2 — THE BULLETIN — Thursday. February 21.1991
. Uhited Israel Appeal
AT AIRPORT in Israel, Soviet Jewish family f^^^ all their worldly possessions.
SyrianUNdelBgate revives bloodli^
GENEVA
The ritual
blood libel against Jews has been raised at a session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission here; provoking neither dissent nor comment from its highest-rahking officials.
The daily Zij tribune de G^wve reported the polemic under the headline "A Scandal At The Human Rights Commission, A Purely Anti-Semitic Declaration."
It was delivered this month by a member of the Syrian delegation; Nabila Chaalan, during debate over the agenda item on racism and racial discrimination.
The blood libel, in various forms, dates back to medieval Europe, and has been one of the mpsft potent incitements to physical vioterrce against Jews. It accuses Jews of usiiig the blood of Christians, usu-
ally young children, to make their Passover matzos.
The matter was brought up in the context of riacism by David Littman, representing the World Union for Progressive Judaism. He reminded the commission that a 200-page book. The Matzah of Zion, was published by the Syrian defence minister, Maj.-Gen. Mustafa Tlas, in 1985. The book revived the 1840 Damascus blood libel, which led to the arrest of hundreds of Jews who were tortured to confess the murder of a Catholic missionary.
The Syrian delegate responded on the following day, claiming the book proved Jews engaged in ritual murder in Damascus 151 years ago." 1 hereby invite all members of this commission to read the book," Chaalan said.
"According to this book, during the Middle Ages, Jews could kill and take yoiir blood to make their Zionist bread. I recommend to every member of this commission to read this book, which is the story of Father Thomas, who was sent to Dainascus.
"At the time of his murder, he was 3.3 and practiced medicine. Whoever reads this book will be informed of the reason behind Father ThomasV murder and will clearly discover the racist reality of Zionism," the Syrian delegate said.
Her statement elicited no reaction, from commission president Enrique Berlanes Balejerosi, Jan Marteiison, director of the H uman Rights Centre, or John Pace, t^e commission's secretary-general, all of whom were present at the time. jta
Ga2apulloutwou
on cities of Negev, Tehiya leader warns
GAZA — If Israel surrenders the Gaza Strip to Arab rule, it is "only a matter of time before PLO rockets begin raining down on the cities of the Negev," said a Tehiya Party leader, echoing
ZALMAN SHOVAL, 60, Is Israeli ambassador to the USA, in 1983, he was a founder of the Dayan Centre for Middle Eastern Studies at Tel Aviv university. Shoval also served in the Knesset, Israel's Parliament, from 1970 to1981. He has been interviewed by all media since the Gulf war bJBgan.
fears of many Israeli military experts.
Tehiya spokesman Lieut.-Col. Avi Farhan offered his assessment after completing a recent stint of reserve duty in Gaza.
The crowded Gaza region, a hotbed of Arab militancy, may not be a pleasant place to visit, but Israeli control of the territory "is required by every Israeli who lives in Sderot or Ashkelon, by every kibbutz-nik in the Negev, by everyone who will be within range of the Katyusha rockets that will start falling if the Israeli army leaves Gaza and the PLO takes over, which it will," Farhan warned
Farhan criticized the small group of left-wing soldiers who recently signed a petition urging Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, saying that by issuing such statements while in uniform, they were "politicizing the army and dragging it into debates that_should be held in the Knesset, not on the field of battle."
Although the petition
caused a stir in the Israeli media, it bore only 20 signatures, many of whom are known dovish activists who happened to serve their reserve duty in Gaza recently. An additional controversy erupted briefly when one signatory said his name had been forged, and a second said he had' signed it while intoxicated, and did not understand its content.
Meanwhile, Knesset member Yossi Beilin, leader of the dovish wing of the Labor Party, was continuing to press ahead with his proposal to establish an Arab state in the Gaza Strip immediately.
In an interview with the Jerusalem Arab newspaper Ai Fajr, Beilin said that after a Gaza state is established. West Bank Arabs also should be granted "their own self-determination". jsb
E.G. doesn't view PLO as Jordanians massing?
credible partner —- envoy
By YOSSI LEMPKOWICZ
BRUSSELS — The European Community has taken a second look at the PLO, and no longer considers it a "credible" partner in Middle East peace talks, Israelis ambassador to the E.C.^ Avi Primor, has told a group of journalists here.
According to Priihor; who is also ambassador to Bel-giuni, .thCv E.C; now! shims Yasir Arafat's PLC because it supports president Saddam Hussein of Iraq. The shift marks a "profound modification" of the European attitude toward Israel, the envoy said.
He spoke after-diplomatic sources annouiited that the E.C. had "frozen" all contacts with the PLO to protest Arafat's stance in the Gulf war., The sources noted that the 12 E.C. foreign ministers decided Feb. 4 to launch a Middle East diplomatic initiative by inviting the foreign ministers of Israel, Egypt, Syria and the Union of Arab Maghreb (North African nations of
Tunisia, Algeria and. Morocco) to post-Gulf War talks.
Pointedly excluded is the PLO, which the E.C. had in the past always insisted must be a participant in the regional peace process; Pri-mor said the new E.C. posture remakes its previous position, which had "been always unilateral and unbalanced" toward Israel.
A further gesture made by the European body was the EC. foreign ministers' decision Feb. 4to include Israel in the financial aid package it had agreed upon earlier for Egypt, Jordan and Turkey, whose economies have been profoundly damaged by the Gulf wan "This is also an important step," said Primor.
He said the E.C. Council of Ministers is now ready to study Israel's 1989 peace initiative, which calls for elections in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, to see if it could be a "starting point" for Middle East peace negotiations.
■ jta
Dutcli offer Patriots to Israel
AMSTERDAM — Holland will provide Patriot anti-.missile batteries to Israel, as well as food and gas masks to Palestinian Arabs in the Administered Territories, it was announced in The Hague.
The Ipwer house of Parliar ment voted 146^ to approve the loan of Dutch Patriots. Only four of the six-member left-wing Green party dissented.
The batteries will be accompanied by a detail of 25 Dutch military personnel to serve as instructors and maintenance crews. Fifteen of
them will remain,in Israel for an unspecified period.
The Dutch Patriot systems, presently located in Blom-berg, Germany, are not the most advanced type, but have been modified to intercept missiles as well as aircraft, which they were originally designed to down.
They were offered to Israel last month, but declined at the time because Patriot batteries had just arrived from the United States. But Scud missile attacks are continuing, and Israel can now use additional anti-missile systems.
jta
Cqursejust what doctors ordered
JERUSALEM — If one Russian doctor is being helped with medical training in Israel, two are even better — especially if they are husband and wife.
Drs. Dmitri and Lydia Liflanski have spent six months at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Centre as part of a special training program for Russian doctors.
Dmitri was a professor of cardiac surgery in Moscow, and spent many years in Antarctica. In Russia, he became religious 10 years ago, secretly performing 2,00dp>>|-beifore his aliyah.
One of his sons, a successful pianist with the Israeli Broadcasting Association, has adopted the Hebrew name of
Yigal Lavi.
Lydia has spent six months at Shaare Zedek working in the geriatrics department.
For physicians still working in Soviet Georgia, the Georgian deputy health minister has announced a desire to increase medical cooperation with Israel. Dr. Avtandil Dzorbenadze noted that, since the liberalization instituted by the Kremlin, Georgian medicine is now "completely independent," arid able to seek outside help. He hopes exchange visits by Israeli physici^tis will help medical care in Georgia make up for lost time.
sendsoldiersPurim gifts
A funny
• •
A father took his little girl to synagogue for the very first time. : She wasn't interested in the cantor, S/i/wow^/ifir^/i, other p'rayer^pr the Torah reading. Instead, she stared unblinkirigly at the Eternal Light in front of thei>/mfl/i.
Wheii the service ended and it was tinie for them to leave, the father tried itocoax his daughter away from shul. But she stood absorbed, gazing at the Eternal Light.
Dad*s curiosity incrcatsed. Finally, he asked, "It's time to go. Why IvonVyoi^ stop looking at the light, honey?" **Daddy» Tmivaiting for U to turn g
NEW YORK — The United Synajgogue of America, the association of Cohserva-tiye synagoguies, is mobijizing studerrts at affiliated congregational and day schools to send mishloach mqnot, or Purim gifts, to Israel Defence Force soldiers in keeping with the Jewish tradition of gift-giving on Purim, which falls on the night of Feb. 27 this year.
According to Rabbi Robert Abramson; head of the USA's education department, "Operation Shalach Manot offers Conservative ydungsters an
opportunity to teach and participate in two mitzvot: the giving of mflwo/,^ gifts tip others, on Purim, and showing supportto individual Israeli soldiers."
Students, as well as members of United Synagogue Youth and the Kadima youth group, will be encouraged to contribute so that ain Israeli soldier inay receive a mish-loach manot package on purim and a pair of warm army socks. Adults may also puixbase packages froiii a sehopl or youth group. /rn
Canadian Shaare Zedek , Hospital Foundation HMSBAND ANC^ WIFE Drs. Dmitri and Lydia i.lf lanslcl have connpleted six-month medi^ traihih^ session at Jerusalem's Shaare Zedek Medical Centre.
JERUSALEMAs many as 50;000 Jordanian troops were massing on-their border with Israel, raising regional tensions, USA Today quoted "analysts" as saying. "We are having a general deterioration along the Jordanian border," said Dore Gold, a military analyst with Tel Aviv's Jaffa Centre for Strategic Studies. "There is concern on the part of the Jordanians that a general retaliatory reaction from Israel is imminent."
Drought reveals find
JERUSALEM
The
lower water level ^ of Lake Kinneret caused by the recent drought has revealed remains of a harbor and artifacts dating back more than two mille^ nia beneath the surface of Israel's largest natural reservoir, Davar called it "one of the most dramatic finds in Israel in recent years." Its exact location has been a top secret to keep souvenir hunf tersaway.
Antimissile policies
JERUSALEM — Citizens whose homes have been wrecked by missiles will be able to buy retroactive government insurance up to $ 151,000 according to an amendment. Private insurers are offering household policies covering war damages at no extra premium, said the national associations of insurance companies and agents.
Soviets support anti-Semitic mags
NEW YORK-The Soviet defence ministry is openly supporting the most extreme journals of conservative opinion in the Soviet Union, >yhich are notorious conduits of anti-Semitic propaganda.
The ministry has issued instructions that thousands of copies of extremist journals be stocked in military establishments, according to the London-based Institute of Jewish Affairs. The resulting mass subscriptions provide a lease on life for many of these periddicals, which otherwise might pass out of existence.
Hidden children to gatlier In NYC
NEW YORK - The First International Gathering on Children Hidden During World Waril will take place May 26 and 27 at the Marriott Marquis hotel in New York City.
Sponsored by the Hidden Child Committee, the event will gather children worldwide who were once hidden from the Nazis so they can understand how their experiences have shaped their lives. Keynote speaker Abraham Foxman, national director of the B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation League, was himself hidden as a child.