Shift in policy
The decision by the Canadian government to sell Candu nuclear reactors to Egypt marks the reversal of a long-standing policy which refrained from introducing this particuiar form of technology into the Volatile M
East. ■ ■ '
Whiie the nucleir ener^ ihd^ Canada may be facing stiff iore^
tion, the government should be TO slipping into an enactment pf Calvin Gool-idge*s aphorism: *'The business of America is business,"  : '
It is true peaceful relations between Egypt and Israel are progressing. However, enduring stability in that part of the world is by ho means assured. The assassination of Anwar Sadat points to the disruptive forces at work in the region.
At this juncture;, the goveniment may be in
a particularly awkward situation with its trade balance, and conscience giving contradictory messages. The cleat danger is that a short-term boost for the national economy miy rfendep the world a long^erm disservice.
Hiisithie government insisted oh monitoring the disposal of §pent nuclear fuel from the proposed Candu units for Egypt? Are there meaiis to ensure Pakistan does not become recipient of such fuel for the production of an alleged "Islamic bomb'7
A "business as usual" policy is fine for wheat. Projected sales of Candu reactors to Kuwait and Saudi Arabia — recently reported — should be further cause for concern, notwithstanding assurances by authorities in those countries that the use of nuclear energy would be exclusively for "peaceful purposes."
Emanuel Rackman, president of Bar Ilan university, is cntical of the role being-played by the press in creating a distorted picture of the State of Israel.
^ Those distortions, moreover, are fostered by the Jewish press as well, says Rackman. Tlie idea that Israel is continually under siege, that its enemies are at the point of launching full scale hostilities against the country these are notions promoted in .part by incautious reporting. *
This concept of the beleaguered Israel is not helped by the disproportionate amount of copy devoted to arms purchases, security questions, Arab threats and the possibility of a Russian intervention on behalf of their Arab clients.
Says Rabbi Rackman: "I was more concerned about my personal security when I was in theStates than I am in Tel Aviv. That is only one aspect of security . . . I refer to the awful feeling that I have in the Diiaispora that
the people around me — most of my fellow Americans and theit government, which is also mine — would be happier if I did not exist and did not create so many problems fpi-them."
In his comments on the. media, the Bar Ilan president also deplored the tendency among many reporters to paint a picture of an Israel cau^t in near civil war between religious and secular elements. One journalist of Jewish background from TTie New York Times is singled but by Rabbi Rackman as one who is guilty of an exercise of imagination which bears no resemblance to reality.
"What pains me-is that like ma&y artists performers and novelists, (journalists), feel that they are not bound by the rules of morality* A sense of responsibility they hurl to the winds. What moves them is their yearning to create — even if in creating, they
DO AS WE $Ay..
MOT AS we 0O/
offers plea for Sharansky
Strong words from Rabbi Rackman, but they are like a breath of fresh air.
By ESTHER NOBLEMAN
■ Every Soviet activist plays the game of Russian roulette with his life. Each Prisoner of Conscience by his action on behalf of freedom upholds the Judaic principles of justice and righteousness. WJiile our fellow Jews live infear, canhot freely practise their religion, nor freely go to their homeland Israel, can any of us feel free?
Unless Jewish communities protest loudly in the free world, the Soviet Jewish conununity is doomed. This was affirmed by Dr. Israel Singer, executive vice-president of the World Jewish Congress who told the Crisis Meeting on Soviet Jewry in Ottawa last £)ecem-ber that the 3 or more millions of ^ Jews in the USSR and the Baltic
states will virtually disappear as a viable Jewish entity by the end of this century. Citing statistics from the World I^mography conference convened in New York in September,-1981, Dr. Singer stressed that every effort must be mdde to rescue Soviet Jewry. ' .' /,
Throughout hijstbry, Jews have been threatened with annihilation. Only sUoing . gn>^ ^ consciousness can sa\^ lives.' Btut greiater emphasiis must also be placed on individual responsibility. Do we have to be reminded that Jews are responsible for each other?
Anatoly Sharansky's 29 cousins living in Toronto have issued a plea. They want every Canadian to write '
(Continued on Page 8) See: VIEWPOINT
v.vv^.(*.%r«wrcc<i:oco:<>x->x<^wv';^.w,v,-
JWB edit^riai payiiierit 01
Letters represent the writer's persprtal opinion and do not necessarily^ect this newspaper's editorial outlook. Right of reply is open to rect^yinaceuracks and offer comment. Mail to: JWB, 3268 Heather St., VanCouverr VSZIKS,
s case was thin"
Dear Mr; Kaplan:        ; -
With respect to the editorial (/IFB Jan. 21/82) headed f Grim: Precedent,** I wish to express a dissenting opinion.      ■       V;"-"^ ^
The editorial chasti^ aiitlibrities for having opted for exj^iency in making the deal wth'^ analogy is drawn frbin uer ex^r-ience in treating with ihterniltib terrorists. Hpwvcr Tthe anMb^ is ■ •upeificia! and inapj^^
Terrorists do not bffeir to inake deals which will result in their own incarceration. They do not make deals after the fact biit rather threaten to commit further criminal acts if their demands are hot met: So -far as I am aware, Olson didnot offer . to cease committing murde^ if he: received payment of money. '
In any event, since the ^editorial alluded to Israel's policy in this regard, even Isittel has been pfe^ pared to make deals to frte hostages when circumstances so indicated: viz. the deal to free the iwo Israelis held by Syria after the PLO tiijacked an El Al plane and forced it to land at Damascu;s (the same plane in which Dr. Robert Krell was a passenger). -Prisoners in Israeli jails were're^ leased in exchange after niariy months. Different situations demand different responses.
What is more important is to put the Olson deal into proper perspective. Olson held no hostages for - ransom. What he did do was ensure his own conviction upon payment of the money; Unless the editorialist is prtvy to infonhattiohno^ the gederal publicf itr Would appeal' that without Olsph*^ admissions the Crbwn'^ case was thin in' the-■extremei.^-^ ■■/.■::->:v:^ ; r':-'- r-^ > There was no direct ^dencc to link him to any of the murders at all and only some evidente ta link him in any way to one of the victims (certainly atfter the deal and after he lead the police to the bodies other eviden[6e develoj[>ed).
What then-were-the alternatives?' A charge of Manslaughter based on rather flimdy circumstantial evi-dehcewith doubtful re^t^ of atrial at best a^ opposed to the certainty of -conviction'for- murdei' in the first degree. • -"^-^' \
It; is true that there may well have been bungling, as the' editorial alleges^^in handling. Olson over the years. It is unlikely that the police themseivesmerit the criticism.
As' has" been* pointed out in an excellent summary by Moira'Farrdw (The Vanidiiyfer Sun, Jan: 22/82) in this case the police acted with alacrity . and insight.; It took the
British police five years to make an arrest in the Yorkshire Ripper case. In Atlanta, Ga.f it took 28 murders and 22 months before anyone was charged.
In this case, thirteen days after two deaths and several missing children, with nothing to indicate a connec-tion^ were turn^jover to a coordinated Ihv^esUgative^^u whether thjei^iv^ Olson Was^'uhderim
This ddes/not strike me as bung^ lihg^brin^ffidem^^ To describe^H^ displays a Inarked, lack of understanding of the problems and difficulties facing the poUce in tying together these seemingly unrelated • incidents. '\ ^■ - ■
Jn short, while there is certainly much to criticize in the parole system which seems to be so concerned \«^th the brimihal that it-loses sight of the intereists of sdciety, the police authorities are not responsible and indeed are ampngst .the most but-. spbkehicnticsT; of the Attornfeyltjener^^ has c»alled this {t uiiique case which will set to precedent.! accept what he says. Unique Situations requirellini-que responses. Aftei^alli rules are for the blind bl>edience of fools ^nd for ' the guidance of wise men.
IRVINE E. EPSTEIN
Young Israeli Gomppser requests cultural
Dear Mr. Kaplan:
I have much pleasure in passing.on to you the name of a very gifted, young Israeli composer, Yigal Beh Zwie. •
Mr. Ben Zwie would Uke to establish contacts With Jewish cultural groups, including those responsible for the **L'€haim- program on Cable 10, in order to send
them his compositions for performance.!
He would also like to establish contacts-between young Israeli com-posers'/and Canadians interested in .Chassidic culture and-tradition;
pk. W. K^^T SAMUEL '    ;  ^ WAlJtERmiNElt . North Vancouver
DEADLINE: THURSDAY at 9:60 a.m.
m
BullQtin Office: 879-^75 Waekdays 8:30 a:m. to 4:30 p m , Closed Saturdays. Jewish and legal hotidays
JWB Copy Box at Jewish Commonlty Centre .    Cleared once a week at deadline
JWB Office Mail Slot for after-houf dropK>ffs
ui!!*wH*t^"' ''^ Association.
Worid Federation of Jewish Journalists. B C Ethnic^
Shnic fress Federation of Canada. ■ . , ,
fSrr\"JTA. JONS. Israel Sun Photos Religious News Service Photos,
AWARDS: Qovernnrant of Israel Award of ExcWIence 196ft Smolar AwaS^Uh« 1974 SmolarA%»ardVyinner.l979:; .
' Second Class Mail flegistration No 1384^
- SubtcflpUont: Canada $23.50 per year: U.S. $25.50 per V6ii•'^;0ther couhtrWaC $27.50 per Vmh Foreign airmail ritps on request. :
Copy; must be tobihitled :by'dciadiine."lyped double-spiMed. orione sjde of papmr.. Copy typed in jcapital'letters'is'discarded. T?tere-^ a cfiarge Tor photOTeproduct^n     ,. ^
tWwjIiiMM; Corfespondence ,w#lcoined on matters of Jewish intisresT t>uf Ttie Builefin isi not r^sponsilHs tor(Unsdti<At<£d I^Uidty. numttcripts. andpftotos ,   '   ^,
The>^Bbllet)i» tesumeS'-fk> raJpdIisilMity for opinions «xpra»9«d Jn 9i(&^^ by -dontrilHitino writer^or in Letted to tfie Eiiitor. At the iMmti tim? its 7:olunin» weiOpen<t&'(infaTtfirif'vieiii%!«s ^ «»to relHit or. rectify inAcctirpcies jii. democratic free expression. This newsp«per also'r«Mrve»th6 right •n its soie,H}iS(^tioo to «;a«t:Mirt«m<r/c>rfeaW and/dr' letters and/or a^vwtising %ytiich it deems objectiortable,       'T^-r-.^.^i     *4 ,
price printed Sftfd^^^^^^
V