F^age 2-THE NEWS-'Jurie/July 1993
Middle East Peace Talks: An Historic Opportunity
THE CHARLOTTE JEWISH HEWS
5007 Providence Road, Charlotte, NC 28226
366-5007 Fax 365-4507
Published by:
Jewish Federation of Greater Charlotte ... Daniel Z. Lepow, Director
Jewish Community Center Barry Hantman, Director
Lubavitch of N.C Rabbi Yossi Groner, Director
Editor Rita Mond
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By Gad YaacobI
^ Guest Editorial ])
The Importance of Jewish Community
By Rosalind Taranto
One of Webster’s dictionary definitions of community
is “a group of people with a common character or interest
living together within a larger society.” The definition
of Jewish is “The cultural, social and religious beliefs
and practices of the Jews—the whole body of Jews equals
the Jewish people.”
We are all members of the great Charlotte commu
nity—earning our livelihoods, enjoying cultural arts,
sending our children to schools and universities, and
taking part in many other community activities and
events we all take for granted.
But—are we also a part of the smaller community,
the Jewish community—or are we letting the Jewish
community in Charlotte become a community in crisi"?
Are we each as active in our smaller Jewish world as
we are in the larger world?
We learn who we are and what we want to do not
only from the larger community as a whole but also
from the microcosm of the Jewish community. Each
of us has a share and a stake in its survival, not only
for ourselves but for future generations.
As we American Jews have become more assimilated,
we have begun to have many of the same problems that
for years were not prevalent in Jewish communities. Now
there are Jews dealing with alcohol abuse, drug abuse,
child abuse and molestation. We have Jews living in
single parent homes. And we have an intermarriage rate
of 52%. Problems we perhaps used to think of as
problems the non-Jews had are now problems existing,
within our own Charlotte Jewish community.
The survival of a strong Jewish community is a must.
The will to survive, and to survive as Jews with roots
in Jewish values, has always been central to the Jewish
people. It was not just the shtetl Jews who needed a
strong Jewish community in the past to survive. We
American Jews need it too.
The Jewish community is often the only stability some
family units have. It can provide an extended “nurturing
family” for our children, as well as for ourselves.
Sometimes, especially in these days so full of change
and uncertainty in the world, it is the only constant
denominator in our lives.
Those of us who serve on the Editorial Board of The
Charlotte Jewish News want this paper to mirror this
community. We want The CJN to be the place you turn
to when you want to be informed about what is available
and happening in our area. This paper can be a forum
where ideas are shared, an educational tool, and an
attention-getter for our Jewish organizations. But we
need YOU to be part of our CJN community. We ask
for your support so we can reflect what Charlotte Jewish
community has been, is now, and will be in the future.
We know our past. We participate in the present. But
each of us can ensure the future of the Charlotte Jewish
community. Use The CJN as your link to our Jewish
community. Give us your feedback and your input. Let’s
work together to make The CJN our “Charlotte Jewish
Network.”
NEW YORK (JTA) — At
last, after four months, the
Middle East peace talks have
resumed. Various minor and
marginal issues were finally
removed to make room for the
major issue: What kind of future
will the people of the Middle
East have?
After six wars, hundreds of
thousands of casualties, im
mense human suffering and a
catastrophic waste of precious
resources, a window has opened
for what is perhaps a unique and
historic opportunity.
We must grab this opportu
nity before it slips away.
The most significant challenge
for Israel and for the countries
of the region is to make a
breakthrough toward peace and
reconciliation.
I believe that it is an irrevers
ible process. Syria, Lebanon,
Jordan and the Palestinians
hopefully will not miss this
opportunity. There is no alter
native to peace, and especially
not in the Middle East.
The changing of the guards
and of the governments in the
United States and in Israel were
nent of maintaining peaceful
relations among states. The
existence of a democratic gov
ernment is the central guarantee
for preventing violence and
aggression.
Never has one democracy
declared war upon another de
mocracy. This was not a result
of chance, rather, it was a result
of the nature of democracies.
Therefore, democratization is
not just a political and moral
issue. It is directly tied to the
existence of peace and stability.
Just 40 to 45 of the 181 member
states of the United Nations are
democracies.
The Middle East might be
called “the land of lost oppor
tunities.” Lost opportunities
have carried a very heavy and
painful price for the peoples of
the Middle East. Now we have
a chance to change the situation
and to create a new and better
future for all.
The potential fruits of peace
are immense, such as a reduction
in the cost of defense and in arms
procurement, open borders,
trade and tourism, and invest
ment in educational, health and
scientific development.
Instead of exchanging insults
a change of agenda, which in
Israel means a change in the
scale of priorities.
The present government of
Israel is committed to achieving
peace and security, instead of to
the Greater Israel approach. It
is concentrating on absorbing
new immigrants and building a
modern economy and a progres
sive society.
Its goal is to maintain Israel
as a democratic state and the
homeland of the Jewish people,
based on equality of human
rights.
But too many states in the
Middle East are still putting
their resources, their human
energies and their creativity to
waste by continuing to pursue
conflict.
If all those resources would
instead be devoted to investment
in human capital and economic
development, we could be im
proving lives rather than ending
them.
If we invest in health, educa
tion and science instead of
military hardware, then the
Middle East could one day be
free from hunger and illiteracy.
The other key to progress is
democracy. Unfortunately, Isra
el is negotiating with countries
which are non-democratic. De
mocracy is an essential compo
and bullets, the people of the
Middle East could be exchang
ing technology and know-how.
Instead of investing in the wea
pons of war, together we could
be enjoying the prosperity of
peace.
A peaceful environment could
free up $30 billion annually from
the cost of defense for progress
and development. Moreover, it
will also allow development in
six major new directions:
•The establishment of a Mid
dle East Common Market.
•The creation of joint ven
tures, based upon integrated
knowledge, capital and mineral
resources from both inside and
outside the region.
•The establishment of an
integrated network of infrastruc
ture for ports, airports, railways
and energy plants.
•The opening of borders for
tourism.
•The promotion of coopera
tion in the fields of health,
professional training, knowl
edge, technology and agricul
ture.
•The removal of all sorts of
boycotts.
Some progress has already
been made in previous rounds
of the peace talks between Israel
and its Arab neighbors, but we
still have a long way to go.
Rosalind Taranto is cochair o/'Thc CJN Editorial Board.
NOTICE
There is no issue of The CJN in July
Deadline for August issue is July 9
With Jordan, a mutual work
ing agenda was signed, and we
believe that the differences be-
. tween our two countries can be
bridged.
The negotiations with Syria
are focusing on the real issues
of security, peace and borders.
The prime minister has stated
that Israel is ready for a partial
withdrawal on the Golan
Heights in the framework of a
full peace treaty, based on U.N.
Security Council Resolution
242.
For the first time, serious
negotiations are being conduct
ed, on the basis of the Camp
David accords and new Israeli
proposals, with the Palestinians.
The goal is to establish an
interim self-governing autono
my for three to five years. Then,
negotiations will take place
concerning the final settlement.
Israeli proposals envision
democratic elections to an ad
ministrative council as part of
the interim arrangements. The
council members would be ac
countable to their electorate,
and would discharge their desig
nated functions in the frame
work of the agreement.
Such elections would be un
precedented for the Palestinians,
and the mode of governing
would be based upon the pres
ervation of the right of free
assembly, free expression and
secret ballots.
The current opportunity to
make progress toward peace is
perhaps a one-time opportunity.
I do hope that it will not be yet
another missed opportunity.
It is the task of all the parties
to create a new Middle East and
a better future for its peoples.
The time has come.
•
Gad Yaacobi is Israel's am
bassador to the United Nations
and a former cabinet minister
and member of Knesset.
Jewish Poetry Award
Entrants Sought
Writers wishing to enter the
seventh annual Anna Davidson
Rosenberg Award for Poems on
the Jewish Experience write
before July 31, 1993 for entry
form and guidelines to Poetry
Award, Judah Magnes Muse
um, 2911 Russell St., Berkeley,
CA 94705, enclosing a stamped
self-addressed envelope.
The Rosenberg Award was
established by the Magnes Mu
seum and the descendants of
community volunteer leader
Anna Davidson Rosenberg to
encourage poetry on Jewish
themes and identity. Each year,
poets from throughout the world
enter the competition, open only
to unpublished poems written in
English.
Awards include a first prize of
$100, second prize of $50, third
prize of $25, and Honorable
Mentions. In addition, poets
under age 19 may also be con
sidered for Youth Commenda
tions and poets 65 and above
may also compete for a Senior
Award. There will be an awards
ceremony/reading at the
Magnes during Chanukah.
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