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PAGE 4 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE August I. 1980
Vida Goldgar
etc
Vida Goldgar
EAtor and PubWwr
Published (very Friday by The Southern Israelite, Inc.
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No surprises
The outcome of the latest United Nations attack on Israel was
hardly a surprise.
Nor was Israel's swift reaction in passing the bill declaring
Jerusalem its capital, an action called controversial almost every
place except Israel. No matter what else they may disagree on,
Israelis are almost unanimous about their capital.
One has only to recall the desecration of Jewish holy places
when Jordan totally disregarded terms of the Armistice
Agreement of 1949. Since 1967, under Israel's government,
Muslim and Christian religious rights have been scrupulously
observed, and places holy to those faiths have received the same
protection as Jewish holy places.
Israel doesn’t expect to get a fair shake in the United Nations.
We can ortly wish that the one-sided, oil-inspired votes are seen in
their true light by thoughtful pfcople.
jJuiPf mspaasibUUp,
week that was
What a week! First there was Billy Carter and his
shenanigans with his ‘Tun-loving friends,” the
terroristic Libyans.
Then Tuesday, the good old
United Nations did its usual
number on Israel. Predictably,
Israel responded by overwhelmingly
approving the highly controversial
“Jerusalem is the capital” bill, to
the consternation of Washington,
Cairo and other capitals whose
status is not questioned by anyone.
Nixon is in the news again as he attends the Shah'i
funeral and on the home front, four
murderers walk past Retdsvilie guards in their
pajamas. (The good news there is that their freedom
was brief.)
Now, to top things off. glaring at me is a full page
advertisement from a recent copy of the business
bible, the Wall Street Journal, pleading with
President Carter, in big Mack type, to abandon Israel
and embrace the PLO. What puzzles some is that the
signer of this diatribe is one Alfred M. Lilienthal—a
Jew.
Those who know of Mr. Lilienthal and his
background recognize that he is one of those self-
hating Jews who are proponents of the practically
defunct American Council for Judaism. That
organization, which was abandoned by some of its
most prestigious supporters after the Six-Day War,
last claimed some 20,000 members—a doubtful
number—and has often been accused of advocating
the Arab anti-Israel viewpoint. This advertisement,
which says “We must start talking to the PLO now!
We must not obstruct the creation of a Palestinian
state on the West Bank and in Gaza!" certafoly
ARBflttrthlf'tltw.
Lilienthal is articulate. No question of that.
There's also no question that he has little credibility
with those who know of Ms background.
A recent instance of his thinking was evident when
the National Council of Churches sponsored a
Mideast panel that was so biased against Israel that
the responsible Jewish organizations, ia a show of
solidarity, felt they could not dignify it with
testimony. Guess who participated. Right!
, Here’s another quote from the ad: “We owe the
Israeli state nothing” Then he throws it a bone: “As
compassionate human beings, Americans will always
be concerned with the well-being of the Israeli
people.” If the Lilienthal* had their way, there
wouldn't be any Israeli people to be compassionate
about.
What bothers tne about this ad is: How many who
read it know the type of Jew who agnod it? Or do they note
the Jewish name appended to the end and make a false
assumption that this man has a Jewish following
Even Leonard Fein and his American “Peace
Nowniks" have more credibility.
1 hate to give thi* man the publicity he to obviously
seeks. Nonetheless, it teems important to let yon know
what he is and what he stands for so just in case
anyone Confronts you with this advertisement, you are
prepared.
Oh, yes. There is something else in the ad: A
coupon at the bottom asks for donations to share
the cost of the ad and of "repeating this message across
the country.” There ate boxes to check to buy reprints
and to order a subscription to something called the
“Middle East Perspective” newsletter which Lilienthal
edits, or his book, “The Zionist Connection.”
, i People would be better Off contributing to* “Free.
Billy from I Aw Pi—resrigg^" fund.
The primary elections Tuesday will narrow the field of
candidates rushing toward November.
There are a lot of offices up forgmha and in some cases, a win
Tuesday will be tantamount to election. That is why this is no time
for that bugaboo, voter apathy,
Some races mean tough decisions. Just because it is tough is no
excuse for staying home. Voting is more than a right—it is a
responsibility. -j?
Don’t shirk that responsibility. ,
Vote! - Vote! - Vote!
Saudi’s claim commitment
Near Ea$t Report
A senior member of the Saudi
royal family says the Carter
administration committed itself to
providing Saudi Arabia with the
. offensive auxiliary equipment it
has requested for its American-
made F-IS warplanes. The
Washington Star reported
recently. The Saudi official, who was
not identified, told The Star that
•evyer*-
the administration's commitment
was not altered by a letter from 6$
senators urging President Carter
to deny the Saudi request and that,
in fact, the administration had
assured the Saudis of its
commitment to go ahead with the
sale after the senators' letter Was
signed.
The equipment—missiles, bomb
racks, and fuel tank^ that would
double, the range of the Saudi F-
15s—would make Israel much
more vulnerable to the Saudi air
force. When the Senate approved
the sale of F-I5s to Saudi Arabia
two years ago, it did so on the
assurances of the administration
that such offensive equipment
would not be provided with the
planes—assurances that were cited
by the senators in their letter to the
president earlier this month.
“We have a commitment, a firm
commitment ” The Star quoted the
Saudi official as saying “and we
expect that it will be fulfilled. We
are annoyed by the, action of the
sendtore, hot basically we do not
believe their letter alters the
obligation of the United States.”
The State Department denied
that any “commitment" had beta
Saudi request is still under
consideration.
The Saudi official said the letter
from the senators was the work of
“the Zionist lobby" in Washington
and -reflected the re-election
concerns of the senators who
signed, although most of the
signatories are not up for re-
election this year.
The official noted his kingdom
considers the request for the F-15
equipment a “test" of Saudi
Arabia's rclationsMp with the
United States. He said the Saudis
would not press the administration
further on the request uatil after
the presidential election in
November. He also said Saudi
Arabia would not offer to trade
military facilities or support of the
Camp David peace process for
approval of its request.
When the senators’ letter was
made pubbe three weeks ago, Prinee
Sultan, the $audi defense minister,
said, “Our reply to this is that tbt
kingdom will never ask for a
weapon and be refused." Sultan
tdddd, “We'say to the ZioMR
lobby, which is putting pressure on
during , the period of the U.$.
elections, that you are defeated