Page 3-THE NEWS-November, 1988
Opinions and Commentaries
Is There a Boycott on Tourism?
When Jews are Suffering and
Dying, It is Time to Act
By Dr. Marilyn Gootman
Are we American Jews fair
weather friends of Israel? It
certainly seems that way right
now. More successful than £my
Arab boycott is the current
boycott of Israel by American
Jews.
Oh, how proud we have been
of her economic and military
accomplishments. Our self
esteem shot up with the suc
cessful establishment of our
own Jewish state. We “kvelled”
as her outstanding agricul
tural products became known
throughout the world.
But now, Israel’s image has
been tarnished. Israel has
reacted with force to the
Palestinian uprising. The
media have sensationalized
this tragic situation and have
portrayed Israel as an op
pressor who beats and tor
tures Palestinians. We have
been appaUed and raised our
voices in protest.
And Israel has listened and
continues to listen. But the
media have neglected to por
tray Israeli efforts to rectify
the situation. The media have
neglected to portray the
severity of the stresses that
are overwhelming 18 and
19-year-old boys as well as the
entire Jewish population of
Israel.
No, we should not condone
cruel and unjust behavior. No,
we should not blindly agree
with everything Israel does
just because she is Israel. Yes,
we must encourage a solution
that acknowledges the rights
of the Palestinian victims. But
we must also not abandon the
Jewish state.
We aU know that loved ones
need our help and support in
times of trouble. Whether we
condone their behavior or not,
our presence is essential for
successful recovery. Israel
needs our presence now.
Fear not for your safety.
Life proceeds as normal within
the pre-1967 borders.
Visiting Israel is definitely
safer than visiting many large
cities throughout the United
States. Would you cancel a
trip to New York or Los
Angeles because of elevated
crime statistics? UnUkely. So
why cancel a trip to Israel?
In fact, Tel Aviv is far safer
than most major U.S. cities
and even small towns. While
my daughter was safely walk
ing home from parties in Tel
Aviv at 1 a.m. with her Israeli
friends this spring, some of her
friends were mugged at 9 p.m.
right outside a downtown
Athens, Georgia movie the
ater.
Yes, caution is necessary in
Letters to the Editor
CJN Was Great Help to Project
Thank you so much for
printing HaLailah BBW’s
Soviet Jewry articles in their
entirety. Your generous con
sideration has given us the at
tention that we need in order
to make this a conscience sub
ject not stored away as nor
mal. Our letter writing was a
success. We wrote 100 letters.
People are getting responses
from government officials. We
also acquired three {>eople to
serve on the Soviet Jewry
Task Force of the Federation.
Again, edl this has happened
with the help of our Jewish
News articles. Thank you!
— Linda Spil
We encourage our
readers’ viewpoints. Let
ters should be submitted
typewritten and double
spaced and signed. Please
include your address and
phone numt>er. We reserve
the right to edit.
areas affected by the Intifada,
but as a general rule, you can
roeun the streets of Israel far
more szifely than you can roam
the streets of your own home
town.
Israel is suffering tremen
dous economic hardship
because of the large decline in
tourism by American Jews.
(Europeans and Christian
Americans are still coming
though with some decline.)
Shops are closing, hotels are
on the verge of failure, and
many workers in the tourist in
dustry are losing their jobs.
By boycotting Israel at this
crucial time, we are aiding the
Intifada. Israel can survive
the rocks and stones, but not
the abandonment of American
Jews.
Our Israeli brethren need
our support. Now is the time
to visit your friends and
relatives. Talk with them.
Discuss your concerns direct
ly with the voters. Say what
you like, but be with them.
Now is the time to prove our
commitment to a Jewish home
land. If not now, when?
•
Dr. Gootman is on the facul
ty of the University of Geor
gia, specializing in early child
hood development. She and
her family recently spent
several months in Israel,
where her husband Dr. Elliott
Gootman, professor, graduate
studies-theoretical math of the
University of Georgia, was a
visiting professor at Hebrew
University in Tel Aviv. The
Gootmans are the niece and
nephew of Charlotteans Baila
and John Pransky.
toliUfecwo
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In unprecedented unity, 15
key leaders of the Ethiopian
community have met with the
former Israeli Ambassador to
Ethiopia, representatives from
the World Union of Jewish
students (WUJS) and other
leading Jewish activists to
launch a petition for family
reunification of separated
Ethiopian families.
A committee for the reuni
fication of Ethiopian Jewish
families was formed which
hopes to set innovative and
dramatic directions for an
enhancement for quiet diplo
macy. The Ethiopian comu
ni ty aims to motivate Israeli
and Diaspora Jewry into tak
ing a more active and vocal
part in a family reunification
campaign.
Currently, three and a half
years after Operation Moses,
an estimated 10,000 Ethiopian
Jews are still trapped in
Ethiopia. They are mostly
women, children, the elderly
and the infirm.
For those in Israel, separa
tion from immediate family
has caused severe emotional
trauma. About 1500 children
are separated from their
parents; many husbands left
behind wives; brothers and
sisters have been parted. Their
despair affects every aspect of
their new life and positive
absorption.
Already, 11,000 signatures
to the petition have been col
lected by the American Asso
ciation for Ethiopian Jews in
the United States. The peti
tion reads: “We, the under
signed, citizens ,
from all walks of life appeal to
the government of Ethiopia to
express our shock and deep
concern about Ethiopian Jews
who are denied their right to
join their children, fathers and
mothers living in other coun
tries. Ethiopia, as a co
signatory of the Universal
Declaration of Human Rights
of the United Nations, is oblig
ed to abide by its clause per
mitting and assisting the
unification of families
separated by migration — a
principle accepted and re
spected by all civilized govern
ments and members of the in
ternational conununity of na
tions. We implore the govern
ment of Ethiopia to heed the
biblical supplication; Let my
people go.”
Support is needed for this
world-wide effort. Those in
terested in distributing the
petition and gathering
signatures of support can con
tact: Committee for Family
Reunification, P.O.B. 7914,
Jerusalem, Israel, tel:
02-639-314; or Morton Mar
cus, 4995 SW 82d St., Miami,
FI., tel: 305-665-2507.
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