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The Canadian Jewish News, Friday, March 24, 1978 - Page 5
Opinion
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By NECHEMIA MEYERS REHOVOT —
Israel's established political structure is crumbling.
No longer do Knesset members bliiidly follow the policies laid down by their party. Instead they think for themselves, often joining together with representatives of other parties to promote a particular cause, which may or may not be favored by their own party.
This undoubtedly sounds perfectly natural in countries where legislators have always maintained their independence. But
in Israel this is a revolutionary development, all the more amazing because of the fact that Knesset m^bers arc elected on a national ticket and do not represent particular districts. -— —
The breakdown of old frameworks in the foreign policy sphere has been accelerated,^ by the Sadat visit, which forced doves and hawks alike to re-examine their traditional attitudes and alliances.
As a result. Defence Minister Ezer Weiz-man. not so long ago a spokesman for the Likud's "don't-give-back-an-inch policy", has incongruously emerged as a violent adversary of the Gush Emunim settlers and as a darling of the doves. And. in addition, he ' is now in constant conflict with another influential member of his own party. Agriculture Minister Ariel Sharon, who wants to continue the establishment of settlements on the West Bank and in the Sinai regardless of their effect on peace negotiations.
A bewildering mixture of doves and hawks is also found in the opposition Labor Alignment, with some members." among them Golda Meir. criticizing the Begin government for offering unduly generous
LETiERS TO THE EDITOR
Israeli reader defends West Bank settlements
Dear Editor:
World opinion has greatly been affected by Anwar Sadat's manipulation of the settlements issue. By stressing thcfactthat the settlements stand in the way of peace because they are illegal and built on Arab land, Sadat "proves" that Israel prefers land to peace.
The giving up of the settlements is the giving up of security, and the giving in to the idea that the settlements are illegal is to fundamentally deny the legality of the Jewish right to return to their homeland and rebuild their nation.
Meanwhile, Jimmy Carter's move in support of Sadat's policy on the settlements issue has made the peace process more difficult — for Sadat must feel less and less inclined to give and take with Israel in negotiations, in direct proportion to America's changeover from "go-between messenger" to that of a third party with its own state preferences. ' '
The more the Americans take an open position and pressure Israel, then obviously the less the need for Sadat to negotiate. Carter's support of Bcgin's plan, including as it does the ques.tion of the West Bank and Gaza, seems to have been forgotten, especially by Carter himself.
At this point, many people believe that, notice should be served that the Arabs will have to show greater flexibility on the issue of land. Sadat cannot expect Israel to agree that East Jerusalem will be separated from Jews again. As for the Golan. Sadat cannot sign a proxy agreement on behalf of Syria. Without a solid peace, it is preferable not to have the Syrians any closer, than they presently are. ;
As for the West Bank; Israel will have to continue a defence posture there. Ati independent Palestinian state would be a loaded and cocked gun at Israel's head. From here, conventional artillery could flatten Jerusalem and Netanyaahd even hit Tel Aviv and Haifa. From here, aw»»ured
columns could easily slice through Israel at two or three points, especially in the Netanya area, which is only 15 kilometres from the West Bank. Here, no matter how heavily opposed, the very momentum of an armored thrust would cut Israel in half.
Sadat also expects that in the withdrawal or limitation of forces in the south, the two armies should be equidistant from the international border. Does he expect Israel to have its positions on the doorstep of Beersheba while those of Egypt are 300 kms. from Suez?
Israel will give a lot. She already has. But she can't and won't give all. The Egyptians will have to realize that if they truly want peace'in our time.
Zvl Wolfowlcz, Netanya, Israel
Hp's surprised
Dear Editor:
In your issue of Feb. 24. 1 noticed the caption under the picture of a rock formation in Israel stated that "The winds and rains of tens of thousands of years eroded this rock formation."
I was very surprised to see such a statement in a Jewish newspaper. We as Jews believe that G-d created the world 5.738 years ago, with all creatures full grown. Adam was crcat.ed Hke a man of 20 years of age; trees were created full grown, and such rock formation was created as we see it today.
Atheists and others theorize that everything happened only through the passage of time, therefore such.a rock formation could only happen through the erosion of water on the rocks, and by pure chance. As Jews", we do not accept such theories.
I hope in the future you will be more careful with your statements.'
R.Sputz, Montreal
, not party V
concessions to Sadat, and others attacking the government for not being fortlicoming enough.
Less evident to the outside world are the multi-party lobbies that deal with other issues, like the one concerned with the status and needs of Oriental Jews. The members of that.lobby, for example, have launched a united attack against Finance Minister Simcha Erlich forfailing to provide more money for public housing, child-care centres and other social welfare measures of particular interest to Oriental Jews, who tend to occupy the lower rungs of Israel's socio-economic ladder.
This behavior has evoked charges of disloyalty against the members of Eriich's party who are involved, "tiut they are far from contrite. On the contrary, in the words of Likud MK Moshe Katzav, they plan to continue acting as "representatives of the public rather than of their party."
The lobby of Oriental Jewish MKs demands that members of their community enjoy not only greater material benefits, but also that they be given a more significant . role in the decision-making process.
This would require, among other things, a change in the composition of the Knesset, which hardly reflects the fact that Oriental Jews make up half of Israel's Jewish population.
So far, however, the trend has been in just the opposite direction, as Oriental Jews hold barely 20% of the seats in this Knesset, in contrast to 25 to 30% of the seats in the previous Knessets.
The feminist lobby also complains of under-representation, and with greater justification, since at present the ladies occupy only 7% of the seats in Israel's legislature. Nevertheless, they manage to make their voices heard on such issues as tax relief for working mothers, stiffer measures against rape'and'more liberal abortion laws.
Other across-party-lines lobbies regularly champion the interests of farmers, Arabs and Druze, while ad-hoc groupings are created from time to time in response to a special problem.
Party bosses bemoan the existence of such lobbies, which undermine party discipline and make political life much more unpredictable. But they are clearly here to stav.
Dear Editor:
These lines are being written in response to the article titled "Secular influence doomed ultra-Orthodox sisters" which appeared in your paper Feb. 24.
The author of the article obviously seized the tragic accident of the two girls and used it as a means to express his personal dislike . for Orthodox Jewry. He tried his best to paint a negative picture "of their distinctive lifestyle ..." which, according to him. abounds with tension. ■
Mr: Meyers also outdid himself in his attempt to create an impression by way of sarcastic ^ remarks regarding "theij rabbis...and the saying. of Shma Yisrael prayer..." He then proceeded >^'ith the too well-familiar, smart-alec tactics of "mo-dern"-minded Jews, to draw his own conclusions about "their..." (refeffing to'the
AT LAST
1 Soviet mathematician Grigory Chudnovsky [left foreground] arrived in New York recently with his brother David [left], Nuda =
H Chmukh, his professor, and his mother, MaJka. Chudncivsky and his brother will assume research positions at Columbia University. =
i The scholar's arrival in the United States followed a world-wide campaign by Western scientists to allow him to leave, s
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LETmns TCf THE EDITOR
posed own bias in article'
Orthodox community in that rnanner throughout the article) "hermetically sealed world." In his eagerness to derrogate the Orthodox community of Sanz, however, Mr.. Meyers did not realize that he exposed his own bias. For one thing, many of his statements are ordinary inventions of a prejudiced disposition without any substance . of truth. He obviously never took the trouble to.,measure the degree of tension in an Orthodox community and compare the findings with that of a "free" environment where restrictions are practically non-existent. ■
He. also badly erred in thinking that "they" turn jo psychologists artd/or tranquilizers as,a substitute for prayers .(or rabbis for that matter). People like Mr. Meyers \souId be well advised'to familiarize themselves a little better wuh their own.
too
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ByJ.B.SALSBERG
Jews, we often hear, are a very emotional people. But I would question the validity of so broad'and generalized a characj^erization of us as individuals or as a people..
I'm rdther iiiclined to believe that th^. emotional norm of any Jewish community =1- and of the individual within it — must be strongly affected by the social, cultural and political atmosphere of the country in \vhich such a community is located. If mybelief is sound then it must be concluded that the emotional norms of Jewish communities cannot but vary considerably from place to place.
However, having said that, I'm quite ready to concede that Jews, as a people, do react emotionally in at least one yitaj aspect of our collective existence. If is the occasion when we feel that our spiritual or physical survival is threatened. On such awesome occasions we do react with an emotional instinctive-
. ness that is typically Jewish.'
Theoretically, it can be suggested that other peoples, when facing similar threats, would react in the same manner.. But few nations or peoples on the world scene today have experienced such threats and dangers so often and for so long as have the .Jewish people. As a result we seem to have the most sensi-^^t-ive survival alarm system in oUr. collective consciousness.
When thie alarm system sends out its danger signals, all our emotionis are aroused and the memorialcandles over our countless mass graves of the past : come to light with their grim reminders.
The past week has provided a classi-„,;,cal example of that age-long national—" pattei:n of our emotional sensitivity and . reaction. ' ;
From the moment of the PLO's murderous assauh on innocent civilians on the-Haifa-TelAviy. highway last Satur: day until this moment of writing (Thursday, March 16), countless Jews . around the world became almost completely enveloped by the traumatic de-|Velopments on the borders of Israel. ;
Thrtughout the days and nights that ; followed the brutal PLO attack and the resultant border-crossing of Israel's defence forces, we became riveted to the radio, to TV newscasts aiid to the latest . newspaper editions. We became completely involved emotionally in the latest of Israel's bitter trials.
I suppose that niost of lis went about our daily routiiies but neither the heart 11;^ nor the mind was really in it. At all hpurs~^> and in all places people asked people for
"the latest news." A busy business executive, waiting for the elevator, was made aware that it is five minutes to four and he returncdto his office to"get the four, o'clock newscast," ' Anxious people tied up the telephone lines to Israel in their eagernessao express' solidarity with their.friends and relatives (often their own children who' , serve in the Israel Defence Forces).
Almost every meeting of Jewish groups here forwarded messiages to the governmentandalfmed forces of Israel. (This is done even by groups who, while accepting the necessity of the latest military action, believe, nevertheless, that the long-term solution lies in other ■directions.) ' . -—■-. ■
And a family j know well telephoned to ask what 1 thought of the situatioii, because they were leaving the next morningtp celebrate the Bar Mitzva of a grandchild in. Israel. 'They left, 'as scheduled. .
And; that is why ah emotionally engulfed columnist-spent agonizing hours in the fruitless effort to write on pre-.selected topics for thij issue of the paper. He realized that he could not direct his pen. It insisted on writing about the current military and political events in Israel. But how could one write about such a rapidly changing, dynamic happening if what he wrote would hot reach the readers before another week when everything might,be diifferent?
But as the columnist agonized, began -and dropped one topic after another be-causeJof their mbmentary irrelevance, the telephone rang late last evening. The"
: caller, wholikestb refer to himself as an. "old timer" and one who somehow
. manages to read this colunni in print before the writer usually does, wanted to know what his columnist thought of the .
. situation; He- wanted reassurance that all will be.wcll. He is no youngster; he is a Canadian; veteran of the anti-Hitler war; hte knows the ways of old Spadina as wellas any man.' But he is worried.
1 assured him that all will be well. But he surprised me with a most unexpected question. Why, he asked, was he so emotionally involved in Israel's .current struggle? "Why," he- asked, "did .1 breakdown and cry my heart out today when] saw the picturesoin the.paipers of those yisraeli kids driving off to war again?"
He begain to ask how m'any times those Israeli boys will have to fight and die for-Israel's.right to live. But his emotions ■got the betier.of him and he began to weep with the teiephonv in his hands...
I did what 1 could to. console and to reassure him — an aging man who. I'm . sure, didn't cry when fighting against Hitler but who can never forget the Holo-caijst and is. therefore, unable to stop crying now if Israel is threatened. . ,
He,;this column's loyal reader, got it off his chest with his telephone call to me last night. Andl, dear readers, get it off "-jny own chest in the writing of this hot-SQ^usual cplumn:; .
Nb,4t isn'teasy to be a J;ew, as the saying goes. But be of good cheer. This too will pass> and the warm rays of a peaceful sun are.sure to warm;Israelis and Arabs alike. They will, they will.
roots, and perhaps discover that their personal alienation causes them the frustration tiun unleashes their tongues against Orthodoxy.
The tragic siury of the two girls certainly touches upon c\cry Jewish heart and mind. The lesson to be learned fronvit is that ina "predomi!)antl\ secular country" such as Israel the inherent purity of an "ultra Orthodo.x'' community is to be guarded with utmost care from those -'outside influences". .An unfortunate incident, such as that onlv drives home the fact thai the stench of niodcrnism toda> is strong enough indeed 10 penetrate even a "her-metical!\ sealed world".,
Goldie Feinstat, Toronto
Survivors' children
Dear Editor:' , . ■ • ,
' 1 write to you in connection with Sheldon Kirshner's ariicle/'Survivors".Children — .Victims .Also" (Feb. 24). 1 find Kirshnei-'s description of .a weekend psychotherapy' . scssjon for childrenof Holocaust' survivors .. quite vivid.: but I must object to the headline. The Holocaust is still very much . with us. and.in recent yearS'a nuniber of .studies have appeared which, foiind that poorniental health and beliavipr problems • of a luimbcr of children of Holocaust survivors could be attributed to the traumatic experiences of.their parents.
. ■ What is always.stressed iri those studies. .. however, is the limitaiion of their findings:
..the. samples studied may not be. repre-scntati\c of the children of Holocaust survivors: the samples arc small. Because the Holocaust survivors are also immigrants, it. is possible that the problems of their children are linked to their parents being immigrants; rather than Holocausi survivors, etc. .;
Neither do those'studies take into account . personality characteristics of either the survivors or their-chjldren. other than the 'possible influence ofthe Holocaust on^ the _persohaliiiesof thej^urvivors. In view of the. above limitations, the theory.that Holocaust survivors, transmit their trauma to their children is ■ no more than a half-baked . notion. ■ "■
.■ Tlieroforc. a'he.-idline. •■.Surx'ivors' Chil-. dren — Victims Also", while sensational, is . misleading and offensive. One result' of headlines of this kind is to foster prejudice: given the stigma attached to poor mental health and behavior, children of Holocaust survivors may becoftie branded — every child of. survivors may become "another, screwed up survivor kid".
Another result is to suggest that survivors should feelguiltyfprHavirig<:hildren.: 1 am a sutvivor and the parent of two adult children. Should I feel guilty for having them ? I am certain that there are among the children of Holocaust survivors many who would attribute positive aspects of their development, such as social activjsm.
sensitivity to others, etc. to their being children of survivors. They deserve some headlines, too!
Henia Reinhartz, Toronto
'iSot an editing error\
Dear Editor:
. Ina story which appeared in your Feb. 24 edition: Irwin Cotlerdisciaims authorship of a. passage contained in an article he co-authored for the September. 1977 issue of Coninieniary. Mr. Cotler asserts that the passage in question — which concerns an alleged similarity between the victory song otthe Parti Quebecois and a Nazi anthem in thefijm; Cabaret— was not the work of the article's authors but was added to the article' throuijh an "editing error." This .claiim is . false.^. _ ■ .■
The passage in question appeared in the • very first draft version of the article submitted to Commentary by the two authors, and it remained intact" in every subsequent version!.In the two months or so. intervening between the article's submission and its publicition, Mr. Cptler had ample : opportunity to change or delete the offending passage, either on any one of the several manuscript Versions or on the printer's galleys which he. saw while in Israel last suhinier. He did notdo so. ; If, as joint.authorof the article, Mr. Gotler now wishes in his own name to disavow or to retract any part of it .that is his privilege. But he should not pretend to be an innocent victim of the designs of others.
Neal Kozodoyv executive editor, Commentary, ■■-■■■New York
Sadat^s true reason
Dear Editor: .• .
The obvious bun'gling and incompetence of the Egyptian army, as repprted-by the press; once again underlines the true rea.'ion why Anwar Sadat decided to visit Jerusalet: What jSiMnpeiled him "to seek pt?a.ccjvtth his noriherii neighbor and end the Stat t; of belligerence was not a change of attitude toward Israel, but rather a realization that a continued struggle at this tiirie was futile.
If perchance Mr. Sadat felt that it were remotely possible'to instigate a war that would succeed in driving all the Israelis into the sea, he would not hesitate one second to do it.
Being aware of the calibre of even his crack cornmarido troops, feeling the pent-ut frustratfon demonstrated in the food riots of a year ago, and realizing that Israel is la reality capable of defending herself, Mr Sadat decided to explore the road to peace.
Nathan Pila, Toronto