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P*** 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE February 25, 1977
Southern Msruelite JACK QELDBART
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Jack Gddbart; Managing Editor:
w . Oflleo Mina- Cathy Wood; A4vsrtlsinf
Mike Faaas; Advertising Sake: Martin Gdb,
Nease, Alva Engelhard, and J. Allen Anderaon; Chr-
Haxel Blackburn; Editorial Aasiotaat: Debbie
What Israel means to you!
HtWAr
EH
TilMiiihlr
GmthU Pm* A
World UbImi
Sodotjr at Profoosioul
Journalists, Sigma Doha Chi
Memo to our boys
L in Washington
To:
Selfe
BobUpehu
Gjwry Rafi
No
you
it buttonholing, you understand. We just thought
run into him in the halls of the Wlute House.
Dfjr Bones
utx, Stu Eixenstat, De Jongfa Franklin, Steve
aboon. !
Well boys, you've been in Washington for only a short time
but yoo should have your feet on the ground by now and at
least understand what makes the government work.
Herein Atlanta we are a little confused by some of the ac
tions taken by your boss, President Carter. We refer
specifically to some of his decisions concerning Israel.
In tike last several weeks he has —
— Delayed introduction in Congress of an anti-boycott bill.
— Disapproved the sale of 25-year-old planes by Israel to
Ecuadot.
— Denied the sale to Israel of concussion bombs which had
been promised by the prior administration.
— Generally seems to have cooled somewhat on his fervid
support of Israel during the campaign.
Now we understand that politics is a complicated game of
compromises and that the President is finding it more dif
ficult to do things tlmn he thought, but we are a little uneasy
here at home about his apparent backing-off on some of his
campaign stands on Israel.
We knQW you boys are busy up there, but we’d like to think
that you’ve got some reel input with our new President and
that perhaps you might gently remind him about some of his
campaign promises.
Entebbe was placed fat a
that I bad not thought of to
Imagine that you and your
family have been os a pleasant
vacation in Europe. Not neces
sarily to Israel, but perhaps to
Switseriaad for skiing or to
Italy to see the ruins, and as you
and yourTittle family are on the
way home your jet is suddenly
diverted and you find yourself
in Uganda.
Not only are you now in an hostile, foreign land
but you are immediately separated from the rest
of the passengers. The division is according to
whether you are Jewish or not The non-Jews are
released at once, while you and thd other Jews are
herded into a small building and told that you may
be shot at any time.
Sound familiart You bet it does. Not only is this
what happened at Entebbe but it is also what took
place at Auschwitx.
It seems like a bad dream, doesn't it? One mo
ment you are on vacation, carefree and happy, and
now you are singled out for extinction only because
you are Jewish.
Who will reeeue you, do you think?
The vaunted U.S. Marines are nowhere to be
found and the French Foreign Legion is certainly
not about to risk their lives for you.
There is only one country that ie willing to come
get you. Thousands of miles sway, Israel has only
limited resources to mount such a rescue, and yet
they do it They risk their planes, their finest
fighting men and they come to
should they come those thousands
risk to themselves?
It seems incredible, but they come for one
reason only: yam an Jewish. They will not allow
another Auschwitx to happen. “Never again” to
them is not just a slogan.
How could such a small country undertake such
a monumental mission, no matter how noble?
Where is the source of their strength?
Many yeah ago, Teddy Roosevelt cautioned that
I III 'll —in.. ..nil i
nations should walk softly and “carry a big stick."
But Israel today walks heavily with only s small
stick to brandish
The Arabs have the oil reserves and the
almighty petrodollar which they hold over the
world’s head, while Israel has only the promise of
* the Bible and a.strong moral compass of rightness.
' What does all this mean to you? It means that
Israel hangs by a thread in the cauldron of the
Mideast It means that Israel’s survival as a speck
of democracy in the morass of Arab anarchy
depends greatly on the United States’ continued
support. *
It seems clear that if we want Israel to come get
us when we need her then we have to let our
government know how strongly we feel about her
survival.
Does this sound like the “stuff dreams are made
on"? Maybe it does, but if we don’t speak up for
Israel then who will?
Now Til tell you what I think we should do. Sit
down right now and write to President Carter. Let
‘ him know you fear that someday you might be at
an Entebbe and that you want him to preserve
Israel for your own safety. Sit down and write
Senators Talmadge sod Nunn. Let them know that
you count on their support and encourage them
to see Israel not only ae a democracy but as a
guardian for our right to be Jewa.
Israel doesn’t really need a big stick,, for we real
ly are on the side of the right We just have to be
sure that our government knows bow we feel.
Now Fm not recomending that we place the com
plete burden on Israel to rescue Jews whenever
they are in distress. No matter how nobd her pur-
you. Why pose, Israel cannot hope to storm into Russia and
miles st great free those who wish to emmigrate. Nor can she
send a contingent to Argentina to halt rampant
anti-semitiam.
But Israel's bold and heroic rescue at Entebbe
indicates that we are often Jews when we least ex
pect to be. You may start out any day as a Jew in
name only and end up being singled out whether
you like it or not.
Someday you may need Israel to come get you
when no one else will.
by I. L. Kenen
Carter and Israab
a honeymoon?
The first year of every new
Presidential term invariably is a
year of controversy because
anti-Israel forces mount
pressures on the Administration
to change policy, reduce aid to
Israel and increase assistance to
the Arab states.
Our incoming President, Jim
my Carter, who strongly com
mitted himself during the last
year to back Israel, now faces a
concerted campaign by the
petro-diplomatie complex to re
cant
There is a dear record of such
pressures in the past
• In 1948, much to the dismay of
the Department of State, Presi
dent Truman saved the Negev
for brad. And an top ef that, he
recognised the new State.
Bat in IMS, the first year of
his second *—». ha threatened
to break diplomatic relations
with farad unless it made sub-
-a— a« a a _ 9 _i 1
sttnuti nmionai conruiwni
to the Arab states at tka
In 1951, Secretary of State
Duties returned from a Middle
East annoy and, on June 1, an
nounced that the United States
had to allay the resentment of
the Arab a
the creation of
fall the Administration was
withholding promised aid.
In 1967, President Eisenhower
wanted to impose sanctions
against Israel unless it withdrew
unconditionally from territories
occupied in the Sues War but
was frustrated by the opposition
of Senate Leaden Knowland
and Johnson.
In 1960, President-elect
Kennedy promised to convene a
peace conference, but before
1961 ended the Administration
had opposed the 16-nation in
itiative at the UN calling for
direct Arab-Israeli talks and had
projected the Joseph Johnson
plan, which called upon Israel to
repatriate Palestinian Arab
refugees under conditions which
threatened Israel’s security. But
in 1962, Kennedy was the first
UJ3. President to sell Israel s
sophisticated weapon, the Hawk
anti-aircraft miaaile.
The exception was 1966. The
Arab states did not try to in
fluence President Johnson, who
was the first to invite so Israeli
Prime Minister to a for
mal White House reception.
Johnson rebuked the Arab state
ambassadors for their aspersion
that he was motivated by
the Arabs
arising out of politics,
the State of In 1969, President Nixon
plied thet the began Great Power talks and
reseated the frbnds ef Israel feared that the
to aWay their nasatment Israel
almost became aa eamen-
frisnds of Israel feared that the
Administration would job to
impose a settlement along the
Uses of the highly controversial
:«T'o| Ihiwi
thasklt that vaar l bv the
In 1972, it was widely agreed
that U.S.-Israe!i relations had
‘ reached a peak. But aa the oil
lobby began pressuring for a
change in policy at the behest of
King Faisal of Saudi Arabia, the
Administration proposed to sell
Phantom jet planes to Persian
Golf states. Assistant Secretary
of State Joseph Sisco and Israeli
Ambassador Simeha Dinits
crossed swords at an AIPAC
gathering, when Sieeo
evenhandedly blamed both sides
for failure to achieve a settle
ment and for “missed oppor
tunities.”
The Carter Administration
appears determined to maintain
control over the peace
negotiations in the Middle East
It is sending Secretary of State
Cyrus Vance to visit the area
and is inviting Prime Minister
Rabin and the heads at the Arab
states to separate meetings in
Washington to sound, oat ths
parties on their views of settle-
meat
The major partiss hava
declared their readiness for
“psaca." but what is meant by,
that word? The Israelis are seek-'
ing a settlement based on recon
ciliation. The Arab static mean
merely^“non-britfrwcnce." Bui
demand uniena there is pnoMf
pesos involving the exchange of
peoples ami goods, along with
ths fostering of understanding
j