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Thursday, November 25,
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Loyat Opposition?
Dias^^>f^ws ai% encountering a strange j>robiein. Anxi^ to suppo the Jewish State in its efforts to e^jplain to the world why the invasion of Lebanon was necessary, the Jewish conimunity in North America is being treated tO'dissonant voices from Israel itself — voices suggesting that Israel was wrong in ^s recent^actioh/ -
In past weeks a number of prominent Israelis have targeted the government of Menachem Begin for severe criticism. Abba Eban, he of the eloquent rhetorical flourish, told the huge B'nai B'rith International Convention in Toronto that IsraePs moral image has been compromised by the bombing' of Beirut and the refugee camp massacres. Eban affirms that the crossing of the 40 kilometre line and the push into the Lebanese capital were **dark episodes in the recent history of Israel."
In an interview with the Toronto Star, Chaim Herzog, a colleague of Eban in the Israeli Labor Party, indicated that Begin and Sharon had to resign in the wake of the Shatila and Sabra massacres carried out by Phalangist forces. Herzog, who also served as head of Israeli intelligence in 1967, stated as well that the massive bombardment of Beirut was unnecessary and ineffective.
Shlomo Aviiieri, professor of political science Ht the - Hebrew university and foriner head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the Rabin government, has written a copyrighted article in The Washington Post in which he accuses Prinie Minister Begin of having acquired some Of the characteristics of the Nazi and Soviet persecutors who made Begiii's iife ihiserable in the 1930'sand l^*s.
Avineri decries Begin and Sharon as populist leaders who speak for the "hard-hats** in Israeli society. . The standpoints of these three individuals is worthy of much comment, considerably more than space will allow. What can be pointed out, however, is the astonishing failure of the media and of certain Jewish organizations to clearly identify Eban, Herzog and Avineri as members of the official opposition in Israel whose views, however cogently stated must be seen in light of the vehemence of Israeli politics and the desire of the "outs'* to get "in."
It seems to us that Eban and company are taking advantage of their longtime association with previous governments of Israel to attack the current one. That may be acceptable in Israel; in the Diaspora it is appalling.
Intransigence/Lebanon war compound Syria's isdiatibn
Camera intruded on 'Kristallnachf solemnity
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
I request that you allow me to use the JWB as a forum to express my total disgust and anger at whoever authorized a photographer to document the Kristallnacht commemoration ceremony in its entirety.
They robbed me, and I'm sure many others, of a rare opportunity — a chance to feel, in the glow of a candlelight ceremony and aimong a large crowd of Jews, a surge of remembrance for our relatives who died in the Holocaust.
We live in a very crowded time —
also becoming increasinjgly frightened at how much we allow the media to become ah idol — a Golden Calf that rules and intrudes into our daily existence;
W hat will happen to the piptures of the six groups who lit candles at the ceremony? They may appear in a newspaper to be glanced at briefly by a few, then tossed in the garbage. They may be filed away, never to be seen. Surely these groups do not need a photograph of the moment, nor would most of the audience need
a picture to rekindle their emotion.
It is not common, from my experience, to hear the click of a camera's shutter at the Nov. 11 annual Remembrance Day ceremonies during the moments of silence. At Beth Israel, on Nov. 9, 1982, the synagogue doors were closed, the lights were dimmed — but the camera remained.
In the future, in the spirit of remembrance, let us find a few genuine moments of silence as well.
CELIA BRAUER
By DAVID HAROUNOFF
What makes Syria seem so intransigent is the conviction that totally iincompromising adherence to its own ideology will ultimately give the country leadership of the Arab world.
Domestic tensions, external pressures and its^relentless drive towards "Arabism" explain Syria's recurrent instability and violence. Indeed, Baathist ideology has imprinted intransigence into the national character.
Internationally, Syria ' receives neither the respect given to Egypt, nor the admiration felt for Jordan. It has no "oil weapon." It is not these deprivations that make Syria
the Gulf states serves only as a palliative. If vast quantities of Iraqi oil are unsold on the world market, it could be a final blow to Iraq's faltering economy; and if Baghdad sees this as part of a Syrian design, it could haisten its long-desired vengeance against Syria, by political subversion or even military action.
President Assad's bid for Arab leadership is further CQmi)licated by his growing estrangement from the PLO. For several months now Damascus has been criticized (often hypocritically) by other Arab regimes for the constraints it imposes oh PLO fighters in Syria. And for its regular appropriation of arms from outside destined for the
David Harounoff is a regular contributer to the Middle East Mirror section of the London Jewish Chronicle.
our lives are cluttered With the structures in our cities, with the merchandise in our stores, with repeated news broadcasts on bur radios. Who, this past summer, has not felt confused by the constant media coverage of the "war in Lebanon*? Who does not realize how powerful media tools are; how Dear Mr. Kaplan, they shape emotion and how I appreciate being informed by caWully they must be used? The Jeyi/ish Western Bulletin of the
As a "part-time" photographer letter by Mrs. Brauer questioning the myself, I strongly realize this. I am propriety of flash pictures being
Criticism appreciated: different photograpjilcaiiangement planned
Fd^lW Ycm Sctvwg Pid& Nptdiwttt Jewiy
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taken durihg "Kristallnacht" observance.
I agree that "Kristallnacht" should not be allowed to become a "media event" because it has such deep personal meaning to so many survivors of the Nazi era. However, we would be remiss in completely eliminating press coverage and photographs. It is still very necessary to reach the wider public lest events which prepared the way for the Holocaust be forgotten.
I would like to assure Mrs. Brauer that her constructive criticism is very much appreciated. I have discussal the problem with Fred Gottfried, the permanent "Kristallnacht" chairman, and we agree that in the future flash pictures should be severely curtailed and arrangements made to take some of the symbolic photographs before or after the public event.
I take this opportunity to thank JWB Staff for the advance publicity given to this annual event. Surely this coverage is part of the reason for the very large attendance Nov. 9.
RABBI WILFRED SOLOMON Congregation Beth Israel
friendless, however, so much as President Hafez Assad's uncanny ability to court catastrophe.
The Syrian army's waltz-like support, first for the Phalangists, and then for the PLC, during the, Lebanese civil war has earned the Syrian regime the fear and detestation of both Maronites and Palestinians. Assad's only major Lebanese ally today is the; unreliable Walid Jumblatt and his National Movement.
'Jordan and Syria share an animosity dating back to Syria's invasion of the Hashemite Kingdom in 1970. Denunciation of the recent Arafat-Hussein meeting in Amman was the latest demonstration of this bitterness. It also serves to fuel mistrust between Damascus and Saudi Arabia. Relations with Egypt and its "Sudanese mistress" are no better.
The one country with wHoMSyria has made a positive effort to iniprove relations is non-Arab Iran. Even here the common interest is hatred of Iraq.
The unrelenting and repeated calls to the Iranian and Iraq masses to overthrow Saddam Hussein's "fascist-puppet regime" surpass in their venom even the campaign .against Israel.
The new Syrian-Iranian concord has taken on a significant dimension. President Assad is now importing some ten million tons of Iranian crude oil a year in exchange for Syrian phosphates. The transaction is estimated to be worth $2.1 billion a year. This hew source of oil replaces Syria's old reliance on Iraqi oil.
Because of its two-year war with Iran, Iraq suffers from both a shortage of manpower to run its industries and a soaring inflation rate. Financial aid to Baghdad from
PLO.
Al Sa'iqa, the second largest PLC group, takes its orders from the Damascus government rather than from the PLO's high command. No one seriously believes that Sa'iqa is anything but an extension of Syrian interests within the Palestinian movement. The PLC is also disgruntled by the free reign given to Abu Nidal by Damascus to mount terrorist attacks without the PLO's prior approval.
Arafat's current grievance stems from two acts of Syrian "misbehaviour": the first being the unexpected and unexplained withdrawal of well-entrenched Syrian uniis from the strategicJezzin-Shouf mountain range during the IDFs invasion of Lebanon; and secondly the probable Syrian complicity in the assiassination of Abu Walid, Arafat's chief of staff in Syrian occupied territory. The recent transfer of sizeable numbers of PLO troops from Syria to Palestine Liberation Army units in Jordan is an indication of Arafat's displeasure with the Syrian regime.
The Syrian regime is also deeply suspicious of PLO manocuvrings in the negotiatiiig process. The fear in Damascus is that if any direct or indirect dialogue begins between the -two sworn enemies of the Middle East, Syria will be left out in the cold. Some commentators have suggested that Assad will use any means at his disposal to thwart such an occurrence.
Syria's internal problems provide no cause for rejoicing either. Assad has achieved something of a record as a survivor in Syria's turbulent politics. An ingenious method of administratiQn involves important (Continued on Pag^6) See: PERSPECTIVE