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Par 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE January 4,19M The Southern Israelite Tfm Weekly Newepaper Fat Southern Jewry Oar 55th Year Despite absurdities Vida Gotdgar Edkor and PuUatMr Faith Powell AwaUnl Edtar Linda Lincoln Advertising Diractair Mark Nicholaa Production Managar Published every Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc. Second Clou Footage paid at Atlanta. Go. (ISSN 00388) (USPS-776060) Matting Addrcaa: P O. Box 77388, Atlanta, Georgia 30357 Location; 188 15th St., N.W. Phone; (404) 876-8248 A year of achievement Subocriptione: $15.00 - 1 year; $25.00 - 2 years Member: Jamah Telegraphic Agency, Befcyom News Service’. American Jewish Press Aaan.; Georgia Press Aaen.; National Newspaper Assn. - Other hostages With the world’i attention focused on Iran, let us not forget about the Soviet Jews who are also, in a way, held hostage. Reports from the Soviet Union indicate that authorities have clamped down on granting exist visas, particularly in the Ukraine. In Kiev recently, 50 families who had been notified to report for exit visas were told that officials had had second thoughts. Refusniks have been victims of stepped up harassment and arrests. , Prisoner of Conscience Vladimir Slepak was reportedly fired from his job as a prison telephone switchboard operator on the pretext that his work gave him access to secret information. In Moscow, refusnik Yuri Golfand. who has been refused an exit permit for six years, was visited by the Soviet militia and warned to quickly find a job or face charges of parasitism. The “Catch-22” is that as a refusnik, a job is almost impossible to find in any field remotely connected to his training. An article in an Odessa newspaper described recently released POC Lev Roitburd as a “Zionist agent,” “parasite," “speculator,” “drunk” and “hooligan” who^pnjoys the protection of Zionist circles in the U.'S.” The list goes on. Meanwhile, November’s emigration figures were 12 percent under those of October. Is it the beginning of a major change in Soviet policy? At this point it is impossible to tell. One thing seems clear, however. In the past, Soviet officials ha ve in many cases reacted to pressure from the free world. Letters from the West and the intervention of public figures have been credited with the granting of visas to many Soviet Jews. It is urgent that this pressure continue. We must not forget. if the Middle East did not exist, man would probably have to invent it to satisfy his need for absurdity. Whether it is events in the area, or the way those events are viewed in the West, thi Middle East can always be counted on to produce spectacles that defy logic. Following is a sampling of the absurdities of 1979. Israel gave up roughly half the territory it controlled—a greater territorial concession than any country in the world has made since the decline of the Portuguese empire—but some well-meaning people still refer to Israel as “expansionist." The Israeli withdrawals in Sinai were mandated by the Israeli- Egyptian peace treaty. The radmentous treaty, which ended 31 years of war between the Jewish state and its most important neighbor, was condemned throughout the Arab world and received virtually no support in Europe. The U.N. General Assembly voted 102-17 to condemn all “separate treaties which violate the recognized rights of the Palestinian people"—a slap at the Israeli-Egyptian accord. Jesse Jackson and the Southern Christian Leadership Conference discovered the Middle East and the PLO, and suddenly (wo civil rights groups that had'received virtually no publicity for half a decade were ail over the networks and the front pages. One SCLC delegation travelled to Libya to award Col. Muammar Qaddafi, the world’s leading bankroller of terrorism, with something called the “Martin Luther King Jr. Peace Medal." ** Jackson, who at least did not hide his financial motives, met and had his picture taken with any Arab refugee he could find. But when representatives of Jewish refugees from Arab countries requested a meeting, Jackson said he didn't have time. When Puerto Rican nationalists ‘The momentous treaty...between the Jewish state and its most important neigh-, bor...received virtually no support in Europe.' killed two American sailors this month, there wasn't a news organization that didn't refer to the attackers at “terrorists.” But eight weeks after Iranian militants in Teheran seized the U.S. embassy and 50 Americans—a diplomatic rather than a military target- some news organizations were still calling the attackers “students.” Perhaps the constant reference to “students" at the U.S. embassy is not the fault of the press. After alt, the students are followers of Ayatollah Khomeini, a man that a former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations referred to as “a saint.” Despite its alleged complicity in the embassy seizure, despite' the partners. What almost nobody noticed was that Saudi Arabia’s price in December—$24 a barrel— was higher than those of the most extreme price hawks in July. Thus, "moderation” became a matter of timing rather than policy, particularly since the State Department decided not to include adamant opposition to jkocc among the criteria. The U.N. had proclaimed-1975 “International Women’s Year” and proceeded to condemn Zionism but remained silent on the seven Arab countries that deny wotben the right to vote. Similarly; this eras the U.N.’s “Year of the Child,” and h remained silent on the PLO’s deliberate killing in 1979 of six Israeli children and the wounding of several dozen. There was good news for a change out of Libya. After what the PLO regarded as a two-week siege of its offices in Tripoli and Benghazi, Qaddafi in effect broke relations with the PLO and withdrew recognition of the organization as the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinians. He compared Yasir Arafat to Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin. The only hitch; Qaddafi’s complaint is that the PLO isn’t radical enough. But the absurdities of 1979 couldn’t dampen the achievement revelation that it ran Idi Ami 0 ’* torturg.qhaakgm. $>d despite its of the year. The Jewish people and continued terrorist attacks in the Egyptian people, both of which Israel, the word most often applied have seen hundreds of conquerors to the PLO in 1979 was “moderate.” “Moderation” was also ascribed all year by the Carter administration to Saudi Arabia, because its oil price was always lower than those of its OPEC and terrorists come and go, made peace. Early in 1980; they are scheduled to exchange ambassa dors for the first time in 3,000 yean. Try as they might, there doesn't seem to be a thing that the Saudis, Arafat or Qaddafi can do 4l Wit and Wisdom If you don’t strike oil... hi Shmud Halevi T*ub JcwigJi Poet Stories About rabbis' sermons abound, because generally speaking, rabbis are, well generally speaking. Yet there is certainly an art to public speaking. Consider the story of the town that was looking for a new rabbi On one particular weekend, they happened to bring down two' potential candidates for an interview. Since the central portion of the Shabb^tservice was the sermon, it was decided that both rabbis would deliver an address to the congregation. The two rabbis were given adjoining rooms at the local hotel; after services Friday evening, each went to his room to prepare his remarks for the following day. Rabbi Goldberg was a meticulously organized man, and he had an elaborate speech all prepared. But Rabbi Levin was a bit unprofessional, and as yet he hadn’t even considered what he might say to the next day’s audience. However, as luck would have it, the walls at the motel were paper-thin, and Rabbi Levin could hear Rabbi Goldberg quhedearty as he practiced, over and over again, his brilliant and moving sermon. When the next morning arrived, the two'Rabbis walked together to shut “If you don’t mind," said Rabbi Levin, “I’d like to give my sermon first" Rabbi Goldberg, who was supremely confident of hi* oratorical talents, was glad to oblige. “He couldn’t' possibly match my presentation,” thought Goldberg, “So, why not?” So Rabbi Levin, at the appropriate time is the service, strode to the podium and proceeded to.deliver, word for word, Rabbi Goldbergs sermon. A look of terror passed across Goldberg’s face, and he broke into a cold sweat. Rabbi levin finished his remarks, the congregation visibly ’impressed with his scholarship and poise, and it was Rabbi Goldberg's turn. Sneering at his smiling colleague. Rabbi Goldberg took his place at thelccturn. He thought for a long time, and then he said; “My friends, anyone can deliver a great sermon. All it takes is a little talent and much preparation. But I am going to demonstrate a feat of much greater brilliance. I am going to repeat for you, syllable for syllable, the exact speech you have just heard." Need leu to say. Rabbi Goldberg got the job. (How long should a sermon be? In Texas, the general rule isr If you don’t strike oil in 20 minutes, STOP BORING.)