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4 IHt SOI IHtH\ ISH4t.llIt October X, |47<*
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The Southern Israelite
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A deafening silence
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Our voices count
Jacobo 1 imerman is a free man this week and a new citizen of
Israel (See story. page two).
After two and a half years in various prisons and under house
arrest in his apartment, the Argentinian newspaper editor was
stripped of his titi/enship and expelled
I imerman's case elicited widespread protests from Jew ish and
non-Jewish organizations and individuals Unquestionably these
appeals had direct bearing on his release
Mrs Timerman. before being reunited with her husband in
Israel, said. "Ms husband's release is a hopeful sign for the
thousands of other innocent political prisoners still in Argentina's
jails “
Whether in Argentina or the Soviet Union these prisoners are
heartened and helped by our voices joined in protest
I here will be a special opportunity to show our support at the
annual Simchat I orah rally to be held Sunday evening. Oct 14. in
Atlanta
I et's all participate
Homecoming
(trie of (Georgia's least visible but most effective contributions
to the Washington political scene returns home to Atlanta this
week
I ong before Washington ever heard of him. Bob I ipshut/
played a valuable role in the progress of our community.
We suspect that after a brief time to resettle and resume the
practice of law he will pick up where he left off
Welcome back Bob
by Stuart l>f»«jrub
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During the tan month, the issue
of Jewish-black relations, the
PUO. the SCUC. Jesse Jackson.
Andrew Young, etc has been
covered in print inside out. upside
down, and every which way
almost One question which has
not been raised often or loud
enough is —at what point will
black leaders say publicly and
privately to the Uowervt.
Jacksons, and Williamses. "You
art wrong"
I realize that no group,
especially a minority group, likes
to wash its dirty linen in public or
be subjected to accusations of
divisiveness. But there are times
when decency and integrity
demand that you chastise your
own and this is one of those times
On many issues blacks, as Jews,
must stand together and present a
united front to be most effective In
this case, the almost non-existent
criticism of blacks by other blacks,
the deafening silence, is uncalled
for and m a sense is contributing to
a growing rift between Jews and
blacks, and to our own sense of
isolation and frustration. As
Edmund Burke wrote, “the only
thing necessary for the triumph of
evil is for good men to do
nothing ”
Despite our need and desire as
Jews to present united fronts,
when (he Jewish Defense League
was engaging in activities that were
unwise, harmlul and violence
oriented, the organized Jewish
community criticized them,
privately and publicly, and urged
them to mend their ways W e tried
to reason with them and persuade
them that harassing the wives of
Soviet diplomats in Manhattan
supermarkets was not the way to
save Soviet Jewry We also
objected to and dissociated
ourselves from the Jewish Defense
I eague when they invited racial
conflict by chaining themselves lo
the fence of a synagogue, holding
baseball bats and clubs, to prevent
a black mjlitant from speaking
TgRRlFK ftbCE
& For A &JLL&0ARD
Ted./
there
In a civili/cd nation there has to
be a morality that transcends even
the concept of group togetherness
When people are engaged in
activities that are morally
indefensible and which are
dividing old friends, others have lo
say openly, “You do not speak for
us “
I would think that for black
Americans there is more at stake
here than whether SCI.C or Jesse
Jackson gets the most media
coverage, and whatever other
benefits they might expect from
their political pronouncements
There are questions of credibility,
integrity, and the wisdom lo
recognize that a group does not aid
its own cause by ignoring or
condoning repugnant words and
actions of some of its members.
It is unlikely that anything that
Jesse Jackson, Joseph Lowery or
Hosea Williams says or does will
greatly affect Israel’s decisions on
issues of their own survival. The
Israelis and most Americans
recognize that these three have
chosen to use the Middle East as a
stage to advance their own
personal or institutional goals.
Nor are Jackson and Lowery likely
to change the PLO People who
throw kids out of schoolhouse
windows, machine gun a four-
year-old girl and firebomb tourist
buses are not likely to be swayed by
linking arms with Lowery and
singing “W'e Shall Overcome ”
Nor. in the long run, will
Jackson and Lowery havdv^any
meaningful impact on relations
between American blacks and
Jews We are angry at these
individuals and at those who
support their mischief, not at a
whole race. There are issues on
which we will agree and work
together, and other issues on which
we may disagree, but which need
not result in deep animosities
between us. At least, I hope that
this is the way it will be. For now.
we need to hear some alternative
voices in the black community.
Who knows? Once those voices
begin to emerge, I.owerv and
Jackson and Williams may find
themselves way out in left field,
where they belong
I hcrc arc times when American
Jews disagree w ith a specific policy
of Israel While we recognize that
the ultimate decisions on any
Israeli policy must be made in
Jerusalem, by Israelis, not in
America by us. we still share our
differences w ith them and offer our
opinions and counsel, not because
we oppose them, but because we
support them In short, Jews are
not immune from criticism by
other Jews, and that contributes to
our credibility and sense of
community integrity.
When I observe Dr Joseph
Lowery hugging and grasping the
blood-stained hands of Yassir
Arafat, ol Jesse Jackson
showboating for the Arabs of
Nablus while criticizing Israel,
and, worst of all, Hosea Williams
profaning the name of Dr Martin
Luther King Jr and the concept of
peace by pinning a King “peace"
medallion on Libya's Muammar
Qadaffi, I listen for other voices
and thus far I’ve heard far too few
Only the Urban League's Vernon
Jordan, and Baynard Rustin have
publicly disagreed with the Arafat-
SCLC, and Arafat-Jackson
mutual admiration society Only
they have dared to say that the
PLO are killers and outlaws, and
that they do not merit the
recognition and attention of
American blacks Several blacks in
Atlanta have expressed this
privately to us, and perhaps they
too will speak out. 1 hope so
How can anyone who was
associated with Dr King stand by
silently and watch Hosea Williams
honor Qadaffi in his name,
especially knowing that Qadaffi
has bankrolled, supported and
given refuge to the world's most
vicious terrorists and murderers,
and that it was he. Qadaffi. who
provided the major support
financial and military for Idi
Amin, the ty rant responsible for
the deaths of more blacks than anv
ruler in modern history ’ I wonder
if Amin, who lives in Libya today,
under Qadaffi's protection,
attended the medallion ceremony
If so. he must have laughed himselt
silly.
If people like Lowery. Jackson
and Williams are using the Middle
Fast for a stage from which they
wish lo advance their personal or
institutional goals, which I believe
they are doing, and if they have
gone there with their mind'
already made up. which it i'
apparent they have, then thev
deserve to be denounced by the
blacks whom thev claim to
represent. It they arc not so
denounced, then whatever
negative results emerge become the
responsibility of those who
remained silent as well as of those
who committed the acts
B’nai B rith zonks Spain
NVASHINGION B nai B’rith International has denounced
the Spanish government for embracing the Palestine l iberation
Organization and called on Madrid “to resist Arab blackmail” and
recognize Israel.
In a statement responding to remarks made by Miguel Oreja.
Spain’s loreign minister, at the United Nations. B’nai B’rith
President Jack J. Spitzer pointed out that that country “has
separated itself from the rest ol Western l urope as the only
democracy that does not, and will not, recognize Israel ...“How can
Spam hypocritically refuse to accept the legitimacy” of Israel and
vet deal with a terrorist organization under the pretense of
contributing to the peace process?” he asked.