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—4/ mmxsam^mmBSs Kfit a 1 Page 2 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE November 21, 1986 Reagan’s Iranian deal gets ironic barrage of criticism by Yaacov Ben Yosef Special to The Southern l\raelite NEW YORK—It is all so ironic, Ronald Reagan in trouble over Iran. Who would have imagined that the president who swept into office in part because of Jimmy Carter’s frustrated attempts to free American hostages now has his own problems with Iran? Who would have believed that Ronald Reagan’s policies would arouse more criticism among the Ameri can public than the Carter poli cies toward Iran? Yet that is the president’s cur rent predicament. For a visitor from Israel, the unfolding of Reagan’s secret deal ings with Iran seem odd. For 18 months the president of the U nited States negotiated in utmost se crecy with the Iranian Govern ment in the apparent hope that it would review its hostile attitude toward the United States. As part of the reassessment, the pres ident certainly hoped that the freeing of the hostages would be one major, tangible result. How he misread American public opinion on those secret negotiations. Were the Israelis to have been found negotiating in secret with the Syrians (who after all are the sworn enemy of Israel), 1 doubt that the Israeli public would have reacted with as much censure and disgust as did the Americans over last week’s dis closures. The Israelis, though they will still not deal with the Palestine Liberation Organization, are nonetheless far more pragmatic than the U.S. when it comes to international dealings. It was the Israelis who agreed to release over 1,000 Arab terrorists for only three Israelis some time ago. It was also the Israelis who agreed to sit down with Anwar Sadat in 1977 though he had been the mastermind behind the Yom Kip- pur War four years earlier. The situation in the U.S. is clearly different from that in 1s- Ronald Reagan rael. Israelis knew that their gov ernment was negotiating with Egypt; Americans were kept in the dark over the contacts with Iran. The American public does not like to be told one thing in public and find out that behind its back another truth is emerging. If Iran has been labeled the embodiment of international terror, as the American president kept saying, then it would be unthinkable to be negotiating with such a state over anything. The idea of giving that state arms, however defen sive in nature, would equally repugnant. Yet, that is precisely what Ronald Reagan was caught doing. To return to Israel for a moment, the government in Jerusalem has long had a policy of providing arms to Iran, more so during the reign of the shah than during Khomeini’s rule. Yet, arms have, we are told, been shipped to Khomeini as well. There was no hue and cry about that in Israel when the Israeli press carried reports of such dealings. The reason for the subdued Israeli reaction, I would guess, has to do with the perception in Jerusalem that Iraq, Iran’s enemy, represents a greater military threat to Israel than does Iran. Israel’s general attitude toward the Iran- Iraq war, raging since 1980, has been that the best thing would be for the war to continue as long as possible without a winner. In all of these disclosures this past week, the remarkable fact remains that the American pres ident had to go public with his efforts without being able to show much by way of results. Only one hostage has been released recently; others remain in captivity despite the back and forth efforts of secret and not-so-secret mediators. The president’s troubles just won’t go away. Now on Sunday came the news that the secretary of state, George Shultz, is against giving more arms to the Iranians. That declaration, made on CBS’ “Face the Nation,” is a definite slap in the face at the president and all those around him in the White House who have pursued the Iranian link. Yet Shultz felt strongly enough to make a break with the admin istration’s policy. It seems incon ceivable that he will remain secre tary of state for long after these occurences. Losing Shultz would further damage Reagan as the secretary of state has been deemed effective. His departure would underline the inept handling of the Iranian matter. TSI closing for Thanksgiving Since The Southern Israelite will be closed Thursday and Friday, Nov. 27 and 28, for the Thanksgiving Holiday, we will extend the deadline for copy for the Dec. 5 issue to noon Monday, Dec. I. Copy not received by that time cannot be promised for inclusion in the Dec. 5 issue. weekly specials Empire Turkey 10-14 1.09 lb. w/ $ 30 meat purchase Oscherwitz Franks 12 ounce 1.89 ea. Short Ribs 2.49 lb. Shoulder Roast square cut 2.89 lb. Chuck Roast blade cut 1.99 1b. Our Fabulous Rotisserie Cooked Turkeys Avg. 12 -14 lb. (raw weight) *25.00 each 215 Copeland Rd., N.E. 252-4396 2166 Briarcllfl Rd.. N.E. 634-6881 (^Ltftiurs kgshef meats &deli Under Strict Orthodox Rabbinical Supervision Send a harvest of happiness. The FTD® Autumn Harvest IM Bouquet. *20 00 Call or visit us today. 255-7127 5975 Roswell Rd Hammond Festival Center 565-2217 1401 Johnson Ferry Rd Merchants Festival Center © SJews Briefs $54.5 million in Israel Bonds sold NEW YORK A new record of $54.5 million in Israel Bond subscriptions during the annual High Holy Day Bond Appeals, which represents an increase of more than $6 million over last year’s holiday results, was announced by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yehudah Halevy, president of Israel Bonds, and Rabbi Stanley M. Davids of New York, national chairman of its Rabbinic Cabinet. , t . . This year’s Bond appeals were conducted in more than I 100 synagogues in the United States and Canada. The new record in Bond subscriptions during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur was attributed by the two leaders to the “extraordinary support” of the rabbis of these congregations, and particularly those rabbis who hosted more than 300 pre holiday meetings for leading members of their congregations. Israel’s 2nd liver recipient dies TEL AVIV (JTA)—Eliahu Schreier, Israel’s second liver transplant patient, died Nov. 13 at Rambam Hospital in Haifa, 18 days after surgery. His death followed by five days that of the first transplant patient, Mira Schichmanter. Despite the set backs, hospital director Albert Sattinger said the operations would continue and the Health Ministry confirmed that. Doctors at the hospital said that Schreier, like Schichman ter, succumbed to complications arising from the advanced stages of their liver ailments, not the surgery. Both underwent second operations to correct internal bleeding. According to Sattinger, neither patient would have lived more than a few days without transplants. Israeli soldiers kill Arab driver JERUSALEM (JTA)—Israeli soldiers killed an Arabdriver at a Gaza roadblock last Wednesday afternoon, shortly after an Israeli civilian was stabbed in the Gaza marketplace. The vic tim, Shabtai Shvilli of Ashkelon, sustained a knife wound in the back of his neck but was not badly hurt. He was taken to a hospital in Ashkelon. He was the third Israeli in two months to be stabbed while shopping in Gaza. The two earlier victims were fatally wounded. Authorities believe the same assailant was responsible for the three attacks. Blet Shemesh in receivership JERUSALEM (JTA)—The Ministerial Economic Com mittee voted last week to place the debt-ridden Beit Shemesh engine plant in receivership. The factory employs 340 residents of the development town of Beit Shemesh, and unless Israel Aviation Industries (I AI) agrees to take it over, the government will have to find them jobs. The plant manufactures engines components of the Lavi, Israel’s second generation jet fighter plane which I AI will build. According to IAI sources, the components can be manufac tured more cheaply at the Pratt & Whitney plants in the United States. The Beit Shemesh engine works is $100 million in debt, mainly to the government and commercial banks. It is reported to be losing $2 million a month. Shamir mum on Iranian arms sale JERUSALEM (JTA)—Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir declined to comment Monday on reports that Israel sold arms to Iran. At the same time, he told the Knesset’s Foreign Affairs and Security Committee that the matter of former nuclear technician Mordechai Vanunu’s disappearance from London ct.1 has been cleared up with Britain and the misunderstand ing as been laid to rest. His statement was substantiated by roreign Minister Shimon Peres. Shamir told the committee it was the government’s preroga tive to be silent on the alleged Iranian arms shipments which was not an issue for public debate. Marriage restrictions by passed (JTA)—Israeli travel agents are offering a rV nrJ m T P ac ^ a 6 e trip to Cyprus in cooperation with the u e ^ l .? r ! ties ^ or couples who cannot marry in Israel because of religious restrictions. trave * expenses, marriage fees and a acent H#»ai m 3 u^i! )0ar( * ^ or ^87, Haaretz reported. The travel ties about inn t ! lcpaper work According to Cypriot authori- Papos alone each ye a r rr ' a8eS performed in ,he ,0Wn ° f