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Page 26 THE SOUTHERN ISRAELITE December 5, 1986 Continued from page 1 adds, “so he kept it all inside.” He went on with a scheduled appear ance before a Bet Shean audience. “You can imagine how he felt.” says an aide. “Even as the words were coming out of his mouth, inside his mind was turning.” Shamir’s people immediately contacted Defense Minister Yit zhak Rabin’s military secretary and asked for an emergency meet ing. Rabin agreed. By 9:45 p.m., Peres was located in Givat Schmuel. near Tel Aviv; he con curred as well. It was now near ing 3 p.m. in New York. The goal was to issue a denial in time for the evening network newscasts. They had three hours. Even as Shamir's helicopter began flying south. Peres' car was speeding down the express way back to Jerusalem, and Rabin, who was at home in Jer usalem, was contacting his top aides for background informa tion. By 10:30 p.m.. the troika had arrived in Shamir’s office to convene what is being called “T he Prime Minister's Forum.” Surrounded by their key staff aides, Shamir. Peres and Rabin “first began to clarify with each other what they knew about it (cash from the arms deal), so there would be no misunder standing,” a source privy to the meeting recalls. They all quickly agreed that they were unaware that the money would end up with the Contras, according to a source with firsthand knowledge of the session. Then they poured over a transcript of Meese's comments. Although a quick reading yielded what Meese actually said, they needed “certain clarifications” about what the attorney general actually meant, an official asserts. Phone calls were made, and com munications exchanged with Washington. “This time,” explains a source familiar with the late- night activities, “they also called on people from outside the gov ernment who knew the States, who knew Washington, and asked their advice. That’s one of the main reasons they acted so swiftly and effectively.” “They knew they were fighting a deadline,” a key staff aide declares. “(Israeli press counsels) Baruch Binah (in New York) and Yossi Gal (in Washington) kept telephoning and telling us ‘There’s a fire here, a fire against Israel, and we must put it out—before the seven o’clock news.’” The three leaders had already per ceived that the “fire” was not in Congress “as much as in the media predicting what would happen in Congress in the days to come,” explained a source. The troika decided to consult the principals in Washington before going public. Shortly after I 1:30 Jerusalem time, 4:30 p.m. Washington time, Peres tele phoned Ed Meese himself to dis cuss the issue, and to explain that Israel would be issuing a denial. Secretary of State George Schultz was also telephoned and the out lines of the proposed statement reviewed for his approval. Both Fiasco Shultz and Meese agreed with the general outline of the Israeli denial. Rabin, Peres and Shamir then each contributed to the drafting of a spartan but clear statement. At about midnight in Jerusalem, the first draft was ready. Press advisers to all three ministers were then called in to review it. Amongthem was Eli Rubinstein, formerly consul general in Wash ington, and very familiar with the East Coast media. The draft was passed around among the advisors and “very few words were changed," avers a source familiar w ith the edited copy. “In fact,” she adds, “nothing of sub stance was taken out, only a few words for stvle." It was now nearly 12:45 in the Israeli morning, and almost 6 p.m. in the United States. “There was a great concern they couldn't finish in time to transmit the message and make the network news,” admits one of those who attended the session. But even as the last corrections were made to the declaration it was now just a few minutes before the hour— a phone call was made to press counsel Yossi Gal's direct line in the Washington embassy. Gal had been standing by all day. The call went through on the first try. Gal anxiously listened as the declaration was first read in Hebrew and then in English. The statement ended. “The gov ernment of Israel was surprised ...that part of these funds were transferred to the Contras...Israel has no knowledge of it...and is not ready to serve as a conduit for such a transfer.” Gal lost no time. He immediately telephoned the networks, who were also standing by. When the network news aired that evening, the denial was read at the top. Informed of this, the three ministers and their staffs “felt very proud that they were actually able to get the statement out by 1 a.m.,” says one of their staffers. “Given the intense polit ical dif ferences around here,” adds a source familiar with the tense efforts, “it might be called a small miracle.” c 19X6. International Features Convert ecstatic over decision concerning ‘stamp’ on passport by Joseph Polakoff I Sl\ W ashington correspondent WASHINGTON-At 6 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 2, Rabbi David Kline, the spiritual leader of Temple Shalom, a Reform con gregation in Colorado Springs, Colo., was awakened by a phone call from a joyous woman in Jer usalem with news that he des cribed as “phenomenal.” She was Shoshanna Miller, 43, who informed him that she had won her case before Israel’s Supreme court that formally recog nized.in effect, her conversion to Judaism by him four years ear lier. In a historic decision affect ing all branches of Jewry, the tribunal overturned a government ruling that would stamp the word “convert" on her passport. The court held that identifying con verts in that manner damaged Jewish unity. Under Israel’s Law of Return, all Jewish immigrants are guar anteed automatic citizenship. However, leaders within Israel's Orthodoxy sought to amend the law on the ground conversions as generally performed by non-Or- thodox rabbis were not in accor dance with Halacha, traditional THE COLONNADE RESTAURANT Established 1927 featuring New Expanded Menu “True Southern Cooking” LUNCH Tuesday-Saturday 11^00-2:30 DINNER Tuesday-Saturday 5:00-9:00 || CLOSED MONDAY Sunday 11:00-8:00 1 1 1879 Cheshire Bridge Road/874-5642 Professional & Personal Home Health Care /p sp® • RN’S, LPN’S, NAS • Homemakers • Live-in Companions • Elderly Person Aides • Crilieal Care • LI. 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Aoshef s V rils upon Request KING SPRINGS VILLAGE HEALTH CARE CENTER 404 King Springs Village Pkwy. Smyrna, Georgia 30080 (404) 432-4444 Dave Morgan, Administrator Owned B\ Henry b Barbara Grossberg Israel b Yetra Goldberg Jewish law. They therefore sought to make legal a ruling that “con vert” be stamped on the passport of an immigrant w'ho had con verted without Halachiccertifica tion. Miller, whose first name was Susan before her conversion by Rabbi Kline and who immersed herself in a mikva (ritual bath), had appealed to the supreme court to grant her official recog nition as Jewish by eliminating “convert.” Her appeal followed the failure of the Ministry of Interior in a lower court to deny her that request. Kline said Miller had telephoned him from Hebrew Union college, the Reform semi nary in Jerusalem, which he said had “guided her through the pro cess” in the legal channels. Uri Regev, her attorney, was reported in Jerusalem as saying the supreme court decision “blocks Orthodox attempts to put them (Reform and Conser vative Jews) outside the legiti mate framework of Judaism." Miller said she was “ecstatic" about the decision and it was “the end of a nightmare” for her. Marriage, divorce and conver sion are treated in Israel under Orthodox precepts. Of the three and a half million Jews in Israel, fewer than 9,000 are Reform or Conservative. In the United States they total about four million. I he number of “converts” immi grating to Israel is few. Kline, in a telephone interview, said Miller, a granddaughter of a Baptist minister, had come to Colorado Springs eight or nine years ago from a small town in mid-Missouri near Sedalia. “She gradually became more and more interested in Judaism,” Kline said. “When she came to me she already was interested in conversion and was ready in a few months.” Her first contact with Judaism was while in high school when she saw a play about Anne Frank in St. Louis and read Leon Uris’ “Exodus.” In meetings with a Jewish woman in college she became impressed with Jewish tradition and commitment. Mas tering liturgical Hebrew, she served as cantor for three years at Temple Sholem before going to Israel. “She is a tremendous chazzanit,” Kline said. Temple Shalom, where Kline has been serving for I 1 vears. has a congregation of about 350 fa milies. o American Heart Association WE RE FIGHTING FOR VQUR LIFE