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Israel Yields To Terrorists First Time
In Move to Save Jewish Hostages
JERUSALEM — As the terrorists’ hijacking deadline
approached on their threat to kill some 200 hostages, the
government of Israel yielded for the first time and an
nounced it would negotiate directly for release of the in
tended vicitms, nearly 80 percent Jewish.
Meanwhile Thursday morning it was reported that
preparations were being made to release certain of the
terrorist prisoners being held in various Israeli jails, the
condition for releasing the hostages.
FIRST LADY Betty Ford is escorted to her fuite at The New
York Hilton by the hotel’s General Manager Jorgen H. Hansen,
right, as she arrived to attend the Jewish National Fund Dinner
in the Grand Ballroom of the hotel — shortly before tragedy
struck during the ceremony.
by EDWIN EYTAN
PARIS, (JTA) - French
President Valery Giscard
d’Estaing has ordered French of
ficials to treat the 83 Israeli
passengers aboard the hijacked
Air France plane “the same as
all other passengers, including
the French.” In addition, an Air
Betty Ford Offers Prayer At JNF Banquet
by TRUDE B. FELDMAN
WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT
NEW YORK CITY - First
Lady Betty Ford offered her own
spontaneous prayers in a dram-
tic and tragic moment as Dr.
Maurice S. Sage, President of
the Jewish National Fund,
collapsed beside her on a dais at
the organization’s dinner.
The traumatic scene last Tues
day eve was in the ballroom of
the New York Hilton at
Rockefeller Center. The occasion
was the JNF fundraising ban
quet inaugurating the American
Bicentennial National Park in
Israel.
Dr. Sage had just completed
his introductory remarks about
Mrs. Ford: “As a chemist, I like
to talk in terms of compounds,”
hh began. “Mrs. Ford is a com
bination of the wonderful
elements we found in some of
our former First Ladies — she
has the internal fortitude of
Eleanor Roosevelt; the gaiety of
Mamie Eisenhower; the beauty
of Jackie Kennedy; the quiet
courage of Pat Nixon; the digni
ty of Bess Truman and the com
passion of Lady Bird Johnson.
A moment earlier, Betty Ford
had received a silver-covered,
jewel encrusted Israeli Bible.
Suddenly, Dr. Sage turned pale
and slumped over. While Secret
Servicemen (there for Mrs.
Ford), doctors from the audience
and family members rushed to
Sage’s aide, Mrs. Ford, poised
and composed, took the
microphone, and asked the 2,300
people to stand for one moment
of silence. Her voice quavering
with emotion, ahe said, “Can we
all bow our heads for a moment
and say a prayer for Dr. Sage?
He is going to the hospital and
needs our prayers.
“I’U have to say them in my
own words ... ‘Dear Father, in
heaven, we ask Thy blessing
on this magnificent man. We
know you can take care of him.
We know you can bring us
back our leader. You are our
strength. You are what life is
all about, love, and love of
fellow man is what we all need
and depend on . . . please, dear
God . . .
“Let’s all join together in
—TURN TO PAGE 14
Colorful Ritual As Anshe S’Fard Welcomes
Torah Given By S. Goldsteins
In a traditional ritual of the
ages, Congregation Anshe
S’Fard’s new Torah, gift of the
Sam Goldstein family, was for
mally presented Sunday.
With members and friends
gathered on the walkway in
front of the synagogue, four
Torahs that the congregation
previously had were carried out
to “greet the new Torah” which
was brought forward under the
Huppa, as a bride. The four
Torahs were carried by A.
Spetalnick, who serves as gab-
bai; Abraham Gastfreund,
reader; A1 Milt, who frequently
serves as cantor; and C.
Novotny, who serves Kiddush
after services.
Mr. and Mrs. Sam Goldstein
gave the Torah in memory of his
parents, Nathan and Rose
Goldstein, and his maternal
aunts, Estelle, Regina and
Pauline Engel. A plaque was
given Sam Goldstein by the con
gregation in appreciation of his
generosity.
Master of ceremonies for the
occasion was Lewis (Labe)
Merlin, president of Anshe
S’Fard. H. Taratoot, patriarch
of the congregation, was in at
tendance.
Rabbi Nathan Katz, who
serves Anshe S’Fard on a
volunteer basis, sang a song he
had composed in 1950 about
Theodor Herzl.
Rabbi Marc Wilson of
neighboring Congregation
Shearith Israel was the principal
speaker. He chose the concept
of “Covenant” for his theme,
remarking how the covenant of
the generations was so
beautifully exemplified by the
donation of the Torah to honor
the memory of Mr. Goldstein’s
parents. “What is beyig donated
is not just a static book," he said,
“but a wellhouse of directions.”
Rabbi Emanuel Feldman of
Congregation Beth Jacob told of
the close relationship between
his congregation and Anshe
S’Fard and the respect which
the two congregations have for
each other.
Rabbi Ben Rose applauded the
spirit of services of Anshe
S’Fard, where a Saturday mi-
nyan gathers to worship in
somewhat the style of the old
shtetl shules.
Both the Hatikva and Star
Spangled Banner were led by
Rabbi Katz.
France source reported that the
standing order is to give priority
to the Israelis and some 100 Jews
with French passports who wene
returning from a tour oL Israel.-
Thej^French President, whb
was In San Juan, Puerto Kic&*
attending the Western eoono^fic
summit, telephoned his ihstruc-
tions last night to the Elysee
Palace. Later, a high French of
ficial reiterated the President’s
promise in a telephone call to the
Israeli Embassy here.
Pierre Renard, the French
Ambassador to Uganda, was at
Entebbe Airport June SB near
Kampala where Ugandan Presi
dent Idi Amin personally
negotiated with the hijackers
who forced the plane to fly there
after leaving Libya yesterday.
Also present was the Palestine
Liberation Organization
representative in Kampala who
was not named.
The Jewish Telegraphic Agen
cy bureau here telephoned the
Presidential Palace in Kampala
asking for Amin, but reached
only a man identifying himself
as a close advisor to the Ugan
dan President. He said, “We
have not asked these people to
come here but now that they are
we shall treat them as our
guests.”
When the JTA correspondent
asked whether “the guests will
be kept in Uganda or sent to
their respective homes” the of
ficial said “well, this is quite a
problem. It is a headache but
President Amin will soon make
a decision.”
The official refused to say
what Amin will do with the 83
Israeli passengers board.
“They are his friends,
everybody, except his enemies, is
his friend,” the official said.
French sources, meanwhile,
said Giscard decided “TO adopt a
“high profile” in the hijacking
negotiations and ordered the
government to take the position
that it will not accept the release
only of the non-Israelis aboard
the French airbus. These sources
said that the plane left
Benghazi, Libya, June 27 after
France had made this position
clear to Libyan President
Muammar Qaddafi. The Libyan
leader, these sources said,
preferred to have the plane leave
rather than free all the
passengers as the French
demanded.
The Air France plane, which
took off yesterday morning from
Ben Gurion Airport on a routing
flight to Paris with 229
passengers, including 83 Israelis
and 12 French crew members,
has been since 2:30 Monday mor
ning (Paris time) at Entebbe
Airport. Unconfirmed reports
said some of the passengers were
alio ved off the plane by the hi
jackers with the authorization of
the Ugandan authorities. One
, passenger, an ailing
/Englishwoman, was left off the
plane during its stopover at
Benghazi Airport.
French sources said the hi
jackers intended to land at
Khartoum but were not given
landing authorization. They said
Sudanese President Gaffar
Nimeiry is expected next month
on an official viait in Paris and
did not want to risk pleasing
the French and releasing all the
passengers and thus see himself
branded as “a traitor to the Arab
cause” or undermine his forth
coming trip to France.
The French government had a
certain leverage in Libya and
Sudan. Libya relies on France
-TURN TO PAGE 8
S. C. Rite
For Slain
’76 Soldier
A special military service to
observe the 200th anniversary of
the first Jew to die for American
independence will be held in
Charleston on Sunday, July 4.
Judge Paul Ribner of
Philadelphia, national com
mander of the Jewish War
Veterans, USA will head a
delegation of JWV leaders from
all over the country to par
ticipate in the services at the
grave site of Francis Salvador at
Washington City Park, located
at Meeting and Broad Street.
Salvador, a delegate to the
South Carolina Provincial
Congresses of 1775-1776, was the
first Jew to serve in a legislative
body in America. He was killed
and scalped August 1, 1776,
while helping to defend the fron
tier against an attack b,v Tories
and Indians.
The military salute, which al
so involves Army, Navy and
Marine personnel, is part of the
Department of Ga. and S.C.
JWV, convention, to be held at
the Sheraton Motor Inn here.