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Pag* 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 23, 1979
The Southern Israelite
The Weekly Newspaper For Southern Jewry
Our 55th Year
Vida Goldgar
Editor and Publtth^r
Faith Powell
Assatani Editor
Linda Lincoln
Advertising Director
Mark Nicholas
Production Manager
Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc.
Second Class Postage paid at Atlanta, Ga. (ISSN 00388) (USPS 776060)
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 77388, Atlanta, Georgia 30357
Location: 188 15th St., N W. Phone: (404) 876-8248
Advertising rates available upon request.
Subscriptions: $15.00 - I year; $25.00 - 2 years
Member Jewish Telegraphic Agency. Religious News Service,
American Jewish Press Assn , Georgia Press Assn ; National Newspaper Assn.
Anniversary
With all eyes on Iran, little note was taken this week of Israel’s
transfer of still more of the Sinai to Egypt. Though not scheduled
to take place until the first of the year, Israel made the goodwill
gesture of early transfer to mark the second anniversary of
President Sadat’s historic visit to Jerusalem in November 1977.
The Southern Israelite’s five-column front page headline just
two years ago this week read: “Hooray! It happened.” Sadat was
in Israel and the world was caught up in euphoria.
A year later—November 1978— the two nations, with an
assist from the United States, were struggling to write the peace
treaty, finally signed last March.
Since then, negotiations have been continuing in order to fully
implement terms of the peace treaty.
The world has watched impatiently and seized on every
nuance with hope or disappointment.
Perhaps it is just as well that other events, however
unfortunate, have given us something else to think about, while
the Egyptian and Israeli negotiators quietly continue their efforts.
Who knows—we may wake up one morning to find that the
problems have been resolved.
Well, we can hope.
Save the Falashas
For several years a few lone voices have been raised in an effort
to secure help from American Jews in behalf of the Falashas in
Ethiopia.
Their persistant efforts, augmented by pleas from Falasha
leaders, have finally gamed official response, both in Israel and
from American Jewish leaders.
At the CJF Assembly last week (see story page one) a
resolution was adopted reaffirming rescue efforts.
Resolutions are fine. Action is better. There may not be much
time to save the remnant of this unique Jewish community.
DeRe iss No Neep
For AlARIA...ziS iss
foR. YoU R oWN
PRoTecTioN //
\
Vida Goldgar
A break in tradition?
Perhaps because Thanksgiving has always been
my favorite non-Jewish holiday, I was amused this
week to hear someone say: “I didn’t know Jews
celebrated Thanksgiving."
I’ve always celebrated it with a
vengeance. It dates back to the first
year I was married and living in a
city distant from family and
friends. Deciding very belatedly
(like 8 o'clock Wednesday night)
that the planned restaurant
celebration just wasn't right, I
dashed out to the market in search
of a small turkey, just enough for
two people with leftovers. Oh yeah! The smallest one
left was a 19-pounder. Undaunted, I bought it, then
bought a roaster and all the other goodies. At
midnight I was baking pies (naturally there must be
both pumpkin and mince) and by 2 a.m. I was trying
to figure out how to shell chestnuts for stuffing. It was
a “proper" Thanksgiving Dinner but, boy, talk about
leftovers.
In recent years, since the children are scattered, the
holiday has become even more festive. It is the only
time of year that all four of them are in town at the
same time.
My Denver-based son has already arrived. The
one in Pennsylvania is en route and due a couple of
hours after I write this. The youngest gets in on a late
plane from Miami Wednesday night.
Ah, but this year there is a difference. For the first
time in more years than I like to count. I'm not
cooking Thanksgiving Dinner. The ultimatum was
handed down by my daughter, the only offspring who
lives in the area. This year she wanted to establish her
own “tradition" for her children to remember. I
agreed that it was not a bad idea. My only
contribution will be the mince pie and cranberries.
Deborah is a stickler for following my traditional
menu When she mentioned cooking rice I was
puzzled fora minute With candied yams and stuffing,
it seemed too starchy. Then I remembered—and
chuckled. Her grandfather had once remarked, probably
joking, that a meal wasn’t complete without rice and
gravy. Dutifully, from then on I fixed rice whenever he
was present —including Thanksgiving. She
remembered. Is that how “family traditions" start?
There’s one problem though. What is
Thanksgiving without leftover turkey, especially with
a bunch of refrigerator-raiding young men. Easily
solved. I bought a small turkey whose sole purpose
will be to provide nibbles through the weekend.
Even so, I have mixed feelings about being a guest
at Thanksgiving. Habit dies hard and I haven't gotten
used to the idea that somehow it just “ain’t fillin'"
not to be the chief cook and bottlewasher.
For 51 weeks a year, I am caught up in columns,
meetings, interviews, payrolls, balky equipment and
the like. For one week I must admit that business
concerns take a back seat while I revert to being a
mother.
And what a pleasure it is
PLO and the hostages
Near F.a*t Repon
The Palestine Liberation
Organization seems to be
perfecting a modus operandi in the
way it manages to cover up its own
murder of diplomats and emerge
as the savior of diplomats held
hostage.
Six years ago, in the Sudanese
capital of Khartoum, a team of
Palestinian terrorists executed two
American diplomats— including
Ambassador Cleo Noel—and a
Belgian diplomat after holding
them hostage several days.
President Nimeiry of the Sudan
blamed Yasir Arafat’s Al Fatah for
the murders and one of the
terrorists, Abu Ghassan. testified
at his trial, “We carried out this
operation on the orders of the
Palestine Liberation Organiza
tion.” A year after the terrorists
were convicted, PLO pressure
persuaded the Sudan to deport
them
Last July, one PLO faction,
Saiqa. took over the Egyptian
embassy in Ankara, Turkey,
killing two Turkish policemen; one
of their hostages died in an escape
attempt. Then the PLO leadership
negotiated for the release of the
hostages.
No one noticed that the PLO
was negotiating for the surrender
of its own terrorists. Prime
Minister Ecevit (whose govern
ment has since fallen) lavished
praise on the PLO and allowed it
to open its first office in Turkey.
The PLO, of course, is also
known as the murderer of Israeli
diplomats, as well as of civilians of
many nationalities.
Under the circumstances, the
State Department was in no
position to turn down offers of
help from anywhere, including
from the PLO. to secure the release
of U.S. hostages still held
at the American embassy in
Teheran.
Even Israel’s best friends in the
United States withheld critical
comment on the tacit U.S.
acceptance of PLO efforts on
behalf of the hostages, or on the
talks that Ramsey Clark, President
Carter’s special envoy, held with
PLO officials in Turkey after the
Iranians refused to let him land in
Teheran.
But even before the PLO
delegation in Teheran gave up its
efforts, it was apparent that it was
not overly concerned with the
safety of the hostages—and not
just by its record of executing
diplomats. First of all, it was not
the PLO’s idea to attempt to
negotiate for the release of the
hostages but that of the PLO’s best
friend in Congress, Rep. Paul
Findley (R 111 ). Though Findley
was undoubtedly motivated by his
own concern for the hostages, the
way he put it in his phone calls to
the PLO in Beirut was how-would-
you - guys - like - to - improve -
your - image - in - America’’
Throughout the week, the PLO
made it clear that there would be a
price to pay—some form of
recognition by the United States
for its mediation efforts.
At a press conference in
Washington, a PLO spokesman
said the PLO team in Teheran was
there to consult with the
ayatollah's people, not to mediate
or negotiate. The spokesman,
Hatem Husscini, even agreed with
the Iranians that the United States
was to blame for the whole
situation. He declined to say
whether the Americans in Teheran
should have been taken hostage in
,the first place. He also declined
comment on whether the
execution of American diplomats
in Khartoum in 1973 had been
right or wrong.
By Monday, the PLO appeared
to have failed, if indeed it had ever
tried to gain the release of the
hostages. But there was still the
chance it would renew its effort
and somehow be the party to win
the release of the Americans. If
that should happen, the thing all
Americans should keep in mind
during the terrorist group’s next
propaganda windfall is that
gaining the release of kidnapped
Americans would not merit
recognition by the United States.
Rather, it would be only a small
part ’of what the PLO owes this
country for the murder of its
diplomats.
While the Carter administration
has come under criticism for
fostering the atmosphere that led
to the embassy seizure, since the
crisis began it has acted with
commendable calm and determi
nation. Its decisions to cut off
imports of Iranian oil, freeze
Iranian assets in the United States,
and categorically refuse to return
the shah arc to be applauded