Thursday, July 20,1989 — THE BULLETIN — 3
CJC director hails from activist past
JWB staff
By electing him Canadian Jewish Congress national executive committee chairman, Moshe Ronen says Congress has changed direction and is now supporting an activist leadership that will be more aggressive and vocal in its advocacy.
"Both my election and the election of the new president Les Scheininger signal that the community has decided to change. We are the youngest ever to serve at the helm of CJC," the 30-year-old Ronen told The Bulletindunnga Visit to Vancouver.
Only one month into his three-year term, Ronen can point to a major success for the new administration's forceful advocacy methods: the arrest of a suspect in the desecration of Toronto's Shaarei Shomayim synagogue.
Ronen is convinced that a reward — the first put up by CJC in recent history — was ''the factor that directly resulted in the arrest."
Not only was Ronen pleased with the result of the reward, he was encouraged by the cooperation lent by other Canadians.
"We're excited because other ethnic groups have joined us. We originally put up a $5,000 reward. That was raised to $25,000 not through Jews but by the Moslem
RONEN
G. Libbish
Association, the Chinese, Pakistanis and Italians . . It (Shaarei Shomayim) has become a Canadian issue."
The arrest, said Ronen, was proof, "we will leave no stone unturned, no matter how small the incident, to catch these people (who attack Jewish property)."
Despite his youth, Ronen says he has had the political Jewish grounding needed to tackle the national and international issues his mandate requires. For the last three years he served as chairman to Ontario region Community Action For Israel committee. Prior to that he was chairman of Jewish Students Network and president of North American Network.
His activist efforts include years of work on behalf of Soviet Refuseniks, aiding World Jewish Congress lobby the U.S. to bar Kurt Wald-heim, protesting Ronald Reagan's infamous visit to Bit-burg, as well as visiting Jewish communities in Czechoslovakia, Bombay and New Delhi.
Ronen's "last stand" for Soviet Jewry took place at the first Gorbachev-Reagan summit in Geneva where he was arrested by Swiss police.
So far, says the executive chairman, he's had strong support for the change in direction at the top of CJC. And his views will soon be known in both Ottawa and Jerusalem after he and Scheininger hold meetings with each country's prime minister and foreign minister later this summer.
In separate meetings forthcoming with Brian Mulroney and Joe Clark, Ronen said, "We will make it clear that we are unhappy with the upgrading of relations with the PLC We're also unhappy with the unbalanced approach we think the Minister of External Affairs is beginning to take, particularly with the government's non-statement on the whole issue surrounding Arab-Israeli peace in general, and not simply the Palestinians," said Israeli-born Ronen. His advocacy role will RONEN — Page 18
Cable company puUsthe HoBocaust-denytng
on
WINNIPEG - A Christian evangelist who insisted his viewers read a book denying the existence of the Holocaust had his regular television show cancelled by a Winnipeg cable company.
Cliff Besson showed viewers a copy of Web of Deceit, written by New Brunswick teacher Malcolm Ross. Published by Ross in 1978, the book also claims there is a world Zionist and communist conspiracy to take over governments.
Reportedly, Besson praised the book as "a good version of the truth." Angry politicians and human rights activists charged the evangelist was spreading hate propaganda.
A letter was dispatched to Besson, withdrawing his program and production privileges, effective immediately, Winnipeg Videon vice-president Jack Baigrie told the Globe and Mail. "This is very unusual. We were disturbed at the allegations," he said.
The episode demonstrates that the New Brunswick government should have prosecuted Malcolm Ross for distributing hate propaganda, said David Matas, senior counsel for the League for Human Rights of B'nai B'rith Canada. "The New Brunswick government didn't prosecute him, and this is the fruit of that inaction."
Matas said: "His material is part of the neo-Nazi material that's used across Canada. This is what happens when you don't combat these people. The fact that we're getting this stuff on Winnipeg television, shows that it's a national problem and we've got to be worried about it nationwide."
The evangelist, who believes the Holocaust was exaggerated "in order to get more money for Israel," said he wasn't surprised by Videon's decision to pull his show. "Videon is just fearful of public opinion. I understand their point, and I don't v/ant to
Pair suspected of defacing sliul
By BEN KAYFETZ
TORONTO - A 21-year-old skinhead and a young woman, apparently his girlfriend, were arrested here in connection with the June 11 desecration of a suburban Toronto synagogue.
Zvonimir Lelas and Elizabeth Major, 20, were charged with malicious mischief following a police investigation that led to their arrest.
Lelas is also charged with two counts of mischief for defacing a Hebrew school, Yeshiva Yesodei Yeshurun. several blocks from the Shaa-
rei Shomayim synagogue. The synagogue itself was spray-painted with three-foot-high swastikas and racist slogans, such as "White Power." The sidewalk in front of the synagogue was painted with a red swastika and the slogan "Smash ZOG," which stands for "Zionist Occupation Government."
The Canadian Jewish Congress described the vandalism as "the most serious incident of its kind in Canada" since the end of World War II.
Police credited the CJC with providing information that led to the arrests.
make it any uneasier for them," he claimed.
Matas and deputy Manitoba Liberal leader James Carr had called for cancellation of the program before Videon's announcement.
Federal regulations bar the broadcast of any comments likely to expose an ethnic group to hatred or contempt. A television company allowing such comments faces losing its licence.
Carr said the evangelist's comments might violate Criminal Code provisions against hate propaganda. "It's outrageous that those opinions are broadcast. This person should not be allowed on the air," said the deputy Liberal leader.
Matas warned that Besson's comments might be repeated by others on cable T.V. community access channels. "This is a harbinger of what could be a big problem in the future," he said.
"We're getting a lot of channels now, a proliferation of specialized programs, and we're not getting the same supervision of what goes on. It requires vigilance to make sure this freedom is not used to violate the law or incite hatred," Matas remarked.
Besson said the Globe and Mail he was ordained as a Salvation Army officer in 1969, but the ordination was withdrawn soon after. He said he now works as a Salvation Army volunteer, distributing its newsletter in Winnipeg taverns.
In 1986, the New Brunswick government refused to charge Ross claiming his book was out of print and no longer available.
Bakonyi unearths pld in Maccabiah
Vancouver lawyer Irvine Epstein is the father of Mark Epstein, a member of tlie Maccabi Canada rugby team. Both were in Israel for the "Bar-Mitzvah Maccabiah."
By IRVINE EPSTEIN
NETANYA — Vancouver fencer David Bakonyi found gold at the 13th Maccabi Games.
Bakonyi, a 21-year-old Shaughnessy resident, was in the four-member Canadian fencing team that won a gold medal at the world Jewish competition, which ended last Thursday. The foursome came first in epee, foiling all rivals.
Other members of the fencing team were Calgary's David Freedman and Eugene Constantine and Sandro Dicari, both of Montreal.
As well, Bakonyi placed fourth in the individual men's epee, missing BAKONYI the bronze medal by just one touch.
Brother Ron, 25, wasn't able to watch Dave's triumph; he was in the U.S. to take part in the World Fencing Championships. Ron had earned silvers in the 1981 and 1985 Maccabiahs.
But David's father, Maccabi Canada fencing coach Peter Bakonyi, 56, was in Israel to view the winning performance. Peter, a six-time
Canadian champion and 1968 Olympics competitor, had won three silvers at Maccabiahs during the 1960s.
In the first day's competition at the Maccabiah, 13-year-old Yael Stuart of Richmond easily won her first junior tennis match against Brazil.
Kitsilano resident Steven Pollock, the only non-Israeli entered in wheelchair tennis, played well, but lost his first match to his more experienced Israeli opponent.
Canada's rugby squad, including Mark Epstein, Evan Scholnick, cousins Mark and Craig James of Vancouver and Phil Vernon of Surrey, was disappointed with its 22-12 opening round loss to Israel's national team.
Elsewhere at the Maccabiah, pitcher Dave Blackburn two-hit Canada in a 4-0 victory for the undefeated U.S. Softball team.
The participation of Soviet Jews in the Games for the first time epitomized the theme song "I Belong (to the Jewish People)."
Wearing bright red blazers, white shorts and white cowboy Stetsons, the 200 Canadians at the opening were popular favorites of the enthusiastic-crowd.
Four thousand participat-
ing athletes from 44 countries marched into the stadium while Israeli veteran Hanoch Budin, an amputee swimmer and gold medalist from the 1988 Seoul Special Olympics, lit the traditional Maccabiah flame.
The two-hour ceremony was run with military precision. Israeli president Chaim Herzog, who had just returned from a visit to Canada a week earlier, officially opened the games, following which the lights were turned off and lasers projected a giant Star of David in the black sky while the crowd stood silently in memory of fallen Jewish heroes.
Montreal ex-Expos?
MONTREAL —
Attendance at Montreal Expos games has been so poor this year that team owner Charles Bronfman has considered selling the franchise. Despite leading the National League East division heading into the season's half-way point and having a genuine shot at the World Series, attendance has averaged less than 20,000 per game. Olympic Stadium capacity is 59,893.
NAOMI FRANKENBURG,
and
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✓ All entrance fees, porterage and hotel service charges.
Cdn. from Montreal Add-on from Vancouver: $290.
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