Page 2-THE NEWS-January 1994
Guest Editorial ])
A Matter of Life and Death
By Rabbi Yossi Groner
The Lubavitcher Rebbe’s position of nCt trading land for peace
has been strong, unequivocal and unchanging. Many have thought
that the Rebbe’s position comes from wanting to retain or encourage
the Biblical borders of the Holy Land. But this is not the reason.
It is clearly and simply, as the Rebbe has stated scores of times,
a matter of life and death.
A prominent Israeli Rabbi recently told reporters, that he now
admits that when the Lubavitcher Rebbe used to speak about
holding on to every inch of territory, there were many of us who
thought that this stemmed from some kind of messianic redemption
ideology. We failed to grasp his real message that it is “a matter
of life or death” without any consideration involved.
The peace plan cannot and will not control terrorist groups like
Hamas, Hizbollah, and factions of the PLO who are sworn to
our destruction. We must remember that no terrorist organization
(except one faction of the PLO) has agreed to any of the terms
of the negotiation. In fact, all of them have sworn to oppose it.
And while some would have us believe that only the “settlers”
are at risk, these terrorists thirst for the elimination of all Jewish
people in Israel, not just those living in the “territories.” With Israel’s
borders reduced, Ashkelon, Tel Aviv, Haifa—all of Israel—each
Israeli home will be in range of a terrorist katushya rocket.
A katushya rocket has a range of 30 miles, far enough to strike
every city in Israel from its pre-1967 border. A katushya rocket
can be carried to a hilltop on the back of a donkey and fired
with a metal tube and car battery. It can and will be smuggled
through dozens of pathways and seaports.
Israel will be only nine miles wide at its most populated area.
Each flight to and from Ben Gurion Airport will be a target. This
is not an issue for settlers only. Every Israeli, every tourist and
visitor will be at risk.
If the Golan, Samaria and Judea are surrendered, all of Israel
is vulnerable to attack, left without protection from its enemies.
The Golan provides Israel’s only barrier against Syria. From its
heights every hostile move can be detected. Control of its mountain
roads allows us to repel enemy troop and tank movements. Without
it, military experts agree, we are helpless.
Judea and Samaria create a barrier to attacking armies from
the east. Its mountains are home to our early warning radar. This
span of West Bank land affords precious seconds for our Air Force
to repel any attack.
The U.S. Department of Defense, in a recently declassified report,
stated that “without these areas for defense, Israel’s vulnerability
would be a temptation for Arab attack.”
So strategic are these areas to Israel’s security that the U.S.,
in its desire for Mideast stability, is offering its troops on the Golan,
and perhaps in the West Bank as well.
But can we count on America to protect us when terrorists attack
or, G-d forbid, the treaty fails? How many U.S. soldiers will
G-d forbid, sacrifice their lives at the hands of terrorists before
America sends her brave young sons home?
The war of Arab against Jew is not political. It is an Islamic
religious war dedicated to the destruction of the Jewish people
and the Land of Israel. This enmity will not be legislated by a
political struggle to maintain power. Israel was created in strength
out of a need for strength. Peace was not its purpose; protection
of the Jewish people was and should still be.
This peace once again places Jews at risk for their lives. All
Jews, not just the “settlers.” Israel’s goal should be Israel’s
preservation. A preservation based on strength. Based on the
wisdom of history. Based on truth, not on wishful, naive thinking.
Silence is being taken for consent. But if the Jews of Israel value
safety and security, if the Jews of the Diaspora value having a
refuge and homeland, then all Jews must voice their protest against
this travesty. All Jews, not just settlers.
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH NEWS
5007 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28226
366-5007 Fax 365-4507
Published by:
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte ... Daniel Z. Lepow, Director
Jewish Communitv Center Alan Feldman, Director
Lubavitch of N.C Rabbi Yossi Groner, Director
Editor Rita Mond
Advertising Rep Larry Levy
CJN Executive Board
Rosalind Taranto, chair
Evelyn Berger, Cynthia Chapman, Bob Davis, Sis Kaplan,
Susan Kramer, Ann Langman, Linda Levy, Elaine Schefflin,
Dr. Selwyn Spangenthal, Barry Wohl
MEMBER
FtDBWTlOICJ
Publishad monthly •xc«pt for July
Copy deadline the 10th of each month
preceding month of issue
TW CJN does act asMinc respoasibilitv for tkc qaality or kashnith
of aay prodect or acrvice advcrtMed. No articles or advertisemeats
may be repriated wvitboat editor’s aatborizatioa.
PabHsliiaa of a paid political advcrtiseaMat does aot coastitate aa
eadorseaMat of aay caadidate, political party or political positioa bv
this aewspaper, the Federatioa or aay eaiployees.
From
The Director’s Desk
Daniel Z. Lepow
Each month I sit here and
ponder, “What motivational
message can I deliver? Go out
and give to the Federation’s
Annual Campaign! Join the
JCC! Become a member of a
synagogue! Get involved!”
We are beginning a new Cam
paign and I can write volumes
about the needs of the Jewish
community. Anyone who sat
through the allocations process
and heard the presentations
from our many agencies under
stands how important each one
is to the future of our commu
nity. We are now developing a
plan to enable all who wish to
tour our agencies and learn of
their importance. In the mean
time, turn to the pages listing all
the JCC programs, look at the
pictures and read the stories of
our children at the Charlotte
Jewish Preschool, and read the
“Thoughts from Adrienne,” our
JFS Director. These are all made
possible because of your gift.
This month we bring together
our drive to seek contributions
to support our community agen
cies and Temples at the annual
UJA/Federation Shabbat. The
Federation’s annual fund drive
is part of our Jewish tradition
of tzedakah. It operates in
conjunction with what we learn
from our Rabbis, enabling us to
help those in need not only in
Charlotte but around the world.
This is our opportunity to reach
out to save Jewish lives in the
former Soviet Union. They do
not have the resources to save
themselves and it is our job to
enable them to live as Jews in
Israel.
How do we teach the meaning
of tzedakah to our children?
Where do our teenagers go to
learn of the Jewish people out
side of Shalom Park? The an
swer is Israel. Years ago when
I began attending the Israel
Experience seminars at national
Jewish conventions, only a
Letters to the Editor )
A Nose is a Nose is a Nose
Re: Jews by Choice Column
“The Search for a Proper Answer
by Mary Hofmann,
Dec. *93 Issue, p. 18
Let me “nosedive” into my
reaction to the above article which
addresses “classifying people by
the size of their nose.” A brand
new member of your community,
the subject hit a sensitive area in
personal past experience. As Ms.
Hofmann described it, her so-
called selfless volunteer acquain
tance felt ii was “an established
fact unencumbered by connota
tions of prejudice”... big nose,
therefore, Jewish.
Here’s my submission of the
New Year’s gift so fervently de
sired by Mary, albeit a bit belated.
Education? Amusing? Insulting? I
don’t know that they accommo
date all the areas she requested.
You be the judge.
How about employing any or
all of these as a retort?
Caught a glimpse of Yasir
Arafat in profile lately?
Did you know Pinocchio’s
surname was Greenberg?
He wasn’t telling lies at all. It
was just his Jewishness coming out
as he expressed himself so glibly.
And the anteater... definitely of
Semitic origin, n’est pas?
With tongue in cheek, not up
my nose...
—Bernice Cohan
We encoura^ our readers' viewpoints.
Letters shcMjId be submitted typevn^,
do(k)le-spaced and si{^. Please in
clude address and phone number.
Names withheld upon request We re-
sen^e the right to edit
handful of people attended.
Now, it’s standing room only.
There are so many great pro
grams for teens that the move
ment for sending teenagers to
Israel is perhaps one of the most
popular among Jewish rabbinic
and educational leaders. On
Sunday, Jan. 2, at II a.m. in
Gorelick Hall, Federation host
ed a special event for teenagers
to be aware of all the opportun
ities.
I must admit that while I am
committed to sending as many
teenagers to Israel as possible,
I am now missing my son Jesse
who is spending the year at a
kibbutz in the Galil. It is a
wonderful feeling to have a call
from your son who went to
Jerusalem with a friend for the
weekend or had been climbing
in the Golan with his class. In
my heart I know that we did
right for our son, but a year
course may not be the thing for
all teens. I am convinced, how
ever, that there is a program for
each person. The variety of
programs is astounding and you
will be amazed at the options
offered by so many Jewish
organizations. If you did not
attend with your teens and pre-
teens and are interested in these
programs, please call me. What
better motivational message can
I send? Invest in Jewish conti
nuity—investigate Israel pro
grams!
Deadline Dates
Jan. 10 for Feb.
Feb. 1 for March
Mar. 10 for April
ZOA Calls for Pressure on Arafat to Fulfill Promises
The government of Israel
decided to recognize the PLO as
the representative of the Pales
tinian people on Sept. 9, 1993,
after Yasir Arafat fulfilled three
conditions: 1) He declared that
the PLO recognized Israel; 2) he
renounced terrorism and as
sumed responsibility for all PLO
elements and personnel to insure
their compliance; and 3) he
promised to revoke the provi
sions of its convenant that call
for the destruction of the Jewish
State. Now, nearly four months
later, it is clear that Arafat has
failed to deliver on the second
and third commitments.
During this same period,
Israel has unilaterally taken a
number of confidence-building
measures in the interest of peace,
including the release of hundreds
of Palestinian prisoners and the
easing of travel restrictions in the
territories. These gestures have
not been reciprocated. On the
contrary, the PLO has increased
its demands and called for the
intensification of the Arab boy
cott against Israel.
Meanwhile, PLO violence
continues. Authorities publicly
confirmed that members of
Arafat’s Fatah faction were
involved in the murder of a
Jewish settler. After intense
pressure from Israel and the
United States, Arafat con
demned this act of terror, but
the incident was not isolated.
Every week since the Israeli-
Palestinian Declaration of Prin
ciples was signed, violent attacks
have been made against Jews in
Israel and the territories. While
some of these may be attributed
to Islamic fundamentalists who
vigorously oppose the peace
process, others were made by
members of PLO factions based
in Damascus. These groups have
showed no hesitancy^bout claim
ing “credit” for the murder of
Jews. According to Arafat’s prom
ise, he is responsible for all
elements of the PLO, not just
Fatah, and therefore must be held
accountable for the violence.
Furthermore, Arafat has taken
no steps toward revoking the
Palestinian covenant. A two-
thirds majority of the Palestine
National Council is required to
amend the covenant. We are told
that Arafat has not convened the
PNC because he does not have
the votes to win. If this is true,
then it is clear he does not have
the support of the members of
the PLO for the declarations he
has made.
ZOA agrees with the growing
number of Israelis, most recently
the Deputy Defense Minister,
who have said the PLO’s inabil
ity to stop the violence against
Jews imperils the implementations
of the Declaration of Principles.
ZOA believes that if the PLO
terrorism does not cease, the
agreement cannot be implemented
without severely jeopardizing the
security of Israelis.
The Zionist Organization of
America calls on the United
States government to make clear
to the PLO that continued
violence is contrary to the letter
and spirit of the agreement it
signed with Israel and that
failure to live up to its obligation
to stop terror and revoke the
covenant will jeopardize diplo
matic relations and the prospect
for economic assistance.