Page 4 - The Canadian Jewish News. Friday, June 2, 1978
Editorial
M-T
Jewish news
An iiuiepftidciit t'.irniniiiiiiv Ni'usp.ipfr serving a> u. t'oiuin tor JisiTsf vk-upiiiiu>.
■   Clia'ies Biontni.iii. Doii.i.d CJ:'. Q i;
Geot'qe A. Cotioii, Jack Cumniciiv. ."   Murray B. KoH lei ..A.ioei i J'. l.i;uv. . Ray b.'Wo;!t', RuDin 2:;^vinf>!'ia.'
Eaitpr_, Rolor. Hyman           . . • Associate Editor, Le.vi'j Lovo;!c:.tM ProduptiGi. Mai'aJ.er . Gary La'o-e: Advertising Manacji'i , Vet a .Gi' tv-.' Corit: oiler . Ma iir: ci- B'■"'!><■■__
vol: xviv. no. 16 (1.005)
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Rejection of Magen David Adorn
Stumbling block to peace
.Auorld-widi- campaign ha.s been launched bv member's ol pailiamem m various eouniries U' approach the Red Crescent Society ot Egypt askmg tv>r their'support in efforts to gain admission for Magen David .VdotiviRed Shield of Da\ id) Society vif Israel in the hiternational Red Cro^s. Rabbi Rubin. R. Dobin. mternaiional chairman of operation recognition, whicii has been, given the responMbilitv to co-ordinate Aovld-wide efforts on behalf ol .Magen David .Adorn admission, has announced th.ai a number of world parli'anientarians have already communicated with the Hgsptian society. Members ot the L'S, Congress, as well as the parliament of Britain, have already written to C airo.
Rabbi boh'.n explained that for 30 vears, the Magen David Adorn has been trying to become a member of the.League of Red Cross Societies. It h.is been denied ad--mission because Israel insists on using the Magen David .\dom iRed Shield of David), as Its protective emblem InternaiKHial Red Cross officials in Geneva agree that Israel fulfils nine of the 10 criteria for admission more than adequately -It isonlv the tact that Israel insists on using the .Magen David .-VdvMii that keeps it out. Millions of fair' minded iK'oiile al: over the world readilv
understand that Israel should nut be forced to use the Christian Red Cross, the Arab Red Crescent or the Red Lion and Sun of Iran.
In making the request to the. Egyptian society, which is the most important in the .\rab_ii:orld. attention was drawn to the efforts made by President Sadat on behalf of the Egyptian people, to reach a peaceful settlement with the state of Israel. It is felt that the Red Crescent Society could, through a humanitarian gesture such as this, further emphasize the serious intention of the Egyptian people to establish a new era of peace, goodwill and co-operative fellowship in the Middle East.
Rabbi Dobin pointed out that there are 19 Arab countries which use the red crescent as their official protective emblem and that if the Red Crescent Society would support the admission of Magen David .Adorn to the League of Red Cross Societies, it would be interpreted as a sign of Egypt's genuine desire for peace. It should not be difficult for a humanitarian organization such as the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to embrace this issue and thus remove an unnecessary stumbliiig block in establishing mutual relations of goodwill and brotherhood between the nations in that troubled area.
(riiest Editorial
Why go to Israel?
By HARVEY J. FIELDS
You have asked riic. "\\'hv should I visit Israel!'"
Franklv. I was- a bit stunned by your question. There was an audacmus testy tone to it. ■'Prove It to me!" 1 heard -you challenging.
.1 suppose I oHild try to "'seir' you on rus.hing out to bu\ a trip to Israel. 1 love the unique landscape and marvellous mixttire of Jewish cultures there to wa.N enthusiastic with no'cffort at ail. I could even give you a list of "must places" to visit, and good restaurants in out of the wa\ corners.- But I won't. Why should I spoil it for your travel agent'.'.And anyway.'that is really not what you wanted from me, is it? •
Right now I could even poiiit out that it is our duty as Jew s to visit Israel. The terrorist tactics of those sworn to the destruction of the Jewish state are meant to frighten people from travell-ing there. That is good reas9n to go, but 1 know that w:On't'convince you,'because you have other -matters.on, your' mind.
In hack of your question is an agenda of
questions about your connection to the land of Israel and the state of.Israel. That is precisely what makes a visit there so iniportant. It is more than a journey amidst ancient layers of the past, or into a colorful e.xotic collage of the Middle East. A visit to Israel is an opportunity to meet a vibrant part of the Jewish people.
You visit Israel to get in touch with aiiother segment of your Jewish self. Don't , expect a revelation there, nor that your brothers and sisters there will be more polite as waiters and ta.xi drivers. They yvon'tl But goto Israel because you Want to nieet the people, plunge into the'life and-spirit of the'country Jews have created on our ancient soil, and because in the midst of your visit you may stir up lots of questions about who you are as a Jew and what it means to be a pan of the Jewish people.
That may be heavy stuff, so pack your bags lightly. You are in for some surprises. This mav be the most important trip of vour life.   . ," ' ,
Rabbi Fields 's senior rabbi at Holy Blossom Temple Toronto,
Re wards are many
With  the ^Slimmer  fast .approaching.
. pai-ents should begin thinking; about the kind of educational and recreational pro-gram'they vvish to expose their children to. : Parents coricerned vyith maintaining or
• deepening their children's love of Judaism, should consider sending them to one of the many excellent summer camps which dot
•the Canadian countryside' during' the vaca-tio'n ;period.;; .
^diicators- have . pointed out that, a-; summer' camping experience in a ■tdtally
■Jewish environmentcan help supplement a ■. child's understanding of and commitment to jewish.value.s. The three major denominations in modern Jewish life offer prospective  campers  a  variety  of educational
. programs and classes'alorigside traditional , athletic and social activities.
Contrary to received opiniori, a disciplin-
ed program of study in Hebrew language.
■ Jewish history, Bible and Talmud -- presented in a vhal and dynamic fashion — contributes to a child's enjoyment, of the more conventional summer camp pastimes, '. ■';
. Camping, of course, is ah excellent socializing .experience which can aid the maturiiig process of the individual. It can
' also, when vievyedfronr the Jewish perspective', intrpduce children to the -s^'armth and beauty of those Jewish traditions and practices w'lTic'fi are all too often absent, from the ■    urban,setting,
'; Many a Jewish child has had his first contact with the richness of his Jevvish past as a resiilt.of a vibrant camping experience. The contribution of this institution to.the rnold-ing of the young Jewish child is one that . should not be overlooked.
Master composer Irving Berlin
Someone.dnce asked composer J|erome Kerri what place Irving^Jirlin .held in American music. "Berlin has no place in'-Arnerican music,"' he. replied, "He is American music."
Exaggeration is a by-product of show business^but in this case Kern was not guiltv^of using hyperbole. He was telling the ti-ut^f, the whole'truth and nothing but the truth.-     .'  .    -^'^ ;
Irving Berlin ce;lebrated his 90th birthday on^ May 8 and for American music it was a banner day, a tiiiie to recall the master com-poser'sv achievements iri a remarkable career spanning the generations. He wrote his first song. Marie From Sonny Italy, in 1907, and his share of the royalties was the grand sum of 37 cents. Since then, Berlin has earned millions -r- and the endearment of the country — with such hits as White
Christmas, Holiday Inn, How I Hate To Get Up In The T^KinIng, Blue SkleSj The Girl -That I Marry and A Pretty Girl Is Like A
'" Melody. -■■'}:
In addition to writing a steiady succession of loye songs, comedy, songs and political songs (Good Times With Hoover, Better Times With Al), this protean. craftsman
^ turned- out movie scores and numerous . Broadway rnusicals. At the height of his pow'ers. he was a one-man cottage industry • who, together with such greats as George Gershwin and Oscar Hammerstein, revolutionized Arnerican music and musicati
■ ' :tastes! ■■ ■"■ ■;■,._':■_"'
Berlin has not published a song in 11
: years, biit he.claims he is still churning them out. At 90, basking in glory, he is a legend in his o\yri\time —.a veritable
, American institution.\
AiTOs decision
harsh reality of U.S.^M policy
mideast ^arralysis
'r
By SHELDON KIRSHNER
Though representing a watershed in Arab-American ties, the recent decision by the Carter administration to sell high-performance jets to Saudi Arabia and Egypt also underscored Washington's long-standing military relationship whh moderate Arab regimes in the Middle East.
In the acrimony generated by the U.S. Senate vote to permit the dispatch of F-15s to Riyadh and F-5Es to Cairo, most pundits momentarily forgot that Washington has already supplied the Saudis and Egyptians with fairly sophisticated arms and sold Jordan, Lebanon and the Gulf states enough equipment to fill many armories to the rooftops.
In essence, the U.S. sells arms to its Arab — and Iranian — clients for a few reasons: to assure a steady flow of oil from the Arabiari oilfields, to make further inroads into the booming .Arab export market and to protect the conservative, pro-American regimes from what is perceived to be Soviet " and leftist subversion.
Iraii, with S4 billion in orders since 1972, has been the biggest recipient of U.S. arms, closely followed by Israel, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Egypt. Lebanon and the Persian Gulf monarchies. In the future, barring a dramatic geo-political upheaval, the Arab states will get the bulk of American weaponry, and Israel ^vill be powerless to stop the transactions.
The Saudis, undoubtlsdiy Washington's most important client in the region, have spent tens of billions of dollars in the last few years in their feverish drive to-build a credible military infrastructure. The current Sib billion military spending program for the construction of airfields. liaval port facilities, radar, supply depots and so on. is being overseen by the United States Army Corps of Engineers.
Since the 1973 Yom Kippur War, the Saudis have added considerable clout to their burgeoning armed forces. On the eve of that conflict, they had 71 combat aircraft, and the expectation is that they will possess 190 by 1983. Except for a fleet of aging British jets, and the anticipated delivery of French Mirages, the Americans have given the Saudis an overwhelming majority of their equipment — weapons that could threaten the Israelis in another Arab-Israeli war.
Aside from the acquisition of F-15s. the Saudis have purchased 60 F-5Es for $750 million, smart bombs, 1,650 Maverick and 1.000 Sidewinder missiles, not to mention TOW anti-tank missiles and Hawk ground-to-air missiles.
As Stephen Rosen, a Brandeis University academic points out. the budget of the
An American-built F-15 In flight
Bahel of voices ignore realities in Israel debate
By J. B, SALSBERG [First of two columns]
However Israel may appear on the surface at present, the inescapable fact is thaton its 30th anniversary the Jewish state is beleaguered diplomatically and hard-pressed from all sides.
Though not. totally unexpected, the U.S. Senate's approval of President Carter's policy to sell the latest jet fighters to Egypt and Saudi Arabia was a severe.shock to Israel and all its friends.
It compels Israel to re-examine its fiindamental defence and political poli-. cies; And Israel is now in the initial stage of this painfuf rethinking process. ■ Regrettably, the alternatives open to Israel at this moment are limited, very limited indeed..
The. keystone of Israel's foreign and domestic policy is. of course, that of security. It cannot be otherwise in, view of the continuing threat of destruction thaTfaces Israel-from most of its neighbors. Almost all political parties.in. the Jewish state see eye-to-eye on this centra! point. Legitimate differences do exist, of course, inside, and outside of Israel on hoyvto achieve the security that will assure Israel's, existeiice and its peaceful development as a Jewish country/■     ■:    ■::',■.    ■ ■.'■■'..■:'■•-.■.''.:■'
But a crucial re-evaluation, of Israel's furidamerital policies cannot, in a democratic state, be left to the government in power alone. It must beconiejhe central themeof public discussion. Theainng of .. diverse views is notbniy to be expected, but to be welcOmedlT
And yet 1 must confess that 1 am more, than a little bewildered by the positions taken in the unfolding public discussion by many groups. Occasionally I get the feelingthat we are listening to a babel of tongiies that ignores realities.
For the moment, I will leave out of ac-cpunt the ultra exttemists on both the right andleft. The unreasonable zealots of the Mea Shearim quarter in Jerusalem and their friends in New York" and elsewhere have neyer recognized Israel. '<They:prefer the liquidation of the Jewish . state ancj the placing of the land under the benevolent rule of King Hussein of. Jordan. Their Hne is clear enough.
On the other extreme is the Moscow-oriented Communist partyof Israel that parrots the Kremlin's latest line in the Middle East and that strives to please the Arab diehards far more than the Jewish majority that makes up Israel.
In between these extremes lies the real Israel. the overwhelming majority of the country's population who. despite all other differences, stands firmly together oil the cardinal questions of the Jewish character of the state, the security of the state and the perpetual endurance of that statehood.
Thus, for instance, did former premier Yitzhak RaSin ttabor) reply to Carter's, new "even-handediiess" even more caustically than did Premier Menachem, Begin. This, despite the Labor Party's sharp criticism of Begin's handling of the Israeli case in the U.S. According to The New York Times (May.21)," Rabin. Peres aiidAllon charged that Begin "botched the handling of opposition to the deal (Carter's notorious package -— J.B.S.) and contributed to the,hobbling of the Israeli lobby in Washington." At the, same time, the Labor bloc in the Knesset criticizes Begin's rigidity on the West Bank issue and his dogmatism and inflexibility in other areas. All this, as 1 see it. isiri line whh the accepted roleof an opposition in a democratic state.
.But my bewilderment arises mainly from the attitudes of most Orthodox sectors of the Israeli political spectrum. .
>The Gu^.h, Emuiiun_enthusiasts, ar-. mored with infinite faith, insist on establishing additional settlements in .the West Bank despite the vocal opposition that emanates from Washington and Arab capitals,. The Giish Emtinim present, of course; incontrovertible, biblical evidence to justify their activities.
The National Religious Party of Israel (Mizrachi),' ah important constituent of the Begin coalition government, met in coiiverition a weekdr so ago and issued a not-so-gentle warning to Mr, Begin. They adopted a resolution which, according to The New York Times, says"that its fealty to Begin's government was ' predicated on his determination not to cede any part of'historical Eretz Yisraej. , the land of our forefathers'." In other words, the NRP warns Begin that they will withdraw from the government if he should"make comprdihises on the West Bank in the peacejiegotiajions, if and when they may start.
Around the same tirne,-. and as reported in this paper's issue of May 5, . 1978.. a young Orthpdo2U'abbi of King-, ; ston, N.Y.;, Basil Herring, addressed a Toronto Orthodox Torah weekend. He charged that Begin is "hot firm enough" on territories (meaning the West Bank). Young Rabbi Herring, who enjoys the reputation of a Talmudic scholar, said: 'The Israeli prime minister claims that everything is negotiable, - but Begin should be taking a stronger stand on Is-rael'sright to settle the occupied lands.". Thus spaketh Rabbi Herring, and in Toronto at that.. . . :
Ah, but there is more, much more to puzzleandbewild^rthe mindof onewho , tries to follow the unfolding of the historic public discussion on Israel's course in : the stormy weather than howls from all sides. So we shall reiurn to the subject next week. )
Saudi defence ministry has skyrocketed in recent years. Five-years ago, the budget' was SI billion: It soared to $9 billion last year. Rosen clajms that Saudi expendhures are more than twice that of Israel,
The Saudis, who have participated in some of the Arab-Israeli wars, claim their armed forces are in a defensive posture and would be used mainly against neighboring radical regimes. The Israelis, however, fear that the Saudis may transfer part of their armory to Egypt or Jordan in a fifth war. Two years ago. the defence minister told the Christian Science Monitor: "All our weapons are at the disposal of the Arab nation and will be used against the common enemy." The open question is whether the "common enemy" is Israel or such radical governments as Iraq or South Yemen,
Washington's military,relationship with Cairo is only of t.wo year's standing, but it appears that the possibilities of growth are unlimited as long as a pro-Western government rules Egypt. When Anwar Sadat visited Washington a couple of years ago, he asked for about $6 billion worth of arms, aid over a decade. At first, the U.S. was cautious about supplying equipment to Egypt. A compromise was struck and "non-let hal" C-130 transport aircraft, drones and jeeps were sold to the Egyptians, who had broken with their Russian suppliers.
Last year, the State Department announced that the U.S. had agreed to help rehabilitate Egypt's 20O MIG-21 fighters "because we have a legitimate interest in helping Egypt meet its legitimate defence needs." In April of this year, the usually reliable Wolf Blitzer of The Jerusalem Post disclosed that the Carter administration is prepared to approve the sale of 3,000 U.S. manufactured armored personnel carriers to Egypt. According to Blitzer, Egyptian War Minister Abdel Ganiasy, who is due to visit Washington, will present Carter with a lengthy shopping list that includes TOW anti-tank missiles, advance radar, communication facilities and various types of ammunition.
It is also reliably reported that Egypt regards the F-5E. which it will now obtain as a result of the recent Senate vote, as a stopgap until F-lbs are available.
Jordan's military relationship with the U.S. began in earnest following the decline of British influence in the Hashemitc kingdom, and since the Six Day War Jordan has bought two squadrons of F-5Es, M-60 tanks and. most recently, batteries of Hawk anti-aircraft missiles. Redeye shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles and a Vu|can
U.S. President Jimmy Carter
anti-aircraft gun system.
The Hawk deal caused a storm of controversy on Capitol Hill. The Ford administration managed to push through the package after Jordan agreed that the Hawks would be non-mobile, permanently em-placed and non-transferable without American permission.
The Israel lobby in Washington lost that battle — as it has others since then because the administration was determined to consolidate its ties with an old ally. In the. future, the likelihood is that Jordan will continue to get virtually all the arms that it requests.
Lebanon, which has always fallen under the French sphere of influence, has received relatively little from the U.S. But since the 1975-76 civil war, Washington has given that tiny land TOWs. as well as S50 million worth of military assistance. The TOWs. U.S. officials argiJe. arc intended to provide psychological succor to the Lebanese in dealing with pressure from Syria, its northern big brother. No doubt, too, the U.S. wishes to strengthen what remains of the Lebanese army in order to counter the .real threat from the PLO.
In the Persian Gulf, the last stronghold of Arab feudalism, the U.S. supplies Oman, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates with what is described as "modest" amounts of arms. These oil-rich kingdoms, in the American view, would be ca.sy pickings for Iraq, which has a powerful Soviet-equipped armv.
, All this indicates that the Israelis will have to adapt t-o the harsh realities of U.S. policy in the Middle East.
(Religious News Service photo) ,
This group of New York rabbis, protesting the sale of modern jets to Egypt and Saudi Arabia, chained themselves to the wrought Iron White House fence. MeanwhUe, presidential press secretary, Jody Powell, deided nmiors that admlidsbration wanted *'to break the back of the Jewish lobby" In the United States. Debate over planes has sthred embtlons.
■V
AN HISTORIC MOMENT
One of the giants of Zionism, Chalm Weizmann, is sworn hi as first president of the state of Israel SO years ago hi Tel Aviv. Above hhn towers the por^^     Theodor Herri.