Poge Two
JENVISHWE STERN BULLETIN
Fridoy, December \0, 1.954
The Editor's View
Letter to Blair Fras^r
and
MacLeans Magazine
by A. J. Arnold
IN your article entitled: "Does Israel Want to Start a War?" in MacLean's Magazine for December 1, you have distilled pares of truth and half-truth and compounded them into a major falsehood.
; By telling only part of the story about Isiael's role in the Middle £ast and emphasizing the negative aspects you have contrived by implication an affirmative answer to the
^ question raised in the title. Moreover your editors have obviously cooperated with yon
, to this end by featuring a-picture of an Arab woman holding''•evidence" of Israeli violence'
• aiid by anti-Israel captions and subheads.
In writing of border violence^ you play up only Israel's part in this bad business, implying that all Israelis who join in border retaliation 'are full-fledged army members while those from the Arab side are "irregulars." You base yourself solely on the views of Jordan and "neutral" observers. In your investigation of the Israel-Arab border ^ situation you were probably not told that about a year ago, John Glubb Pasha, commander of the Jordan Arab Legion, admitted that the Israelis were provoked into the . most deplorable Kibya incident of last fall, which raised the border < incidents to a new level of violence You can hardly miss learning now however, that in the .moist recent Jordan-Israel inddent, both UN and Jordan observers conceded that members of the* Jordan Arab Legion, the regular army, had raided Israel territory and suffered the consequences.
YOUR MAIN ARGUMENT to show that Israel wants a war is her alleged inability to cope with her own "hotheads." We'll come back to the matter of hotheads. You should certainly be prepared to admit however that you have dismissed rather lightly the avowed intention of Arab leaders to "tlrive Israel into the sea," Your tongu^in-cheek conclusion is: *ntbey^ve said it so often in the past 30 years tb^ by now iifs automatic."
Have you forgotten that the Arabs did make a major effort to drive the Israelis into the sea little more than five years ago; that the Arab states are still officially at war with Israel. Are yon completely unaware that the Arab Joint Defense Treaty ratified at the end of 1952 by each oi the Arab'' parliaments, won assent only on the assurance that its purpose was a second round against Israel.
Consider what the Syrian Official Gazette had to say on November 29, 1951 in reporting the debate on the then proposed treaty: ". . . This pact is in no way designed to influence the Arab states to join, in accordance with Arab interests, the Western t>r. Eastern camp. The chief purpose of this pact is to present a strong and united front against the Zionist aggression which disregards internatiomd law and tradition."
And in Iraq, the Prime Minister declared in May, 1951, according to Al Misri:
•'Tfte collective security pact is designed to serve as a shield against the Zionist peril.
and not against tmy other 4bm$ger"
Moreover less dian a i^ar tiso 4ie new ^Ktng of Saudi Arabia made his iiamoas declaration that he would be prepared to sacrifice 10 million Arab litres if neioessary in an effort to wipe out idie Jewish state. /
WHAT ABOUT THE ARAB BLOCKADE of the Jewish state and the ^seizure of Israeli
. ships in the Suez CanaL Is ihe defiance of the UN resolutions on free pfusage in the Suez Canai maintained by JB^pti§n "irre^i-ulars" or by the government of that country? Is the insistent refusal to make peace with Israel the work of the downtrodden Arab
^peopl^ or of the Arab governments.
' In your analysis of Israel's economic situation you reach the height of self-contradiction. Israel doesn't need bond investments, yon seem to be saying^ but she can't get along forever on gift dollars. We have had no opportunity to study at first hand whedier Israeli bond investments are actually doing t|i6 job for which intended. We do agree however that the gift dollar era must be brought to an end. -
It's probably true that sonie Jewish leaders pUy up the violence on the border to help the gift dollar campaigns. . ♦ '■*■.♦
OUR OWN PREFERENCE, which we have stated before, is to emphasize the fact that the advantages of opening full political, and economic relations with the Arab states would immeasurably offeet any reasonable compromise that Israel might make in order to achieve lasting peace with her Arab neighbors. The achievement of normal relations with all the Arab states would undoubtedly be a major i^ctor in ending the gift dollar era in Israel.
You imply that Israel does not. consider cdndliatory atdtud.e to be worthwhile. The &ct is however, that ihe Israel government has offered to pay compensation to the displaced Palestine Arabs. And most recently Israel also offered to sign non-aggression pacts with the Arab states as part of the
general peace treaties that «re long ««er-
Desp^ «U of iscaei's «(fforts to date to achieve peac^ with the Arab states we are not y«t prepered to say dut she hia done «verydiing possible. The Israel governjment could probably still do more towards this end. . u ■ .
However since yon are so\gready con-ceniJed^ with the curbing of hothead^' why Slot teksi« look at die hotWds on the dtjbier side; and why not point out who is •ponsible for fiftiling to curb thiase hotfaiea^
If yon did not get Arab repiaeiketitatives confnsed with neutral observers you would undoubtedly have discovered that the worst Arab hotheads are to Be found in the top ranks of Arab governments. And tho^ who are direcdy responsible for the failure to curb diese hotheads in their evU intent towards Israel^ are the powers that are shipping arms to the Arab governments.
You rely on unhained "neutrsd obs»^^ Mr. Eraser. We prefer to caU upon a' group of observers who are not afraid to stond up and be counted publicly oo the side of peace, justice and foir play in the Middle-East.
A group of 20 distinguished American citizens recently presented a documented -series of propo^ds for security in the Mid-dle-JEasj: to United States President Dwight D. Eisenhower. These proposals were based on the contention that ^'Arms now to die Arab states may spur disaster."
♦ . * , •
"SECURITY AND THE MIDDLE EAST" the document published by his group of leaditng Americans* points out that "under present conditions no Arab state, no matter how extensively armed by the United States, is able to fight a defensive war against outside aggression, lacking, as they all do, men, trMning, combat experience, esprit de corps, or any sense of a cause to fight for. «
*The new arms agreements feed only the AMOUR-PROPRE of the Arab govemmeMs. Their immediate effect is to prmnote an (Continued on Page 8)
lETTERS
The "Bulfotin" welcomes all letters to the Editor. In order to be considered for pablieotlen everr letter must Include the full nome and address of the correspondent. A "nom^e-plume" will be substituted for the nome on request. Signed letters or articles do not necessarily re|>resent the views of the ''BulleHn'' or the Jewish Community CounciL
CHARITY BEGINS AT HOME
The Editor:
The subject of a New Jewish Community Centre has been cropping up in ; Vancouver for many years. In the 80's there was little money in the. communily for such a venture—^In the 40's the war was on—^The early; 50's brought the birth of Israel, and the greatest wave of Zionist sympathy, unsurpassed in our history. In a few weeks tlie calendar will read "January 1955!" —and still no sight, not even serious thought, to an athletic and cultural Centre where we and our children can build strong minds >and bodies.
In my books "Charity Begins
at Home.'* Oat children, the -future lead^ of the community •must be given these oippprtuni-ties NOW—a place to swim—Organized athletics, and a Centre to bring their friends, no matter their nationality,* to foster the relationship we often refer to as "Brotherhood Between Christians and Jews."
Between the "Battle of the Synagogues" and the "United Jewish Appeal," the Community TAXES, have done very little for our youth other than spiritual guidance! Why, oh why overload our Community, finances
each year with p^tside projects when the funds are needed so-badly, here at home!
Has honest criticism in- this country become "Taboo?" Why can't we raise ow ^voices agains
funds? ■ ■ -; ■■'.^
Out of UJA funds, 15 percen goes toward local community projects, and 35 percent goes to Israel . : . YES, and they need every penny of it! BUT, it's no good Jbusiness to I5urden the Commimity with further drives for funds for local organizations and projects, that require our IMMEDIATE ATTENTION! We have reached a SATURATION POINT, there just aren't enough people in our snwdl community to raise more money. Eilher a GREATER proportion of UJA funds he left here or the Community reduce their UJA pledge, and give the balance to Youth Centre—Hebrew Schools — and dozens of other local projects going wantum for lack of funds.
VAL WARREN. * * *
REPI>Y TO VAL WARREN
Dear Mr. Arnold:
Thank you for giving me the opportunity of replying to Mr. Warren's impassioned letter on Charity Begins At Home. It is he fundamental right of any person to express an opinion, and m our community the proper means for that expression is :hrough the medium of the Bul-etin. But with that. right also comes the responsibility of acquainting oneself wilii basic facts and principles before going off the deep end, especially on this
THE JEWISH WESTERN BULLETIN
* Published Weekly Every Fridoy ot 2675 Ook Street
ABRAHAM J. ARNOLD.............................................. Publisher ond Editor
BERTHA ARNOLD........................................... AdverHsing ond Circulation
Official Organ of the Jewish Community Council of Vancouver
DR. J. V. WHITE.................................................. ............... President
DR. S. MARGOLESE.................................................. PublicoHon Choirmon
LOUIS ZIMMERMAN .......................................'.-^......... Executive Director
PHONES: Bulletin Office, BA. 3125; Evenings, BA. 3098 Community Centre Office, CE. 1168
DEADLINE FOR LOCAL NEWS — MONDAY, 5 P.M.
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—^_.-i_^_
Voncouver, B.C., Friday, December 10, 1954
subject, with which Mr. Warren is obviously completely iinin formed.
This letter implies that several facets of organi?ati(mal commun
ing ciiri*iea. out because of "tfie imfair aU6:tment of ■ IWA funds." It'States that th^re',is a battle of th<e ^ synagogues/ t^^ there is a battle of^or TKdtiWn, the W whatever that means. It implies that our children are being neglected because riot enough is being set aside by those "Selfish leaders of the UJA." It, also states that ?*no serious though has been given to the building and establishing of a youth centre" and implies that ttie reason for this is because of the opposition of, influential people who do not wish this project and would rather send all funds overseas.
Mr. Warren has, out of thin air, determined categorically that saturation point in our small community has been reached. He suggests that "ail these things that are so badly needed and are not forthcoming would materialize like magic once the UJA loosened the purse strings and "gave" more money to "community tasks."
It should be understood that the UJA is not a welfare fund— and indeed in many communities m American and Canada where th«re are welfare funds, the UJA s part of that welfare fund. But m our community wjb do not have a welfare fund.
The UJA is fundamentally and solely an overseas appeal supplying the needs of United Israel Appeal, the Joint Distribution Committee and the work in Canada of the Zionist Organization and the Canadian Jewish Congress.
In our community the leaders of the UJA have long understood he importance of maintaining basic local institutions and because of that.have entered into agreements with these local institutions for 6 percentage allotment of the total overall funds. This percentage compares very 'avourably, and in fact-exceeds percentage wise, that allotted in
most other American communities.
The UJA does not "give" funds to local institutions - as a gesture of goodwill. It does not give because it has no funds to give, an^ all funds raised on behalf of UJA are raised on the badis of UIA, JDC, and the Work of CJC as being completely representative pf Canadiatt'Jewry.
It is conipletely untrue that no serious thought has been given to a Community Centre. Any casual conversation with Com mumty Council leaders will show that those who have put time and effort and thought into this project are by and large the same people who are fimdamentally interested in the success of UJA because they realize that the important thing is the overall maintenance and perpetuation of Jewish life. Whether we like it or not we are still our broker's keeper and are responsible one to another regardless of where we might be. It is completely erroneous that no centre has materialized because of the UJA and there is no commimity leader that I know of that can or woidd say otherwise.
For. public information—and don't believe this is generally mown—in the community of Vancouver, Jewish institutions and Jewish projects cost this community locally over $200,000 per year. I will be glad to supply a breakdown on request.
Out of tile funds that will leave our comimunity this year, $40,000 approximately will. go to the Canadian Jewisdi Congress and at east 50 percent of this will be spent for Canadian communal activities, for. > ^migrants, and for stren^eriing of Jewish life n Canada. Approximately $80,-000 <rf the same funds will go to the United Israel Appeal, most of it for transmission to Israel. The facts show that we spend much more on our local institu-lons and services—the schools, the synagogues, the youth programs, the Centre, the Jewish V^elfare Bureau, and the Home 'or the Aged—than we send to :srael.
I am not aware of any battle
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Of the sjmagogues. I am, furthermore, not aware of an^ biattie pertaining to the UJA—imless it be that men and women of integrity and honesty participating in the UJA are constantly bathing as to Xhe best way of raising funds and to allocate them so that they would be of most benefit to Jewry at large.
In closing I think it bnly right to say that community finances are not being raped^ that honest criticism is riot taboo, that a saturation point has not been reached and that I am not aware of any suffering that our "neglected" children are experiencing. True, there is room for improvements.
However the raising of funds for x)verseas has not prevented this community from erecting two new synagogues and a Talmud Torah and purchasing a funeral home, all since the war. Nor has it stopped those interested in golf from establishing a fine golf club. A proper Com-
mimity Centre-is needed and will be forthcoming in, I hope, the very near futiure. It is also true hat the Vancouver Jewish Community will recognize its responsibilities locally and to their brethren overseas and will not be found wanting—btit they will not make the error, as Mr. Warren has, of playing one against the other.
DR. S. M/CRGOLESE.
Come to the Foir!
PIONEER WOMEN'S BAZAAR
December 12