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The Southern Israelite > cr r C H ^ Vol. LXII The Voice of Atlanta's Jewish Community Since 1925 Atlanta, Georgia, Friday, December 5, 1986 No. 49 Contra connection Israel staves off critics in U.S.-lran fiasc by Edwin Black —JERUSALEM Israel’s prompt and effective response to allegations she laun dered millions in Iranian arms money to the Contras may mark a turning point in the Jewish state’s recent habit of being its own worst enemy in the public relations field. Recent lessons were bitter: Pollard, charges of industrial es pionage and Vanunu. In each case, thunderous and arrogant silence from Israel inspired wild media speculation and sponsored irreparable damage to Israel’s standing. In a word, Israeli lead ership seemed incapable of or unwilling to protect its image. But, this time it was different. Israel had been expecting the Iran weapons story to break for several days before it hit the American airwaves. But the sur prise development about the Shimon Peres money funding Contras caught Israeli leaders off guard. More over, in the minds of Israeli lead ers, “the Contra Connection”— far more than helping an ally free its hostages—threatened to —r i—* *— c r rn < r- x cr 'Z' c x w c j— i—< T *— > rr C~ c X X X •~ r ' c X x X -<r lt c: X I—‘ > CT 3> X. r X! > X X X o c O' t- CO <— x r. V C x Yitzhak Rabin alienate en masse their best friends in America—the Con gress. Indeed, within hours of Attorney General Edwin Meese’s mid-day disclosures, reporters were already asking congressmen Yitzhak Shamir about a cut-off of foreign aid. Few expected Israel’s bicker ing leadership to react in time. But they did. Interviews and briefings with a gamut of govern ment officials involved in the process now reveal how itj pened. Word of “the Contra Connec tion” did not reach here until the Israeli night of Tuesday, Nov. 25. Prime Minister Shamir was visit ing the northern town of Bet Shean. A few minutes before nine, an Israeli radio reporter told an aide traveling with Shamir of the Meese statements that would break at the top of the hour. Shamir was informed at once. “When he first heard, he didn't even understand what Meese was talking about,” reports a close aide accompanying Shamir at the time. “I won’t use the word ‘shock,’ but he (Shamir) was cer tainly surprised, because we were totally uninvolved with the money.” “The prime minister doesn't let his emotions show,” another aide See Fiasco, page 26. Susie Elson is model of dedicated volunteer Mental health advocate Susie Elson. by Richard Bono rsi staff writer Susie Elson of Atlanta does not motivate the people she works with by giving fever-pitch ora tions on how crucial their work is to the cause. Rather, in the almost two dozen different organizations to which she has volunteered her energies in the past, Mrs. Elson is known for her low-key and intui tive manner. This is no less true for the eight different groups with which she is currently in volved, not the least of which is her new role as president of the National Mental Health Associa tion. “Once a cause, like mental health, gets to you, you feel as though it needs you,” she said. “You feel committed to it.” Mrs. Elson, 49, sits at the helm of a voluntary network of one million people who share her concern for the mental well-being of the nation. The National Men tal Health Association (NMHA) has chartered organizations in 41 states with 600 local affiliates. And she is committed to their betterment as she battles for increased funding, for improved community-based mental health services and for more tolerance and more acceptance of the peo ple who suffer from mental illness. “I came to this from the Atlanta Section of the National Council See Volunteer, page 29. Israeli court’s landmark decision has Orthodox leaders crying foul by David Landau and Hugh Orgel JERUSALEM (JTA) —A Su preme Court panel ruled unani mously Tuesday that the Interior Ministry may not inscribe the word “converted” on the identi fication card of a person con verted to Judaism. The decision, hailed in liberal and secular circles and angrily condemned by the Orthodox es tablishment, is seen as likely to revive the bitter debate over the Who is a Jew issue because it involved a conversion performed by a Reform rabbi in the United States. The court ruling is consi dered a landmark because it makes clear the supremacy of civil law in Israel. The ruling was handed down by a panel of three justices — Supreme Court President Meir Shamgar, Menahem Eylon and Miriam Ben-Porat. Eylon, in an addendum to the ruling, stated that the word “converted” on an identification card was contrary to religious law. A number of leading rabbis agreed with him on halachic grounds, though others have ruled differently. A storm is centered on Interior Minister Rabbi Yitzhak Peretz of the Orthodox Shas Party whose resignation was demanded Tues day by Orthodox leaders. The court acted on an appeal by Shoshana Miller against the In terior Ministry. Miller was con verted to Judaism in 1982 by Rabbi David Klein of Colorado Springs, Colo., and immigrated to Israel three years later, claim ing citizenship. The Interior Ministry refused to register her as a Jew. But when she appealed to the Supreme Court last year, Peretz agreed to register her as a convert. He explained to the Knesset at the time that to register her simply as Jewish without the qualifying “converted” could mislead other citizens and officials as to her standing under Jewish law. But Miller continued to press her appeal. The ire of the Orthodox estab lishment focused on Peretz Tues- day for registering M iller as Jew ish even with the qualification that she was a convert. Ashke nazic Chief Rabbi Avraham Shapiro said in a statement Tuesday night that “The chief rabbinate opposed the (Peretz) proposal all along...in our view, a Reform conversion is just a joke becuase it does not require acceptance of mitzvot. It is im possible, indeed immoral, to accept such a convert whom a large part of the Jewish people does not accepts as a Jew.” Religious Affairs Minister Zevulun Hammer of the National Religious Party stated that the Orthodox position is that hala- cha. not secular law, must deter mine Jewish identity. The Committee for the Purity of the People, an Orthodox group, insisted that Peretz resign because only conversions by Orthodox rabbis are valid in Israel. Politi cal sources said Tuesday that Shas was not likely to leave the coalition government over the Miller case. But other observers said it was difficult to imagine that Peretz could comply with the court order by endorsing Miller’s status as a Jew without qualification. Shas circles said the party's Council of Torah scholars would meet this week to decide the party's posi tion and specifically, w hat action Peretz should take. The council is chaired by former Sephardic Chief Rahhi Ovadia Yosef. The secular Shinui Party called on Peretz to resign rather than consult with his party's Torah sages. As a minister in the gov ernment he is obliged to be guided by the high court, not by a body of religious scholars, Shinui said. Meanwhile, the Progressive (Reform) movement in Israel said it would follow up its court vic tory by introducing six more test cases of converts denied registra tion as Jews. Rabbi Moshe Zemer of the Progressive Movement hailed the court decision as “a stage in our struggle for recognition and full rights” in Israel. Miller told reporters after the court ruled in her favor that she had a “most difficult year, a real nightmare,” waiting for the decision. “1 want to live here as a Jew, not as some thing else,” she said. In addition to its ruling, the court ordered the government to pay 2,500 shekels (about $1,600) in legal expenses. THIS WEEK Hate comes to Cornell. 8 First Jewish cookbook 12 Arts & Entertainment . 22 Business 24 Obituaries 27 Classifieds . 27 & 28 10 & 25 years ago ... 31