4
2-THE BULLETjN-Thursday, November 17,1977
Editor's Note: During his visit to the United States, Prime Minister Menachem Begm of Israel pledged that Israel Would guarantee the safety of Christian villagers in LebaUon against attack by PLOte^
story by a correspondent 1^ pUght of.
beleaguered and outnumbered Christians in Southern Lebanon and telSs how Israel is providing ChrisUan refugees with water, medical assistance, fuel, foOd ahd jobs as well as physical protection.
METULIA, Israel — The comely waitress in the Arazim Hotel here in Israel's northernmost town has dark hair, dark eyes and clasac Semitic features, very much like the Sephardic Israeli girls of Spanish and Portuguese descent.
Biit Jacqueline Hajj, 22, is a Marbnit^ Christian from Lebanon who has been working and liying here most of the time for ^the last six mibnths
Jacqueline's commuting visits across ilie once-sealed border reflect the relationship that has developed between Israel and the Christian enclave in southern Lebanon smce. the dvil war in Lebanon.
The enclave actually is made tip of three separate areas along the northern 'Israeli border, comprising about 22,000 Christians and 10,000 Moslems who are seeking to avoid Palestinian domination.
Since the enclaves are virtually cut off from the Christian heartland around Beirut, they have turned to Israel for help. Israel has respon(ted.with its so-called "good fence" policy — opening the border gates in three locations to the Lebanese.
"WE HAVE FOUND that it is the IsraeUs who are our friends," Jacqueline said as she served a visitor a cup of sweet Turkish coffee. "It is the Palestinians who are ^t^ to kill us. I feel much safer here in MetUlla than in my home in Klea, across the border."
Jacqueline taught at an American nur^ry ^hod in Beirut, but fled the capital during last year'scivil war to stay with her mother in Klea. When the random shootuig began again there, she decided to spend the nights at the hotel in Metulla where she woiks.
Seversd Lebanese have again been killed and many more wounded in new exchanges of rifleV and artillery fire. The wounded are quickly admitted into Israel, where they are treated at the camp here, surrounded by a peach orchard, and then helicoptered to bigger hospitals in Haifa.
In the year-and-a-half the good fence jpolicy has existed, the Christian enclaves have come to depend (Hi Israel for water, which was cut ofif by the Palestinians, as well as medical aid, fuel, food and jobs. Hundreds of Lebanese now work daily in Israel in factories, on farms or construction jobs. Farmers in the enclave send their tobacco and other crops to Israeli markets.
THE LEBANESE woricing in Israel line up their cars along the border fence. They cross the border oil foot and can then use other Lebanese cars with special Israeli license plates to drive deeper into Israel, if given permissi<m. Where the border had been sealed for 29 years, Lebanese women now line up outside a water pipe outlet^ filling large tins with water and then trudge back to their villages, the cans perched oh their heads.
The Israeli officials and Lebanese crossing tl^ borcter stress the hum^itariaii nature of the aid, tetlpreign observers say that the aid includes militaiy hai^ware as well, mostly sufms and ami^
The commander of the Lebanese forces in the Christian enclaves is Maj. Saad Haddad, 39 j who dresses in regulation Lebanese army fatigues but carries the latest Israeli-made Galil assault rifle.
Based <m Klea; Haddad crosses the border several times a^w to sui^rvise the Lebanese d>niin^^ Israel £Uid to ccmfer with I^rkeli officials. He is ^drutently anti-Palestinian and, like the Israelis,^ refers to them as "the terrorists."
"The terrorists are trymg to wipe us out," he said on a recent trip to the Metulla good fence camp. "We are the legally constituted authority in Lebanon, and as such we don't shobtfirst at the terrorists. We observe them and know their poisitions. But from time to time, they begin shiootihg at us with artillery or missiles. So we have to return their fire. But we do not initiate^ inilitary operations against them.
**THEIR AIM remains to rub out those villages in the south #iich have remained Lebanese,'' the major said. "They want to d^trqy our villages and become the lords of thesouth,"
But niost observers believe the Israelis would not allow the Christian Lebanese in the eiKlave to be slaughtered, even though the Israelis are not aiixious to get involved i^ Lebanese civil ;wair. "':[■'-':
"This is a ver^ deUci^tie sihiatioi^^^ ^id biie senior Israeli official. "It is to our advantage to keep a buffer zone bjetwieeii us and eitiier the Palestinians or Syrians in Lebarion.*'
"The Syrians don't, really want to come down to our border because they know that means trouble. For the tiihe being, it suits the Palestinians and Syrians not to move in force against the Christian Enclave because they xion't want a confroidaticm^ ■ chai^."' '■■:s--:^^^^
The Lebanese in the endave are getting an unexpected opportunity to visit relatives in Israel. Most of the Christian villages on both sides of the bordeir were Maronite with many interrelated families arbitrarily separated into Lebanon or Palestiine when the Ottoman empire boundaries were redrawn after World War i;: /
During the 194&49 war for Independence, the Israeli border with Lebanon was sealed and the Christian clans were forced to remain apart. Now they are able to revisit one another.
Of the unusual situation along the Lebanese border, one Israeli official summed up: "We are serious about protecting the Christian enclave. We know what it means to be surrounded by a sea of Moslems."
"The new premier, Menachem Begin, said during his campaign that Israel had a moral obligation to pi*ptect the Christians in the enclaves in south Lebanon. I think that • statement speaks for itself.''
"TliiiSi whote^^^^ Christians evolved is a But tem^
porary ixieasiii^ East have a
way of becbmihg ^rmatient."
m@r iettlemeiits mm
JERUSALEM — A prominent American Jewish leader has warned that in a dispute with the U.S. over Bank settlements, Israd may not be able to count oh total and whcdehearted American Jewish support.
Speakii^ in a television interview, Rabbi Arthur Hertzberg, president of the American Jewish.
Congress, said that most US. Jews would probably stand by Israel, but in their own hearts they would be divided.
"<»ficially, the Jewish community would stand with Israd . . ; but I can't say that ail U:S. Jews wodd publicly oppose President Carter on this issue," Hertzbeig excdained,
If, on the other hand, a showdov/n developed between Israd and the U.S. over the PLO issue, Israel could then count on the wholehearted and unstinting support of "(Mie hundred percent" of U.S. Jewry, -both publidy and privately, Hertzberg said.
[Jerusalem Post]
(Reprinted courtesy Jerusalem Post)
U)I66 Sdouoir
-W€ SOCSTOF
OP C«A*j5€/ of -n8Al>€7/
LEmRS TO THE EDITOR
JEWISH CALENDAR LUACH 5738-1977
SEEKS PEN PAL
Dear Mr; Kaplan:
rm looking for a pen pal who came from Germany. I'm 1^-years-old. If interested write to me at: 25128 Appleton, Farmmgton, Midugan 48018.
MindyFreedman.
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Temple Sbolom Ladies'
Plate Dinner Nov. 23
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Doimrb^ner Dec. 5 Talmud Torah
Plate Dinner . Dec. 8
YouthAUyah Camp^gn Dec..l4 to
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Social Calendar
Jewish Heritage theatre Nov. 16,17,19
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Poetry Reading r jGZF/JCC ^ Nov. 20
B'naiB'rith Bingo Nov. 22
CJC T Rabbi Dr. G. Plaut QpenMeet Nov. 22
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Golden Agers - Bessie Diamond Reception Nov. 28
B'naiB'rith Bingo Nov^29 Institute of.
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