1985-09-27.Pdf

R . I . Jewish Historic al Inside: Assoc iation 11 130 sessions Street From The Editor, page 4 Providence , RI 02906 Around Town, page 8 [ .,r! THE ONLY ENGLISH-JEWISH WEEKLY IN RI AND SOUTHEAST MASS VOLUME LXXII, NUMBER 43 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1986 30e PER COPY After Mengele: Legal And Japan-Israel Relations Warm Up by Jim Benhberg Illegal Hunt Continues (JSPS) TOKYO - Israeli Foreign Minister Yitzchak Shamir'e recent visit to by Larry Cobler Japan is concrete evidence that Japan is (JSPS) - Josef Mengele may now be warming up its ties with Israel as part of dead, but the hunt for Nazi war criminals an effort to take a more active political in the United States remains very much role in the Middle East, Japanese and alive, the nation's chief prosecutor of such Israeli diplomata say. criminals assured a Jewish audience in "We are testing the waters," said New York recently. Kunisada Ku.me, deputy director-generaJ A corpse widely accepted as Mengele's of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's bureau was unearthed in Brazil last June. But of Middle Eaatern and African Affairs. Neal Sher, director of the Justice "We are trying to upgrade our relations Department's Office of Special with Israel in order to broaden the acope of Investigations, dismissed fears that the our diplomacy toward the Middle Eaat." death of the wo rld's most famous Nazi Both Japanese and laraeli officials link fugitive would "Let the air" out of the Shamir's visit, and a preceding flurry of hunt for others. exchanges, to what they describe as a more He also dismissed the impact of a balanced economic relationship between campaign by some Eastern European Japan a.nd the Arab World. emigre groups to discredit his office, which While Japan still imports nearly 70 is devoted exclusively to prosecuting percent of it.a oil from the Persian Gulf - former Nazis. I \ Elizabeth Holtzman mostly Saudi Arabia and Iran - that is a Elizabeth Holtzman, the Brooklyn ten percent drop from the period following district attorney and former member of himself as "in interested observer," raised the October 1973 Arab-Israeli War, when Yituhalr. Shamir Congress, praised Sher's efforts, but his hand and said "I disagree." Another an Arab oil embargo sent prices "Japan's vulnerability vis-a-vis Arab criticized the "infinite delay" she said woman said she would sympathize with skyrocketing. countries has diminished compared to ten former Nazis can look forward to under him if all legal remedies were exhausted. The oil weapon bas been blunt.ed in years ago," said Kum.e in a recent the current legal set-up. Stepping to the microphone, Sher said recent years by a glut on the market, and interview. "Now our relation is hued on Since its establishment in 1979, the OSI curtly, "I'm a little surprised by these in Japan's case, by the emergence of a interdependence. They need Japan as a has been charged with finding former comments, to be perfectly blunt with you. Japanese economic counterweight that buyer of oil, aa a major supplier of goods, Nazis and Nazi collaborators who entered When the courts rule, that's it, as fa.r 8!I has made its trade ties with the Arab construction help, development asaiatance the United States after World War II by I'm concerned. And it should be as far as world a two-way street. concealing or lying about their pasts to the American people are concerned too." (Continued on page 6) immigration officals. The office then takes Menachem Rosensaft, founder and them to court for lengthy denaturalization chairman of the International Network of Traveling In Israel: and deportation proceedings. Children of Jewish Holocaust Survivors, Allan Ryan Jr., a former OSI chief, has strongly criticized ..Jewish groups for not estimated that 10,000 immigrants hiding issuing statements explicitly condemning Safety Is First With El Al Israel Nazi pasts may have entered this country the attacks. after the war. To date, OSI has succeeded Warning that the next targets could be in deporting eight former Nazis and Jewish, he said, "Once such violence is stripped 17 of their U.S. citizenship. It has accepted in a situation where there is a brought a total of ·50 cases to court, where legitimate system of justice, the system is 35 are still pending. finished." Sher, who agreed the process was Reached later, Malcom Hoenlein, lengthy and frustrating, said that despite director of JCRC, condemned the attacks this, and despite Mengele's death, "The as "counter-productive in getting support OSI is busier now filing and litigating for the prosecutions of Nazi war cases than it ever has been in its six-year criminaJs." JCRC is an umbrella group for history." most of the major Jewish organizations. The meeting also saw Sher rise to "We do understand the frustration of bluntly criticize audience members who some individua1s," Hoenlein said, "but the expressed sympathy with recent bombings legal process against these criminals has against men who were prosecuted by his picked up now. We think more is office but acquitted. necessary. They're still not at the point Tsherim Soobzokov, 61, a former they should be." Waffen S.S. member, died recently of Referring to the teenager injured in the injuries he sustained when a blast hit his second attack, Hoenlein said, "We would home in Paterson, N.J. Elmars Sprogis, a condemn the bombings and regret the 70-year-old former Lavtian police official innocent life hurt... The problem is, you now living in Brentwood, Long Island, can't isolate it. The first bombing hit escaped injury recently when a bomb hit Soobzokov, but in the second, an innocent his home. But a teenage boy who ran to person was hurt." warn Sprogis of the fire engulfing his Asked if he meant to say that the Aerial view of Tel Aviv's Mediterranean waterfront ahowing Independence house was seriously injured and had to attacks were wrong mainly because the Park in the foreground. have his leg amputated. An anonymous second one hit the wrong person, Hoenlein by Robert Israel my earphones. The tune, as I groggily caller claimed credit for the Jewish replied, "I think that is an added One of the questions I have frequently remember it, was "Sholom Aleichem." Defense League after the second bombing. dimension, plus that they're been asked since returning from my visit When I opened my eyes a man standing in Legal proceedings against Soobzokov counter-productive in terms of to Israel this sum.mer concerns the safety front of me asked if I wanted to join him were dropped in 1980. During ongoing maintaining and building public support of air travel today. Is it safe to travel to and the other men for services. I was too investigation, OSI found its charges for Nazi prosecutions." Israel today with all the hijackings, bomb sleepy to participate, but would have if regarding his Waffen S.S. membership to Spokespersons for the Anti-Defamation threats and terrorists? The answer is yes, they needed to make a minyan. But the be true; but it also found he had not League of B'nai B'rith, the American it is safe, but travel via El Al Israel. response was overwhelming: there, in the concealed this from U.S. officials when Jewish Committee and the American When I flew to Israel via El Al Israel bulkhead, a group of men were davening, entering. Last June, an appeals court also Jewish Congress condemned the attacks airlines, it was during the hostage crisis in putting on teffilin. and singing with the found that Sprogis had been present as a unequivocally when reached by phone. Lebanon. When I was returning to the same enthusiasm as the Hassidic singers collaborator in Nazi death camps. but it "Whatever the motive for it, it's United States, there had been an on the earphones. upheld a lower court ruling that found terrorism," said AJ Coongress spokesman explosion in an airplane in Copenhagen, I doubt that an incident like this occurs insufficient evidence he had taken an Israel Levine. "It represents a Denmark. Preceding that incident, there on your average airlines! But that is what active role in persecuting those fundamental challenge to the civil order had been plane crashes in Japan, England makes traveling El Al Israel so unique and imprisoned there. and ultimately undermines the securitY of and Ireland. memorable. Sher vigorously condemned the attacks Jews who depend on that order. But I never once worried about any of I have never been one for airplane food, against both men as terrorism. But no Levine admitted that "in a democracy those problems while aboard an El Al even traveling first class. It seems that the major Jewish group at the time was on the there are always loopholes. People get Israel flight. I felt secure. I felt safe. And I cramped conditions on board a plane are record condemning them. away with murder. But this doesn't alter was impressed with the security measures not conducive for gastronomical delijhts. Asked about this at the meeting, Rabbi the fact we must still have a set of laws taken at the airports, conducted efficiently But on El Al Jsrael, we were served Michael Miller, of the Jewish Community that are operative. If they are defective we and politely by El Al Israel airlines strictly kosher nibbles and they were Relations Council of New York, asked t he must change the laws." security guards. outstanding. The card on t.h e bottom of assembled group if they all did not deplore Flying over to Israel, I was awakened at the tray was printed in Montreal, atat ing such attacks.

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