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The days ahead
Israel’s double trauma
©bxtxxarxes—
by Joseph Polakoff
WASHINGTON Double trauma
is approaching for Israel. On April
25, Israel will furl its banners in the
Sinai and depart from the desert
peninsula. In keeping its word to
Egypt and the United States, Israel
will give up 92 percent of the land it
won in the 1967 war. On the
following day, April 26, Israel will
mourn its soldier dead Yom
Hazikaron (Day of Memory) —
whose heroism helped Israel safely
through four wars, three of them
against hostile forces that had
amassed in the Sinai against her.
The meaning of April 25, a
climacteric in Jewish history and
world diplomacy, was summarized
in a virtually unnoticed statement
from Israel's Embassy in
Washington. “In the heart of every
Israeli," it said, “is the prayer that
the immense sacrifices involved in
this act—in human, economic and
strategic terms—will really bring
peace to this war-weary region.
“In exchange for the promise of
a true and lasting peace," the
statement added, “the Israeli
people have paid a price that can
never be fully calculated. Israel has
forfeited hard-won, critically
strategic depth; has relinquished
oil fields that promised to
accelerate its progress toward
economic independence; has
undertaken to spend billions of
scarce dollars on relocation
programs; has uprooted towns and
villages painstakingly developed
by pioneering dedication. Israel’s
pledge has been fulfilled, yet
demands for ‘greater flexibility
and sacrifice’ are still being made.”
Analysts have noted that instead
of applauding Israel’s sacrifices
and supporting her to achieve
peace and security with her other
neighbors, a consensus is growing
to pressure Israel into withdrawing
to its 1967 lines and enable the
Palestine I iberation Organization
to form a Palestinian State on the
West Bank and Gaza with its
capital in Jerusalem.
Seizing on the West Bank
rioting against Israeli civilian
authority as an excuse, analysts
observed, influential elements in
Washington and I ondon are
demanding, with tacit support
from within the American and
British governments, action by the
Reagan administration to support
the "Palestinian cause." The
Washington Post, charging
“Israeli soldiers shot some more
spectacle," suggested Palestinians
“recognize the right of Israel to
exist" because that “would remove
the principle obstacle that keeps
the U.S. from openly supporting
the legitimate part of the
Palestinian cause—that is,
building a state.” 1
In an editorial broadcast
worldwide by the British
Broadcasting Corporation, the
Guardian in London urged, as the
BBC said, that the U.S., the Soviet
Union and the European
community act as though another
Arab-Israeli war had begun
because they then could
collectively impose a peace
settlement on the area."
“Geneva waits to be reconvened."
the Guardian said, referring to the
one-day conference in 1974.
President Carter tried to resuscitate
it in 1977 but withdrew quickly
after Congress virtually
unanimously opposed him.
“The U.S. alone cannot take on
this mission," the Guardian said.
“To do so would appear to put it
on the side of the Arabs against the
Jews, whereas neither the U.S. nor
any European country can be
against the Jew. With Soviet
involvement in the process
there would be (a) a better chan
that the agreement would stick
and (b) the scope for
America to follow its inclinatii
and negotiate toward a settlement
from an Israeli angle, letting the
Russians make their approach
through Damascus and the PLO."
With reference to the Guardian’s
“imposed peace" suggestion,
Norway's former foreign minister
and present chairman of the
Norweigian Parliament’s Defense
Committee, Knut Frydenlund,
took an opposing position. "My
inclination is that an imposed
peace is not suitable," he told this
reporter at a breakfast meeting
with diplomatic reporters at a
foreign Policy Magazine
breakfast. Erydcnlund said he
favors “convincing the parties for
the necessity of negotiations."
I rvdenlund, a I abor Party leader,
was in Washington to meet with
Reagan administration aides on
European-American political
differences.
Israel's effort to encourage anti-
P L O Arabs to organize
politically “in the teeth of
intimidation from the PLO. now
joined by Jordan,” the Times of
London said in an otherwise anti-
Israel editorial has been
reception from Washington’s
policy makers. While spokesmen
at the White House and the State
Department have repeatedly urged
“restraint" by “all parties,” the
State Department has declared
that removal of pro-PI.O mayors
means “unfortunately” elected
officials cannot serve their
constituents. It also said it was
“natural” for Jordan to make its
death threats for treason against
Arab villagers who organize
against the PLO, since Jordan
claims the West Bank.
The State Department refused
to discuss a question from this
reporter whether public officials in
occupied areas are obliged to meet
with the authorities to discuss
problems, although they may
disagree with solutions. It also
refused to comment on the
statement by Defense Minister
Ariel Sharon, who emphasized
several times that protection will
be provided not only to those
who are ready to cooperate with
Israel’s civilian administration, but
also to those who publicly state
their support for an independent
state or those advocating ties with
Jordan—as long as they do not
support the PLO. While criticizing
Israel for using “lethal weapons,"
the department was asked by this
reporter whether reference to PLO
adherents who use grenades,
knives, molotov cocktails and
rocks were accurately described as
“demonstrators” that pictures
them as peaceful marchers with
placards stating their goals.
After more than a week of such
positions. Secretary of State
Alexander Haig altered the
department’s public policy on
NBC’s “Meet the Press." Rejecting
a panelist’s allegation asserting
“the Israeli Government’s de facto
annexationism on the West Bank,"
Haig said: “It’s important that we
keep the whole issue of this
contemporary violence on the
West Bank, which we abhor, in
proper perspective. 1 think you will
recall there are some measures
taken also by the government of
Jordan, which tended to trigger the
events that we’re faced with today,
and I think it’s important, whethei
we're in the United Nations or here
in our nation's capital, that we
attempt to maintain a level ol
objectivity on these verv vexing
questions."
Julius A. Wender
Julius A Wender, 93, of Atlanta
died Tuesday, April 20.
Graveside service was held
Wednesday, April 21, at
Greenwood Cemetery, with Rabbi
Harry H. Epstein officiating.
Mr. Wender was a member of
the Ahavath Achim Synagogue,
and was a navy veteran of World
War I. He was the owner of
Wender’s Dry Goods Store.
Survivors include his daughter,
Mrs. Joyce Harris of Los Angeles;
son, Marvin Wender of Atlanta;
brother Herbert Wender of
Charlottesville, Va.; and six
grandchildren.
Mrs. Adina Gross
Mrs. Adina Gross, 71, of
Atlanta died Wednesday, April 21
Graveside service was to be held
Friday, April 23, at Greenwood
Cemetery, with Rabbi Harry H
Epstein and Cantor Isaac
Goodfriend officiating.
Mrs. Gross was a member of
Ahavath Achim and its sisterhood,
Hadassah, Pioneer Women.
Women’s American ORT and
Mizrachi Women.
Survivors include her husband.
Israel Gross; sons. Arnold Gross
and Dr. Leon Gross, both of
Atlanta; and four grandchildren
Mrs. Elsie T. Siskin
Mrs. Elsie Tuck Siskin, 47, of
Bloomington, lnd., formerly of
Atlanta, died April 12.
Graveside service was held in
Memphis, Tenn.
Survivors include her husband.
Erwin Siskin; daughter, Reva
Siskin; son, David Siskin;
brothers, Bobby Tuck and Albert
Tuck of Birmingham, Ala., and
Leon Tuck of Atlanta
Rabbi Cohen unveiling
The unveiling ceremony in
memory of Rabbi Joseph Cohen
will be held at II a.m., Sunday,
April 25, at Greenwood Cemetery
Irene Bernath
Irene Bernath of Atlanta died
Friday, April 16.
Funeral service was held
Sunday, April 18, at Green Lawn
Chapel, with Rabbi Harry H
Epstein and Cantor Isaac
Goodfriend officiating.
Ms. Bernath was a member of
Ahavath Achim Synagogue and its
sisterhood, Hadassah, and she was
a retired partner of Atlanta
Cooperage Company.
Survivors include her brother,
Albert Bernath of Atlanta; and
several nieces and nephews.
U. of Ala. publishes
book on Holocaust
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. “The
Holocaust in Hungary: An
Anthology of Jewish Response,"
the 12th volume in the Judaic
Studies series, has been published
by the University of Alabama
Press.
“In the book. Dr. Andrew
Handler, professor of history at
the University of Miami, traces the
anguish of Hungarian Jews
anticipating and remembering the
Holocaust." said Dr. Leon .1.
Weinberger, general editor of the
series and professor of religious
studies at the University of
Alabama
“The wide-ranging views of the
\ictims and the survivors move
from confidence and defiance to
fear and resignation." Weinberger
said. “The trauma and the staying
power of Hungarian Jewry in its
greatest crisis is vividly etched in
the several essays in this volume
translated for the first time from
Hungarian."
According to the editor, the
Holocaust a term designating the
systematic murder of a third of the
Jewish world population bv the
Nazis from 1941-44 is an event
which forces the re-examination of
Western culture and civilization
“Many of the men and women
w ho gassed millions of Jew s in the
oven at Auschwitz were Ph D s
who loved Wagner and Beethoven,
appreciated the fine points in the
writings of Goethe and Chiller,
and attended church regularly on
Sundays," Weinberger noted.
The book may be purchased
from the University of Alabama
Press. P.O. Box 2877, University.
Ala 35486.
Arab kids yesterday" in “a familiar receiving a generally critical
—Oakland—
Continued from page I.
begin, according to Whitnel, is that
many of the older graves are
missing records, making it difficult
to locate families. Another
problem is that many of the Jewish
gravestones are worded in both
Hebrew and English. Whitnel says
that many of the stones have been
knocked over with the Hebrew side
showing making identification
difficult. "We arc going to need
expensive equipment lo pick these
things up,” Whitnel said, adding,
“I find it difficult to believe that
two boys that small and young
could knock over gravestones
weighing thousands of pounds."
Whitnel says that when they
receive the go-ahead to begin
cleaning the damage, he plans to
“contact members of the clergy in
Atlanta, and anyone else who can
help assist in the identification
process."
WILLS • BURIAL BENEFITS • VAULTS
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PAGE 2! THF. SOUTHERN ISRAELITE April 23. 1982