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THE JEWISH POST Thunday, April 15, 1976 Thursday, AprU 15, 1976 THE JEWISH POST

, THE COTJRSE of events In the reinstated; and three Y'3ars after Farouk In 19112. During World War MIddle East w11l be Influenced to no that, In 1966, he became Defence II he Involved himself deeply In small degree In the foreseeable Minister, p~lItical conspiracy "to hasten the Two Views of the Jerusalem Zoo future by two men: Egypt's Presi­ defeat of the British," but came a dent Anwar Sadat and Syria's HE WAS SOON to reach the top. cropper In 1942 when he tried to President Hafez Assad. In November, 1970. after three contact Rommel In North Africa The Spots of the Leopard Over the past few months there years of Iron rule by the radical and was captured for his pains, A DiHerent Kind of Zoo has been a shift In the power wing of the Ba'ath Party, he But he managed to escape - how, balance between the two and masterminded a bloodless has never been expl.ained - and STORY AND PHOTOS BY GRACE GIRSCH Assad has moved to the forefront. DIE .QImUSALEM' POST WEEKLY "correction movement" that lived as a fugitive for fpur years, By JULIAN MELTZER The United States and other At the end of that time, he was ousted his extremist Ba' athist 'tX THEN GOD created the beast of the earth, the fOwl of the air, the fish " Western countries' may be Egyptian President Sadat has cast in his lot with colleagues and put him In power, back in jail, charged with com· wondering whether, In b8.nklng on One of his first significant pliclty in the assassination of an VV of the sea and every creeping thing, He must have foreseen their role N ENCHANTING diversion at which to w~ile away a co~p~e of ho~ or Badat to rally the Arabs behind a in "Zoo Zionism." At least that's how Professor Aharon Shulov, founder A so on a free morning or afternoon when m Jerusalem IS m the Biblical the United States; Syrian President Assad is moves as president was to open up Egyptian cabinet minister, Amln Zoological Garden.. .. "moderate" policy, they did not the fortress-like state of Syria to Othman. He was eventually and current chairman of the Jerusalem Biblical Zoo sees it. put their· money on the wrong playirig Moscow and Washington bff ag~inst each the Arab world. This, and his talk released, and was permitted to Certainly, the history of the Biblical Zoo ~s enmesh~d with .the turbu. It is a Zoo to. which you should go with Bible in hand. Each of the horse. of solidarity, can now be seen as a rejoin the army.. . cages has a plaque with an appropriate verse from the Scriptures pinpoint­ Sadat has never before been so lent past of Jerusalem itself. Today zoo arumaIs rerrund their 300,000 ing the animal or bird mentioned. other. The power play between them is discussed preparation for the war against Sadat now finds his past flirta· on-lookers each year, not only of the ancient fauna of Eretz Israel, as Isolated. It explain,,' his recent Israel in October, 1973. But hardly adoption of a Irulre militant stance tion with the Nazis embarrassing mentioned in the Bible and Talmudic literature, but also of the city's more :.... '1 by Middle East Expert A NAN SA FAD I. was the war over than Arab unity and he denies having been sym· recent history_ and his back-pedalling on two crumbled and Assad reverted to pathetic to Hitler. The fact is that major Issues: after opposition to the pursuit of Damascus's long· at the outbreak of World War Two One Zoo Sign punctured with shrapnel during the Six-Day War is a the holding of last month's Securi- cheris:led aspiration: a "Greater he explored every means of mute reminder of 110 animal casualties. ty Council debate, Egypt joined ... ______- ____-.,. ______--, Syria" which would include Jor­ the militant Arab bloc to prees for collaborating with the Nazis. es· In 1939 with the donation of 15 English pounds and a monitor lizard, dan' and Lebanon as well as pecially when tge British were a .resolutlon that the U.S, had to "Palestine," presumably busy fighting the' Germans and Professor Shulov, then a young Russian immigrant, established his animal veto; and after pledging to attend swallowing up the lara,el· Italians In,North Africa. life comer. Envisioning its role in Zionism as a "neutral meetil,lg ground the Geneva conference without administered Arab territories, If Under the guise of "hastening for people of all cultures and creeds" the Zoo thus began unpretentiously the Palestinians, Sadat has now not Israel itself. . in a laundry. courtyard of the former Hadassah Hospital near the centre made PLO participation' a condi­ the British defeat," he sought sup· of Jerusalem. tion for Egypt's presence. In his relations with the super­ port for a pro-Hitler coup d'etat, powers, Assad has played a more similar to that staged in Iraq In Since their 1973 'military subt1e game than his Egyptian Later situated near Mandelbaum Gate on the perimeter of Jewish alllap.ce was ruptured by dis­ 1941 under the leadersh~p of Jerusalem, animals came under heavy sniper fire during the beginning of .counterpart. Sadat threw out the Rashid Ali el-Keylan!.. . . agreement over diplomatic policy· Russians in July, 1972, when he the War of Independence. ReloCated in 1947 to Mount Scopus, the' 122 after the Yom Kippur War, Badal Sadat's open '8ympathy 'with animals were oons~uently besieged for three years. By 1950 only 18 of and Assad have competed for the was planning to strengthen his Hitler remained alive until the support of the Arab world. They ties with the West - the United early 'fifties when, In a press the animals were still alive, and these only because Professor Shulov and do not differ over the Ultimate ob­ States in particular. But Assad statement, 'he expressed his ad· keepers crawled by night under fire to feed them. An armoured UN convoy jective - Israel's, 'wlthdrawAI to managed to keep on good terms mlration for Hitler. finally transported these few survivors to the present location in Shneller with both Moscow and Nasser had no particular regard Woods, Jerusalem. tl1e pre-1967 borders and the Waslilngton. restoration of "the national rights for Sadat: when he triggered the The Zoo now contains over 700 animals, including a complete collec­ of the Palestinian people in its . 1952 revolution Sadat was limited to the assignment of delivering tion of the some 120 animals mentioned in the Bible. Reintroducing extinct homeland" r- but Badat hali been SOME believe Sadat's anti- the order dethroning the or near-extinct biblical species to Israel is central to "Zoo ZiOnism," says advocating Arab coop'eratlon with Soviet stance flows from his monarch. Dr_ Shulov, a prof~or of zoology at the Hebrew University. For example, WashingtQn's, step-by-step ap­ adherence to Islam and Having no access to Nasser's In. the Nubian Ibex (wild goat) dwindling to only a few pairs, by 1948 has been pl'Oach, while Assad Insists on a repugnance for Communism as an ner'CIrcle. Sadat soon turned his full Israeli withdrawal t9 the, 1967 atheistic ideology, He signed the talents to journalism, becoming increased to around 800; and the biblical Fallow Deer disappearing from Israel during the '20th Century will soon be reintroduced to the Negev and 'lines.wlth no. intermediate stages. - now defunct -15-year treaty of editor-in-chlef of the 'daily AI.' Jordan Valley. friendship with the Soviet Union In Gomhouriya, Biding his time, he 1971 as a gesture towards the then watched Nasser getting rid of one As another element of "Zoo Zionism" the Cameroun Sheep has been Gazing out at the JeruSalem Hili. this Biblical Zoo elephant I.' perhaps day­ THE BREACH between Sadat and strongly entrenched backers of ,m.ember, <;If his re p \l9 .ary.)un- successfully bred at the Zoo and sent to numerous moshavim and kibbutzim Assad bec;:amjl I1lqr~ apparent, Moscow. But upoD-,lI,ecurlng hl9>:.m=atter. another;v 'hlmselfl on taking. as livestock. dreaming of the' times when !txotlc anlmats such a. he roamed freely. Th!t zoo now after the assasslnathj~ la~t ~\lrch: own position, sadat moved unlmpQrtant posts in the wings, contains over 700 animals, Including the 120 animal. mentioned In the Bible, of Kinli' Falsal 'dt: SIlUdI!',At'allHi., . against pro-Soviet circles and The chance which shot him to If preserving the animal life of Israel conjures up images of a modern. the man who, by puttmg-Ills 011 eventually tossed the Soviets sudden prominence came in day Noah, that vision may soon be reality. Plans are well under-way, with Besides, many of the mammals born on the premises and sometimes riches'at the disposal of the Arab themselves out of Egypt. , September, 1969. when he remain. rabbinical consultation, to replicate the original Ark on Zoo grounds. The brought up by hand at home by the director and keepers when abandoned 'I cause, was largely responsible for Unlike the Egyptian leader, ed as the only possible can. project will be completed according to biblical specifications by volunteer th'eYom Kippur War. His Assad Is not a practising Moslem didate for neutralizing the two carpenters and a donation from the Jewish National Fund. - by the dams, have names of their own which, Where not strictly biblical, successor'" attempts to reconcile who prays five times a day. But he top.ranking men who had been are Hebrew. /, the two leaders. have I,'esulted In Is careful not to injure the sen· struggling for the leadership since The PentateUCh, Prophets and Writings name 130 species of fauna nothing more than temporary slbllitles of the majority Moslem Nasser's defeat in the 1967 war _ which were indigenous to the region. But sometimes several names were t'ruces, and .the gap -wIdened sect in Syria _ the Sunnls. This is the pro-Soviet Ali Sabry and the given to the same kind of beast. Thus, the lion, the goat and the camel dangerously last Septem,ber with because Assad himself is a pro· American Zaharia Mohied- each had a number of synonyms. the conclusion of the interim rivalry. Both'men come,trom slm· "more formidable and serioUS member of the minority Alawlte din. Nasser spiked the guns of agreement on Sinal. This, charged pie village backgrounds, but person" than his predecessor. sect and because he belongs to the both by appOinting Sadat vice. The chicken· was also anciently called "duhifat", or "hoopoe", which Assad, spelled "exit" for Egypt in plthough the Egyptian President , , Ba'ath socialist party ~hlch president, and It was only a year the Talmud says is treif_ You can See both poultry and crested hoopoes in the Arab struggle against Israel, Is, at 58, ten years older than his HAFEZ ASSAD - whom Dr. orthodox Moslems look on with before he was to succeed, on the Biblical Zoo at Romema, in north .Jerusalem, to underline the contrast. It was not long' before Egypt and" Syrian counterpart, they have Kissinger has called "the most in· suspicion as an Arab version of Nasser's sudden death', to "the It is fun going around with the director, Prof. Aaron Shulov, who was Syria were engaged in a war of both held power for a little over terel!tlng man In the ,Middle East" Marxlsn,t. . presidency itself.' , .. ' . also for many years the head of the department of zoology at the Hebrew words, each claiming that It had five years by a combination of, -'Is a far more shadowy figure as Assad s caution is reflected too Two decades of:frustrat1on were University. Dr. Shulov started the present zoo some 37 years ago as a wild. i .been left.to bear the burden of the similar qualities of' toughness, far.as Israelis are concerned. in the military field. He is relnc- now able to find an outlet, and cpnfllct with Each accus.ed statesmanship and cunning. Both ' What do we knOw about the man tant to take on Israel alone: in Sadat began to assert his power life comer in what is now the centre of the city. The first inmates were Is~ael. a desert monitor (large lizard) and a pair of monkeys. There are now over I the other repeatedly of let!~~ Its employ a strong praetorian guard who has survived as president 1973 he went to war with Egypt as by making preparations for the 700 animals. . partner down In the Yom n.ppur to consolidate their hold on dlslli- ionger than any other ruler in a his ally. Now that Cairo is holding massive crackdown on his War; each produced "evidence" dent groups. country that has undergone no aloof from renewed war in the predecessor's top echelon in May, Dr. Shulov knows and calls many of the mammals by name, and they that. the other .had begged for a In the eyes of the Arab world It less than 21 coups or attempted near future he is seeking other 1971. He followed this with a rna. respond upon hearing his voice. One of the two young elephants lifts his . cease·flre In the October 1973 Js Assad wllo now has the upper coups during its 30 years of In-. partners, chiefly Jordan, jor decisive move In each trunk and roars when summoned as Eliezer. Moth~r giraffe ambles forward fighting.. hand, having regained for Syria dependence? 'In discussions with foreign successive year. in her enclosure when addressed as Tamar and inclines her long neck Economic considerations are the position of defender of pan· The son of a farmer In the, diplomats, the Syrian leader has In July, 1972, he threw more for a nibble of greenery. Her male offspring, much shorter in the neck very much a factor In the feud. Arab nationalism - a role which village of Kardaha, in northern stated that he does not fully trust than 111,000 Russian "advisers" and slender legs, answers to Adi (jewel). The hyenas have been said to Egypt and Syrl'a have both' been the late President Gamal Abdul- Syria, the young Assad entered the Americans, declaring himself out (If Egypt. In October, 1973. he chuckle at him. trylrig' to get' their hands on the Nasser was able to maintain for the military academy In 19112, a man of principle and "not the launched the Yom IQppur War. In lion's share of ' the vast material Egypt for nearly two decades. when he was 24 years old, and hypocrite type." January, 1974, he concluded his . The newest leopard, which was larger than nonnal size when cubbed aid being· offered. ,by the oil-rl!lh Unlike his predecessor; Badat is then transferred to the Syrian air These have been Interpreted as disengagement agreement with in January, has been dubbed Gog, for one of the Scriptural pants. A grown . Arab states to the so-called "con· a passionate Egyptian, and It Is\ force academy In Aleppo, from unflattering references to Anwar Israel; and in September, 19711, he leopard will come to the wire of the cage and press agamst it ingratiat­ . frontation . atatel" bordering his devotion to Ishi.m rather than which he graduated as a cl,'ack jet- Sadat, whose career has certainly signed the Sinai interim accord, ingly, inviting a caress on the top of its head and a tickle under the chin, Israel. ,. to Arab nationalism that has oc· fighter pllot. Havln~ risen to com- been marked by dramatic shifts of Sadat has often Baid that he in. in response to "Tamar, bo'i heina" - come here. In Hebrew, of course. . Syria Is covering a quarter of its casionally given him the edge as mand of hi8 country s air force'J:e political allegiance. tends to retire at the end of his six. I also saw Tamar once open its mouth wide in the semblance of a smile• '",;1100 JIlllllon budget with ,leader' of the Arab world. went for advanced training to e year term In October this year. shOwing its fangs. petrodollar 'ald. OI1~rlch, Arab Kissinger said of 8adat that he Soviet Union, which was to IlIKE ASSAIl Badat born In the but his supporters tend to doubt. Can th'e Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots?" asks Jeremiah states are pJ'ovldlng far le88 of was a dedicated Egyptian become - and has re~alned to small vUlage ~f Mit Abul-Kom in that he'wlll. A picturesque sight are the flying peacocks, which take to the air 13:23. This Jerusalem Biblical Zoo Sabra doesn't seem In the mood to change any­ nonchalantly to visit other parts of the zoo than their own enclosures. Their 'Egypt's budget· and Egyptian nationalist. "Of course he has the this day - his country s lI;1ajor the Upper Delta, chose a mlJltary In contrast-to Assad, who makes thing. The zoo breeds leopards and tigers for exchange prlllJrams with other zoos. Premier Mamdouh Salem was Arab cause at heart, but I would source of sophisticated weaponl'rI y. career. He was, admitted to the no bones about his warlike inten. long, colourful tails scintillate in the sunshine_ Breeding has succeeded due' to visit, the Gulf states this not use the word 'fanatic' In this . Assad served In Cairo du ng Egyptian military academy in tiona, Sadat clalrits that he seeks ta in restoring ten species of extinct animals once common to the I and of week to 8eek a larger allocation. respect." .' '"the three·year union between 1936 on the tecommendatiQn of a live in peace, even with Israel. He Enhancing the Zoo's biblical emphasis, a second special exhibit will Israel. They include Syrian bears, the Carmel roe deer, red and fallow Egypt has a population of nearly Abba Eban regards him as "one Egypt and Syria, ended In 1961 by British officer. He says that this says he wants to tie remembered 'represent the prophecy in Isaiah 11:6, "The wolf also shall dwell with the deer and Barbary sheep. Among others that swell the animal community 40 million, compared to SyrI/I."s of the surprises Qf Middle Eastern a Syrian military junta. On his was the only time the. British in history by an epitaph on his Iamb, and the leopard shall die down with the kid. _ .. " Wolf cubs andJambs by natural increases are lions, gazelle, cocka'oos, apes, chimpanzees and seven million, and a huge debt of history." According to Israel's return'to Dama8cus, Assa d was (whom he hated) ever tomb: "He lived for peace. He have been raised together and will soon occupy the same compound. also many varieties of waterfowl and other birds. . $14,000 million, half ot,lt owing to former Foreign' Minister, Badat dropped trom' the air forc~ recommended him for anything. died for principles," . the Soviet Union, tor mllltary I'developed a sharpness of per- because ot his sym According to Sadat himself, It Judging by the direction of Professor Shulov switches easily from biblical verse to tales of adven. Five biblical episodes in which animals figure are now being installed pro-~I: as living exhibits_ They are Adam and Eve and the Serpent; Noah's Ark. hardwa~e. sonallty and an Independence ot pathles\ a function 0 s pa~- was at the academy that he and Assad's policy, the epitaph he ture, when referring to the Zoo_ His modern sagas vie with Jewish animal BUT THE DISjJENSION between vision whlph con,trasted with the Arablsm. 'But two rears lateof Nasser began to organize the might prefer would read: "He IIv. lore of earlier centuries where ravens talk, and lions sing and frogs have and King Solomon's ship which sailed to Ophir (bringing back apes, pea­ Sadat an.d Assad Is not-entirely a previous Image of a ceremonial when the socialist Ba ath PartY a secret movement which was to ed for pan-Arablsm. He died for a magic wisdom. He tells of the 1941 escapades of run-away vultures dis- cocks and ivory), to be lifesize replicas; Jacob and his wives and Laban'. matter of politics and economics; figurehead," Mr. Eban thlnksthat which he a member s;ar;d a s lead to the deposition of King Greater Syria." ,it Is based too on. personal mostIsraellsagreethatSadatlsa success raru coup, h . :eontinuedm 1Pa~ 31) . flocks of Karakul sheep and Isaiah's Vision oft1!e End of Days., CContmued ~ P., 32) I .. . j' _.'.'-..,-----­ s-·· -'.,,-',--,,--- .'