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NEII/S BRIEFS
Magen David Adorn comes to aid
JERUSALEM (MDA)—Within minutes of the recent mid
February terrorist bomb attack of a bus travelling through a
residential section of Jerusalem, the local Magen David Adorn
Station was on full alert and dispatched nine ambulances, two
Mobile Cardiac Intensive Care Units manned by doctors, medics
and ambulance drivers to rescue the bomb blast victims. Some
ambulance crews administered on-the-spot first aid, others assisted
by the Israel Police transported 43 casualties to Jerusalem's Shaare
Zedek Hospital. Magen David Adom’s efficient and prompt
emergency medical service made it possible for 34 of the injured to
be released from the hospital within 48 hours.
Austria Interested In buying Kflrs
VIENNA, (JTA)—Austria is interested in purchasing Kfir
interceptor fighters from Israel but the Austrian government is not
expected to make a definite decision before 1980, government
sources said. The sources said Defense Ministry experts believe
that Austria needs 18-24 fighter planes to bolster its air space
defense. Israel has offered Austria 20 Kfir fighters in exchange for
industrial and agricultural products. However, some critics here
fear that such an arms-for-products deal would jeopardize
Austria’s trade relations with the Arab world.
Sephardi president Indicated
JERUSALEM, (JTA)—The next President of Israel will be a
Sephardi, Premier Menachem Begin told a meeting of the Likud
Executive, thus agreeing with the views of Finance Minister
Simcha Ehrlich, Housing Minister Gideon Patt and Moshe
Nissim, all members of the Liberal Party wing of Likud.
U.S. takes 6 factors Into account
WASHINGTON, (JTA)—A State Department official listed six
factors that comprise the current U.S. "preceptions” toward the
Middle East of which the Israeli factor ranked “last but not least.”
According to Harold H. Saunders, the Acting Assistant Secretary
of State for Near Eastern and South Asian Affairs, the U.S. must
take into account “terrorism,” the “support around the world for
Palestinian nationalism” and Israel’s position on the “world
scene” when considering the Arab-lsraeli conflict.
But Saunders indicated priority for five other factors.
He listed these, in order, as the possibility of an "accidental
confrontation” between the U.S. and the Soviet Union in the
Middle East; the fact that the U.S. gets 20 percent of its oil supply
from the area; the oil revenues and capital holdings in the region
which can have a “sharp impact" on “the global economic order”;
the fact that Saudi Arabia and Algeria are “organizers of the
poorer nations” and the possibility that the Middle East conflict
could breed another oil embargo.
Technlon develops test for fetus
HAIFA—A new method to determine the state of well-being of
the human fetus has been developed by researchers in the
Department of Physics at the Technion—Israel Institute of
Technology, working in cooperation with Haifa’s Rothschild
Hospital. The method is designed for use by women suffering
illnesses known to affect the health of the fetus. These include
sufferers of high blood pressure, arterial hypertension, diabetes,
blood poisoning, those women that have passed the ninth month
without giving birth, and other conditions that may affect the
blood flow to the fetus.
Bills oppose U.N. Palestine units
WASHINGTON, (JTA) -Both Houses of Congress currently |
have legislative proposals to stop U.S. participation in the United |
Nations General Assembly’s recent decision to establish a special 1
unit to spread information about "Palestinian rights.” Rep. Abner I
Mikva (D. Ill.) introduced a companion bill in the house to a §
previous measure in the Senate proposed by Sen. J. Harrison |
Williams (D. NJ).
“The alleged purpose of the UN unit would be to observe the |
international day of solidarity with the Palestinian people," Mikva |
said in the House. “In reality, however, the organization would I
disseminate messages of hatred against the State of Israel and its 1
inhabitants.” I
Changes for Israeli diplomats
NEW YORK (Z1NS) Within the next few months some drastic |
changes will take place in the composition of Israel’s delegation to |
the UN and in the Israel Consulate, according to well-informed |
and reliable sources. These sources say that there will be major |
changes in Israel's delegation to the UN, including the recall of its |
Ambassador, Chaim Herzog, and Consul Uri Ben-Ari.
-wksmi — mu -
Iters to the ed 1 tor
Nazis shouldn’t be allowed to march
Editor.
On Page 8 of your March 3rd
issue there appear two objectively
and undramatically reported
articles about the American Nazis.
In Skokie, Illinois they are having
problems getting a permit to
march. In St. Louis they are
holding a convention on March
11 th and have been issued a permit
to parade on that day.
Norman Stack, executive
director of the Jewish Community
Relations Council of St. Louis, is
described as having indicated that
the virtual absence of Jews along
the planned St. Louis Nazi march
route and the site of the planned
rally, as well as the convention site,
meant that there was no likelihood
of clashes from local Jews.
How sick! How vomitingly
disgusting! How unbelievably
unreal!
So other Americans, non-
Jewish Americans, will be exposed
to' this authorized display of
swastikas. Much fuss is made
about protecting the morals of the
American public. Pornographic
material is banned; bathhouses
and performances of Hair are
raided. BUT, the parading of a
philosophy of murder is
sanctioned.
Below is a copy of my letter to
Mayor James F. Conway of St.
Louis:
“Dear Mayor Conway:
St. Louis had issued a permit
to the National Socialist Party
to march and rally there on
March 11.
By whatever standards or
distortions of the Constitution
of the United States of America
this permit was granted, you
cannot—you must not allow
your city to sanction public
exhibition of the immoral words
and trappings of the murderous
cult of Nazism.
Not as an American Jewess,
or Jewish American, but as an
American on behalf of all decent
America, please revoke the
permit granted the Nazis to
convene and parade in St. Louis
on March 11 .”
Helen R. Jersawitz
How can the Nazis be stopped?
Editor:
In reference to your question in
the February 17th issue of The
Southern Israelite. “Can we ignore
Nazis?” as well as the
accompanying article dealing with
this disturbing situation, 1 would
simply like to reflect on the
complexity of this issue.
On the one hand, as a citizen of
the United States you treasure the
freedom you are entitled to, that of
free speech, and everyday are
reminded of the fact that citizens of
other countries do not have this
right. Therefore, the obvious
question is, “Do not the members
of the NSLF (National Socialist
Liberation Front) also have the
freedom of speech as encompassed
in our Constitution?” It was
decided recently that, yes, they are
entitled just as anyone else to
express their views whether or not
this includes those “106 prominent
Kentuckians, both Christian and
Jews, marked for assassination” by
this organization, or any of the
other frightening propaganda the
NSLF believes in.
As stated earlier, I am grateful
for the freedom we are given in this
country of ours, and believe that
everyone should have equality in
this matter, but one also ponders
how far should our freedoms be
extended when this violent hatred
is expressed so openly with
marches in the street. As you so
vividly pointed out, when Nazi
Germany erupted and the power
spread, people had been blind of
what the situation really meant,
until the voice of Nazism became
too loud and could not be ignored.-
As you originally asked, “Can we
ignore Nazis?” My feeling is no,
but how one goes about stopping
this spread of hatred in this land of
free speech is the very complex
question. 1 only hope and pray
someone can find a satisfactory
answer before it is too late.
(Mrs.) Judy B. Glatzer
Another view on aliyah
Editor:
A letter entitled “Open Letter to
Prime Minister Begin” recently
appeared in this newspaper. This
letter was directed to the problem
of lack of immigration (aliyah) to
Israel from the United States and
suggests that if the American
Jewish community were made
responsible for its own aliyah then
the picture would greatly improve.
It also stated that the Israeli based
aliyah machinery, including the
system of shlichim (emmissaries)
in the U.S. is a poor one and is at
least partially responsible for the
present sad state of affairs. 1 would
like to comment upon that letter.
At the outset, 1 must candidly
agree with much of the content.
The suggestion that the American
Jewish community take responsi
bility for the procedural aspects of
aliyah is a valid one and I will
allude to it further on. However,
there is a much more subtle but
vital aspect of this problem which
is not recognized by many persons,
but is obvious to someone like a
shaliach. who deals with this
subject on a daily basis. It has
become clear to me that, to a very
large extent, the American Jewish
Community, both the Zionist and
non-Zionist elements, and
particularly the schools and
synagogues, are indeed responsible
for the present American Aliyah.
After all. aliyah. in the real and
classic sense, is the ultimate step in
a long educational process in
which the awareness of aliyah as a
moral and/or religious imperative
is inculcated into our people.
Unfortunately, aliyah had never
been a serious item on the agenda
of the American community. If it
were, all the shlichim and
bureaucracy in Israel would not be
able to stem the stream of those
persons opting for fulfillment as
Jews by “going up” to live in Eretz
Yisrael. The very fact that the
Jewish Agency shlichim engage in
advertising to proipote aliyah is a
symptom of a deep rooted problem
of Jewish identity. There is a direct
correlation between Jewish pride,
awareness and education
concerning one’s Jewishness and
historical roots with potential
candidacy and susceptibility for
immigration to Israel.
On a practical level, I believe
that there could be a major
improvement in aliyah and
absorption of Americans if there
were an effective framework both
here and in Israel a meaningful
aliyah movement organized and
managed as only Americans know
how. Some of the most creative
minds in America and Israel are
struggling with this problem.
A shaliach must be a social
worker, psychologist, marriage
counsellor, rabbi, financial expert
and shipping authority all rolled
into one. It is a difficult,
demanding full time job and the
shaliach is a much maligned
person. Immigrants get inform
ation from many people
relatives, friends, Israelis abroad,
as well as shlichim —and they don’t
always remember who told them
what. They may remember the
advice of a friend to “take the
Jewish Agency loan; they’ll never
bother to ask for it back.” When
they receive the bill in Israel, they’ll
charge that “their shaliach lied to
them.”
Just this week I was accused by a
candidate of being an incompetent
and a misogynist. 1 cannot vouch
for the former, but I certainly deny
the latter Shlichim, like everyone
else, do a job. Some do it better,
some with less success, but all work
hard at it. 1 personally believe that
to be a shaliach in this period of
Jewish history is a challenge, a
responsibility and a privilege.
Jay Shapiro
Executive Director
Israel Alivah Center
Philadelphia
Order Yearbook
from AJCommittee
Editor:
In a recent article on the
American Jewish Yearbook. The
Southern Israelite did not mention
that the Yearbook is published by
the American Jewish Committee.
People interested in ordering the
Yearbook can contact the Atlanta
Chapter office at 633-6351.
William A Gralnick
Southeast Regional Director
Page 5 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE March 10, 1978
