Pag§10-Th9N§w$‘Junt/Jufy, 1995
International Dateline
Three Israeli Journalists Offer
Differing Views On Mideast
Issues
NEW YORK — Three veteran correspondents for Israeli publications took part in a forum on the Middle
East and what emerged were three differing views on the peace process and Israel’s future.
The meeting, sponsored by the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish Organizations,
featured David Makovsky, Middle East correspondent for U.S. News and World Report and the Jerusalem
Post; Avinoam Bar-Yosef, American bureau chief for Ma’ariv, and Akiva Eldar, U.S. bureau chief for
Ha’aretz. The forum was moderated by Mortimer B. Zuckerman, editor-in-chief of U. S. News
and World Report and publisher of the New York Daily News.
Mr. Makovsky, acknowledging that Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin is in trouble, noted
that his policies would prove beneficial in the long run but are politically costly to him in
the short term. He said Mr. Rabin ‘s aims are Middle East peace, economic prosperity
and a more democratic political system “which will turn out to be major achievements,
yet the polls show that if an election were held today, he would lose.”
Mr. Bar-Yosef, who described himself as “non-political,” said he was not optimis
tic about a quick settlement between Israel and Syria. He cited a recent meeting be
tween President As sad and Senator Hank Brown (R-Col.) who reported that the Syrian
leader had indicated he would not sign an agreement with Israel until the Jewish State
had accepted Arab demands regarding Jerusalem and agreed to sign the nuclear non
proliferation treaty.
‘Some problems don’t have a solution.
Terrorism is one of them. ”
He added that Assad had made it clear to Senator Brown that the Golan Heights was not the critical issue
it has been widely heralded to be, since it had no real “topographical advantage” for Syria.
Mr. Eldar, the third participant, suggested that Israel and the U.S. had been unrealistic in expecting Yasir
Arafat to disarm Hamas and the Islamic Jihad and establish a Westem-style democracy. He said the tragic
bombing in Oklahoma City “Proves that we have a lot of meshuganas around,” in the United States and in
Israel, but he predicted that “terrorism will not change Israel’s attitude toward peace, just as Oklahoma will
not change American attitudes toward individual rights,” Mr. Eldar added: “Some problems don’t have a
solution. Terrorism is one of them. ”
President Clinton and Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin Attend The
36th AlPAC
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photo by Le« Stahlsworth
President Clinton addresses over 2,500 pro-Israel activists at the 36th Annual
Policy Conference of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).
The session marked the first appearance by a U.S. President at AIPAC’s annual
gathering and the first joint appearance by the two leaders before a private
audience.
Numbers Don’t
Count: JDC In
Algeria
After more than half a century of assistance to Jews in Algeria, the
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) recently closed
its Algiers office. However, it continues to provide fmancial aid to seven
elderly Jews enabling them to live out their lives in dignity.
JDC’s involvement in Algeria shows its commitment not to aban
don a Jewish community no matter how small it has become. When
JDC began working in Algeria in 1941 under the Vichy regime, Algeria
was home to approximately 125,000 Jews out of a total population of
7,250,000.
The Jews of Algeria were able to meet their own emergency needs
until October 1940 when the local Jewish Refugee Commit
tee was forced to appeal to JDC. During World War II and
the early post-war years, JDC’s relief efforts focused
on distributions to the needy, support for local medi
cal institutions, and recreational services in summer
camps for children.
In 1949 JDC set up a tent colony just outside
Algiers and another transient center in a refur
bished hotel in the capital for Israel-bound refu
gees from Morocco, Tunisia, and southern Algeria.
JDC rushed in clothing from Europe and opened
an emergency clinic for the treatment of contagious
eye (trachoma), scalp (favus) and other diseases.
In subsequent years JDC activities included a feed
ing program, grants to an Algiers dispensary, support for
education, vocational training, youth activities, and small
cash relief assistance. After Algeria b^ame independent in 1962,
JDC recently closed its Algiers office.
However, it continues to provide
financial aid to seven el(terty Jews
enabling them toJive out their
//ves in dignity.
many Jews left for France and Israel. The local Jewish community or
ganizations collapsed. JDC then created the Jewish social welfare or
ganization CASl to run its assistance program. Emergency programs
were instituted in the larger cities, caring for the sick, elderly, and handi
capped people left stranded by the exodus.
In Algiers, CASI concentrated its efforts on the upkeep of a can
teen and shelter. Throughout the country regular cash disbursements
and matzoth distribution for the Pesach holidays took place. JDC also
secured free United States ^ovemment-support^ food supplies through
the intermediary of the Catholic Relief Services and international vol
untary agencies.
JDC maintains a strong relationship with the Catholic order of The
Little Sisters of the Poor, who care for the health needs of the remain
ing assistees, who all have the necessary papers in case they need to
leave.
Witnesses To Executions
In Byelorussia During
World War II Are Being
Sought By The
Anti-Defamation League
New York, NY...Witnesses
with direct knowledge of execu
tions by the German SS and
gendarmerie in Novogrodek,
Byelorussia—now the Republic of
Belarus—during December 1941
to February 1943 are being sought
by the Anti-Defamation League
(ADD.
Elliot Welles, Director if the
ADL Nazi War Criminals Task
Force, said their search is in re
sponse to a request from the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police’s War
Crimes and Special Investigations
Section (RCMP). The unit inves
tigates Canadian residents who
involved in war
crimes or crimes against human
ity during World War II.
Those with specific informa
tion should contact: Elliot Welles,
Director, ADL Task Force on Nazi
War Criminals, 823 United Na
tions Plaza, New York, NY 10017,
telephone (212) 885-7769. The
RCMP requests that you call col
lect at 613-990-8467 and ask for
investigator Corporal Ken LaVoie,
or write to: Commanding Officer,
A Division, Royal Canadian
Mounted Police, 155 McArthur
Ave, Vanier, Ontario, Canada,
K1A0R4, Att: War Crimes and
Special Investigation Section.