Page 3-THE NEWS-February, 1988
Opinions and Commentaries
The Israel Paradox
By Alan Kronovet
For forty years Israel has
fought bravely and in defiance
of the odds for both her
democracy and world opinion.
Five wars and twenty years of
occupation later, both are
threatened. The need for a
democratic Jewish homeland
and the occupation of an
evergrowing Palestinian pop
ulation creates the Israeli
paradox. The Western World
views civil liberties and
political rights as the proper
ty of all people regardless of
race or ethnic background.
Israel, however, can not allow
its Arab population demo
cratic rights within its borders
for fear of losing its Jewish
identity. The question then
becomes what can be done to
help bring about £in equitable
£irrangement for coexistence.
The latest uprisings in the
occupied territories create a
new challenge for American
Jewry. Our support for Israel
must remain unwavering. No
longer can we sit idly by emd
watch Israel’s place in the
world be diminished by dic
tators and thugs via United
Nations resolutions and by the
negative popular opinion of
the United States mobilized
due to television coverage.
We, as American Jews, must
help Israel find a resolution to
Israeli Embassy
The Embassy of Israel in
Washington hosted on
January 12, a special tribute
to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
This is the fourth consecutive
year that the Israeli Embassy
held a commemorative pro
gram and reception in Dr.
King’s memory. As in
previous years, this year’s pro
gram was held with the
cooperation of the Dr. Martin
Luther King, Jr. Federal Holi
day Commission and the
Jewish National Fund of
America.
The ceremony included a
presentation by the Jewish
National Fund, in which it
honored a number of promi
nent civil rights leaders with
special certificates, recording
for posterity the trees that
have been planted in their
names in the Martin Luther
King, Jr. Memorial Forest in
the Galilee. The list of
honorees includes figures such
as Benjamin Hooks, Execu
tive Director of the NAACP
and James Farmer, founder
and former Executive Director
call
366-5007
the conflict. Without our input
Israel will lose the good will of
the American public.
Americans follow the moral-
ism of television. If it seems
immoral on the news, then a
ground swell of sentiment to
correct the apparent injustice
develops. During the past year
Israel has been losing on the
American moralist front. The
Pollard case, the Iran-Contra
affair and now the uprising, as
seen on American TV, have
done much to damage Israel’s
special place in the American
mind. Americans want to sup
port Israel and her real con
cerns for security based on
morality; however, the images
on the evening news diminish
Israel’s moral standing.
The nature of the conflict
has changed. No longer are the
Palestinians an “Arab prob
lem” but now are an Israeli
problem. Twenty years of oc
cupation has led to frustration
on both sides. Israel emd the
Palestinians both have waited
for the same hero to solve their
problem, and yet, the Arab
world lacked the courage to
come forward and help their
Arab brothers and negotiate
in good faith with Israel.
Because of this abdication of
responsibility, the traditional
Arab leaders are now irrele
vant. The Palestinieins in the
occupied territories realize this
of CORE. In addition, there
was a ceremonial “torch pass
ing” from the current genera
tion of civil rights leaders who
knew and worked with Dr,
King, to the future generation.
The gathering was addressed
by Ambassador Moshe Arad,
as well as by Congressman
John Lewis of Georgia.
As in each of the previous
years, as many as 500 guests
attended the reception, in
cluding diplomats, local digni
taries and leaders of the black
and Jewish communities.
“Martin Luther King, Jr.
will long be remembered and
admired in Israel as a univer-
and so must we.
The riots might not be spon
taneous, but no longer are the
Palestinians allowing them
selves to be pawns for the
Arab leaders who have ab^-
doned them. Like all op
pressed people they are taking
matters into their own hands.
Unfortunately violence begets
violence and the conflicts ar
rive into American homes in
full “living and dying” color.
The images seen on the even
ing news are similar to the
scenes of South African op
pression that horrified
Americans. The comparison is
unfair, but is being made and
we should find this very
troubling.
The first thing American
Jewry must do is stop using
the lack of action by the Arab
world as a justification for
Israeli behavior. Watching
Morris Abram, chairman of
the Conference of Presidents
of Major American Jewish
Organizations, on the
MacNeil-Lehrer news hour
repeating the same old com
plaints of Jews makes me won
der if our leadership can adapt
to an ever-changing political
climate. It is true that no ma
jor Arab leader has come forth
and Israel is still left to deal
with the Palestinians. The
longer she waits the more dif
ficult it will become.
sal symbol of reconciliation, as
an articulate friend of Israel
and Zionism, and as a strong
opponent of racism and anti-
Semitism,” stated Asher
Naim, the Embassy’s Infor
mation Minister, who served
as cochairman of the tribute,
together with William Lucy,
International Secretary-
Treasurer of the American
Federation of State, County
and Municipal Employee
(AFSCME). “We hope,” Naim
continued, “that the programs
that we have been sponsoring
will serve to recall his legacy,
and be a fitting tribute to Dr.
King’s memory.”
Some suggest we rule with
£m even harsher hand, but we
have seen the failure of that
policy. Others suggest that
Israel just leave the occupied
territories and see if £uiy Arab
comes forth and accepts re
sponsibility. Clearly this
would leave Israel in an ex
tremely vulnerable position.
The current state of anarchy
in the territories would be ripe
for an ironfisted military
teikeover, under the disguise of
liberation, by a hostile and
threatening Arab leader.
The Israelis should attempt
to find leadership in the ter
ritories with which to deal. In
order to do so, the government
can no longer deport those
who may have helped instigate
the riots. These people may
represent em opportunity to
find accommodation and per
haps resolution. Fear of the
PLO, Syria or Islamic fun
damentalism in connection
with these uprisings, however
valid, will no longer be a
justification for the lack of
progress in the eyes of the
world. Deportation of Pales
tinians represents missed op
portunities for an end to the
violence and continues to
erode Israel’s moral position in
the West. Israel must work
with Palestinians in the ter
ritories to find common
ground.
We, in America, have to
become involved in the debate.
The American Jewish commu
nity is more than just a finan
cial resource for Israel. At the
time of crisis, our support for
Israel must include participa
tion in the process. If we don’t
help to find a solution we are
in danger of becoming ineffec
tual on the American political
scene, which would be more
detrimental to Israel than a
Palestinian state on the West
Bank. Positive movement
must be offered by the Is
raelis, either initiated by Israel
herself or through American
Jewish influence on Israel,
otherwise William Buckley
may be correct when he wrote
“More of the same, I predict,
will lose Israel over time the
basic sympathy one feels for
it.”
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