her second choice, of in any other field. \ "I don't know too many women officers," she admitted. | •
As a young woman who is willing to break '. riejy ground, she only sees that as av challenge. : ;
world-competitive manufacturing sector, strengthen the country's reseuch and technology capacity, and encourage Canadian-owned enterprises. :..
Gray has definite views on foreign ownership. —
"Without doubt, foreign participatioja in Canada's economy, in some respects, has been useful," he says, leaning forward to emphasize the_point.
''On the other hand, however, there is good reason for the concern — one that is very prevalent in Canada today — that the very high level of foreign involvement has had serious adverse effects for the country's ability to fulfil national and regional development goals."
Since he assumed his portfolio. Gray has also devoted much of his time to the auto industry and to the problems posed by Japanese auto imports.
Within a month of being sworn in, Gray and his counterpart in Ontario, Lany Grossman, bailed out the ailing Quyrier Corporation by granting that U.S. firm loan guarantees. /
Currently. Gray is working to improve the terms of the 15-year Auto Pact between Canada and the U.S.
'•It has provided substantial benefits to Canada, but just as obviously, some problem areas have emerged," he says.
Representing a riding in Windsor, a city built on automobile manufacturing. Gray natura:ily is .quite concerned by the extent of Japanese.imports.
In August, he met the Japanese foreign minister in Tokyo to discuss a whole range of issues which go to the heart of Canada-Japan trading relations.
"Japan sells us almost $500 million in cars and parts, while we sell them a little more : than $6 million worth of these products." he says. "This is a situation which, I'm sure. the Canadian public will be increasingly pressing the government to deal with.in a restrictive, protectionist way, unless there is a positive response from Japanese motor vehicle manufacturers to our concerns." •
Given his obvious priorities, Gray does not envisage within the foreseeable future government legislation to combat the Arab boycott in Canada. But he stresses his commitment to such iegislation and asisures Canadians that Ottawa is firmly opposed to international boycotts.
On a related subject. Gray says he wants to upgrade the volume of Canada-Israel trade. Later this year, he plans to lead Canada's delegation to the annual meeting of the Canada-Israel Johit Economic Committee, due to be held In Jerusalem.
Gray, an earnest and somewhat solemn man, spends up to 12 hours of almost each day grappling with the awesome workload. On a typical day, he iheets department officials, fellow cabinet ministers, industry leaders and journalists.
At home, he often reads gbvemmerit documents late into the night. He is married to Sharon Sholzberg. a Montrealer who got her law degree from McGill University. They have a son and a daughter.
"I make an effort to be with them as much as possible," he says. Butif Gray is away on business, his wife understands, since she, too. is a political animal.
Sharon Gray is her husbaind's campaign manager and thus she has always t^en a huge interest in his career and' in federal politics. "In fact, I met her through politics," Gray recalls. .'!She was active in Liberalpolitics." They, were married in ■ 1967. ■ ■■■■ ■■..■ ■■
' Born in Windsor to Harry and Fannie Gray. Herb Grdy attended high school in his home town and studied at McGill' and Toronto's Osgoode Hall Law School. When he was 31. he was elected to Parliament in his first attempt at.gaining public office. Since 1962, he has been reelected seven times.
In 1966, he served as chairman of a House of Commons committee on finance, trade and economic affairs. Three years later, he attained a cabinet position as. minister without portfolio. In September of 1970, Gray was minister of national revenue. In the autumn of 1972, he was appointed minister of consumerand corporate affairs.
Gray's achievements in cabinet are noteworthy.
He piloted through the House of Commons anti-dumping legislation; he supervised the development of much of the administrative structure relevant to tax reforms; he presented to Parliament the Anti-Profiteering Bill, the Canada Business Corporations Act and a bill to implement stage one of the government's new compethion policy.
He was instrumental in introducing the . Packaging and Labelling Act and the Weights and Measures Act, and he issued product safety standards that are now taken for granted.
Gray's input into the Foreign Investment . Review Actwas considerable, in the opinion— of observers.—- . ■ ■.
During his banishment from the.cabinet, Gray was busy as well, serving on a plethora of Commons committees.
And now, as minister of industry, trade and commerce. Gray probably faces the challenge of his political career. He is determined to push through his pet projects, but he realizes there are obstacles.
"The things I'm talking about will take a couple of years to bear some ftnit*" he says, perhaps understating the case. \
But Gray r—a member of B'nai B'rith and of Windsor's Shaar Hashomayim Synagogue— is well on his way to translating his goals into lawful policy.
"He's met his problems head-on," says Sam Hughes, president of the Canadian -> Chamber of Commerce. .
"He seems to be dealing with the'issun" in the same piecemeal manner as his predecessors," comments the NDP's Ian Dearis. ^"But he's full of good intentions, and I hope his election talk wasn't just idle rhetoric." .
To the best of his ability, Herb Gray will try to prove.toeans wrong. . - . ,