Vi']^^ ; I^^S^^^ihgMana^
'-.^Z'^sii-----— ' ~ "
•iroBEiirieuiioit
noting iu^^pli^i^^^o^^ that fori^^re^r^^ gria^|^^ip^^lS|pil|^^ .bUsine^^^^ifefil^^SSII^fi^
businessmen.**
These^it^ asl«te obsefwr of man's
however, that the Japanese have apparently lost ^1 their warrior tradiUo^^ especially so in regard to their compliance with the infamous Ardb^bbyco^^^ A rei^^
Jewish Congress has indicated th^t J[^P^ among the free nations; is the worst offender in the matter of theboycott of Israel; Its supine posture towards Arab political-economic pressures is ^s startling as it is deplorabler.;''.^^ ^y'^r/^U
An EngHsli language new J^R^n featured an aciyeitisement by aaa^ company warmly ^Icdmihg Yasser Aiafat during his visit to the country in 1981. This should not have surprised anyone: hone of the major Japanese automobile firms has an agency in Israel even though the major
Aihe^icaht:on>orations arere] JMpiw«^ firms, have similarfy
l^riil^i^^ of any involvementin the Jewish |»t^i^I:1%ey with the
i^^^^^mdjostrial sector in generaL No ^^^ife»^^company has an investment in
tsrael.'" ,--V^:•■"
^5 ^ TtieAJC report points out that while tfeiie
is a direct shipping line from Israel to Japan very few Japanese companies doany business with Israel. What is even more disquieting is that out of 25 prosecutions currently processed under the American Eiq[iort Adtnihistration Act (which prohibits American firms or; those American subsidiaries of foreign firms Arab boycott reguktions) no against Japanese trading companies . ;/
It is obvious that the Japanese; known throughout the world for their aggressivieahd highly successful trading^ polices, have decided, in their collective wisdom, to honor Arab requests to help destroy the state of Israel through economic stangufeition.
Japan remembers nothing and apparently has learned nothing from her descent into political ignominy forty years ago.
blasts Diaspora
cc
91
By AJB, YEHOSHIHA
ZioiiiEaii staited at tfte cod €f tie 19tli oentoiy, not hecaose of fee
The Israeli novelist A.B. Yehoshua has introduced a note of rare, if tnisguided, candor into the discpurse on the aliyah. He did so during a recent tour of lEh^ sponsored jby^ihe Israeli govf^jjiei:^ ^ Aliyah'dispartment aiicfthe^rei^eiaiiblisain^ still being felt. (See PERSPECTIVE:) -
Yehoshua*s contention is'that the Diaspora represents a threat to Israel. He said: "Your life as Diaspora Jews has been totally organized. so that you can protect your identity as Jews.**
"You live for the preservation of your identity because your surroundings are not Jewish. It*s a, waste pf energy, when you could be here and do the real thing and* take part in the great debate in which we are liying.**
Yehpsiiua tors when% ad^ *We d<wi^ ne^ if all of you were to disappear it would be better for us.**
The writer reserved his bitterest broadside for the end of his remarks: **What you have done by remaining in the Diaspora is to give
an option to the Israeli who wants to move from Israel."
Mr; Yehoshua has made a serious error in adopting an adyeris^urMroIei^ linliM^tly on' the a£f^ah issue, ite ^'*al^^ m§M^ the debate.by ,6ii£^gaig,iit^^^^^ thinking. The' Diapsora does not :give an option for Israelis to emi^te: Even if theie were no Diaspora whatsoever, Israelis would still have that option — in the free worid.
It is also less than productive to teU Jews outside of Israel that the preservation of identity is a "waste of ener^.** Sur^.the
maintenance of traditional religious norms, commitment to Jewish peoplehood, belief in providential design atei of value wheth^ ^esl eXei^^ the I>mspbra
^ ■ of the noblest
puri>o^s on not be
encoiiraged by the rancorous intercession of spokesmen like Yehoshua, however pure their intentions are.
mdstoiy of eweiz Yam^ for i»liicii Jews had never ceased to loiQg. Ziooism was oeated as a pc^ikal movemeot out of tbe fiear of the DIaspoia, wliidi for the fiist tune ovocamc tbe fear.^dToetz l^weL
great ctosu&n on Hie one hand, and the extreme Sdciafist movement, the ifund» on the other, opjiosed Zion-ism. ^
The Batfonr Dedaiation issued in 1917 was a moment of grace. Britain was inviting the Jews to establish a homeSand incvm YismeL The world Jewish popnhtion at diat. time tiMaBed ax and a half tmBion—two
wccnlly aired Us views fmOie
YdMxAMa was toanD^ Great at HBM Hosne. Lecils. His RiBailcs
Jewish Chmnicie.
of di« Hiift&'sdvenunent, he addressed an avdlmce are rqninled fnanThe London
A delicate
The Holocaust was the subject of ailei^med discussion the other day at the anniial meeting of the Mpdeii^ liiidigiiiiE^ America. The subj^t was part of a seipdinar on "Teaching the Hok>cai^**anditwas attended by^^any professors^ sonie of whom teach courses on that theine. ' '
Terence des Pres, author of one of the^most graphic studies of Holocaust suffering, told the New Yoric gatheringthat the magnitude of the event demanded a. rational attempt at explanation^ even if none was ever forth-coming.
It was revealed at the Association meetings that there are now 400 coUeges and univer-sities in Ndrth America where courses in. Holocaust literature are being offered.
Discussants went through the unenviable task of trying to identify ^e novels and memoirs from the Holocaust period which are worthy of academic scrutiny at the university level. Their task has been made easier by the appearance of late of scholarly books dealing with the iQost literate expressions otJewish agony.
I^grappling with the propifiety of Holo> caust studies particif^ at tiie conferenoe ^i^^rti^ted Jto sbm^ rather unejqiected Pl^ections. One professor asserted that sujbjectingthe Holocaust to academic study was i^n act of trivializatidn.
These is sometfdog veiy sjpmbc^ in the &ct that Theodw Henl, the creaftnr modem Zitmism, was an assintilatBd — afa&ost oonvcfted — Jew. The margmal Jew^tfaejomnal-' tst, he wats pravidDed by Ac Dieyfus ~ Trial into wamiag the Jews, mga^ them to create their own national movement. Never in his wiltet dreams did he rm»prm nbat wosdd tcal^ faaiqpen to ttan.
Later, ZeVr Jabotiodg^ issoed fimmus waimog: *V yoa do not desferoy the gtda, then the ^ob w3I destroyyoii.*Tte great inijoii^ of the Jewish peqple; however, pcr> st^ed in/^y^o^QgZidnism.
AmM^iosmisnott^I^^ the non-Jews. On tbe connary, the Gent&s have ahsa}ps enoomaged-i&onisni, lHi|»og that it to rldihonci'the Jewsintinrnndst Even today, m a peiveise way, a real and-Semile most he a ZmrosL
Nevertheless, die main oppodtiim. to Sonism came frmn amoi^ the Jews themsehics. For »«»mpif^ the
andja half milfion of v?hom were on tltt move from Easinn Europe to Amieiica. i?
If only fivr percent <if them had come to ovfz Hsiaef in. the: 19^5, .<rar destiny nn^t-have bicen com-pk^differod^With 800.000Jews, we could liave^^sfaUidiedn Jewish State then and itstenstence could have saved conndess Jewish lives in tiie Second World War.
The Bntish cannot be blamed.
Uayd George and others were veiy &vomble towards Zioxiism but ^ they ooold not hold the comitiy for us for ever. Yet the Jev» did not -cmne. Then Britain got involved in the war and it could not fulfil Ziomsn for us. Thb was the £ulure. of tiie Jewish people. SSonism was ri^t, but die Jevrash petqile i^iii^
The final proof diaKJe^ da not want to come to CTcxz Kisr^id^ snoe the esl^lisfament of the State
(Contiaiied on Pkge 8) See: PJERSPECTIVE '
^'Another academic presented the following ' scenario in order to diamatize her opposition to placing Holoca^ist courses on the obU^ curricujum:
: **Iniaginetwo studentssittingintfaecampi^ caf^teria;^ she said;^ *^On&tttr^ otfaor and says "Sorry, gotta nm ~ gcnn*io miss Holocaust." V ^ ^
The professor's point is well taken.
There is no easy answer. To neglect tlie Holocaust in the universityVofferingis would he * inexcusable. Yet in adihitting it as a legitimate discipline for stiidy it becomes jiist another credit* -7
The greatest burden then faUs upon those who teach it; they must wsdk on that tender boundary between reverence and blaspl^nqr.
We ^ynnpathize with tl^eir plight
mmsMY ift MO ML
iwr ywr: us. 1p7js0 pBtymv.