Volume XXXI No. 1 January, 1976 INFORMATION ISSUED BY THE ASSOOAim OF XWISH RSUem HI CHEAT BRITAHI Robert Weltsch smoothed by the recent agreement signed in Moscow by representatives of the P.L.O. and of the Soviet Government, whose formulation THE STRUGGLE IN THE contained a reference to the original principle of partition which the P.L.O. had hitherto always declared null and void. That reference UNITED NATIONS is in accordance with the stand taken by the Soviet Govemment which acknowledges Israeli Since the U.N. Assembly resolution branding natives of Palestine and had been displaced sovereignty though not its expansion over the Zionism as "racist" was adopted on November in the course of four wars. As it is, the Arabs territories occupied in the 1967 war. 10, very strong criticism has been voiced by who maintain that in spite of the armistice Anyhow, Israel repeated its insistence on the representatives of democratic coimtries agreements a state of war persists juridically, exclusion of the P.L.O. from all political (notably by the U.S. and Britain) and by the such problems would have to be seen in this deliberations and resorted to its conventional liberal press against its implications, and also perspective and not according to peace-time —and, alas, counter-productive—response of speculation about the motives of the States concepts. What could be described as "racist" military action against the P.L.O.'s military which voted in favour and about their own is not a theoretical, not even a semantic contro­ strongpoints. Moreover, the Israel Goverament, "racist" record. For technical reasons almost versy which could be examined by logical as a demonstration of defiance, proclaimed its six weeks will have passed when the present means in the context of the contemporary decision to establish four more settlements on lines will reach their readers, while the dispute political ideas and facts ; it is simply a matter the soil of occupied Golan. At the same time, goes on ; it makes little sense to repeat what of power. The Arabs command an automatic the Gush Emunim staged a Chanucah march has amply been commented upon. It goes majority in the United Nations and Israel is of hundreds of its supporters, men, women and without saying that Israeli and many Jewish isolated. This power they are determined to children, on Sebastie near the Arab centre of authoritative bodies, no less than the Israeli exploit. Nobody, for instance, would dream of Nablus, in order to lay the foundation for a and general Jewish press, have given vent to proposing in the U.N. Assembly a resolution permanent Jewish settlement there and to pre­ the indignation evoked by this unprecedented coinceming human rights against a super-power vent the future retum of this area to an intentional insult to a people which in this like the Soviet Union regardless of whether Arab authority. This demonstration, in pouring century has been the most spectacular victim Solzhenitsyn wrote his fingers to the bone by rain and icy cold, mind you, was executed of racism. After all that has happened in the producing ten more volumes of Gulag. Not against the will of the Israeli Govemment who past 40 years, debates conducted for several even against such a minor power as Uganda had closed the roads and barred all vehicles decades among the Jews themselves or in the a protest resolution would be moved after the from the area. At the time of writing, we fight for emancipation and against antisemitism wholesale expulsion of people of Asian "race". cannot foresee how this new crisis will be in Europe as to whether Jews are a nation, Always political tactical considerations prevail; solved, definitely or provisionally. But it is an a race, a mere religious community, or what­ not to speak of innumerable other cases in incentive for looking back to the past two years ever else, have become obsolete for obvious point. of Israel's policy. reasons. As raised now in an international Yet, coming back to Mr. Hills' above-quoted dimension, the issue, if considered serious at If, as all Israeli commentators at the time remark, we cannot avoid admitting that the were quick to assert, the October, 1973, war all and not obviously hypocritical and defama­ P.L.O., too, has become "a reality". Israel may tory, has quite a different aspect. was really an "earthquake" which opened the regret and denounce this fact but is apparently eyes of the Israeli public to the true situation, It is significant that on the same page of unable to change it. The real point for reflec- what was demanded was a thorough re-orienta­ The Times (November 17), where a rejoinder tioin is how this undesirable constellation has tion, a re-thinking of the problem, a new con­ by Abt)a Eban is printed, there appeared an been brought about—in other words: what cept and a new approach. For a few weeks it article by the English teacher Denis Hills about were the blunders and failures of Israel's seemed at that time that considerable sections his shocking experience "in the face of death policy-makers during the past 30 years, and of of Israel's public opinion were clamouring for in General Amin's prison cell", which he its naive fellow-travellers and well-meaning but a fundamental change of the course of policy, rounds up with reflections on political methods. blind advisers within and outside the Jewish not only by supplanting some politicians of the "I believe Amin-baiting to be self-defeating", camp. While Israeli representatives had nothing old guard by other men who would, more or he says; "he is an African reality. He has of real relevance to say, public opinion almost less, continue the old escapist ("gain time") realised an African dream, the creation of a inadvertently but steadily drifted towards the attitude instead of boldly trying for peace truly Black African State". If such a "dream" opposite direction, namely towards recognition within a new setting. Yet, in face of the many is not racism, what is it ? But nobody has intro­ of the Arab, especially of the Palestinian tragic losses of life by terrorist attacks and duced a resolution against it. On the contrary, case and finally towards accepting the P.L.O. in defiance of the war of nerves, public attitude according to Hills, "many Africans, even if they as a legitimate representative and dealing with hardened steadily and returned to the old deplore much of his conduct, will want to it overtly or indirectly. juggling with extremist slogans and party make use of his bold leadership in the struggle, This position was accentuated when in com- manoeuvres which were quite inadequate for as he puts it, against Zionism, colonialism, neo­ nection with the problem of renewal of the coping with the actual intemational constella­ colonialism and imperialism". mandate of the United Nations buffer force tion. The situation became not easier by the on the Golan the Security Council, including activities of religious fanatics like the "Gush A Question of Power this time the United States, agreed to invite Emunim" who openly proclaimed expamsionist It would be a mistake to assume that the the P.L.O. to a forthcoming discussion of the and annexionist aims within the occupied Arab present declaration that Zionism is a "racist" Palestine problem, thus accepting the Arab area ; sometimes, though not always, would-be movement to be condemned by the apparently contention that in spite of the U.N. resolution settlers of this faction were rebuked and even so enlightened intemational community repre­ of November, 1947, and in spite also of resolu­ forcibly removed by the Israel Goverament sented by today's United Nations majority has tion 242 of November, 1973, the whole Palestine itself. But under the pressure from this extrem­ anything to do with a quest for scientific defini­ problem was subject to overall reconsideration. ist side and the partisans of "the whole Eretz tions or with philosophy of history. It is, in This decision of the Security Council of Israel" apparently no promising attempt could fact, nothing but a new device in the political December 1 is tantamount to recognition of be made to tackle the central problem, namely struggle which is conducted—skilfully, it must the P.L.O. as a sort of "government in exile", the relations with the Palestinians, both with be admitted—by the Arab States and by the analogous to the status that during the Second those under Israel jurisdiction and those leaders of the pan-Arab national movement World War was accorded to govemments in expatriates who had had to leave their homes against the State of Israel, accusing it of exile of occupied countries. discrimination against the Arabs who are Perhaps the ground for such a step was Continaed on page 2, colnmn 1 mMomasmmamBmrnm^ Page 2 AJR INFORMATION January 1976 NEWS FROM GERMANY THE STRUGGLE IN THE UNITED NATIONS Berlin Protest Meeting against UN Resolution More than 3,000 people, among them numer­ Continued from page 1 It seems that the year 1976 will again bring ous non-Jews, took part in the protest meeting as a consequence of the wars and were not a tuming point in the Middle East crisis. We of the Berlin Jewish community against the all must hope that there will be no renewal anti-Zionist UN resolution. Due to the large allowed to return. Thus it was inevitable that attendance, the addresses delivered in the the P.L.O. was getting increasing support in of war which can only bring terrible losses and destruction to both sides while the result Hall of the Communal Centre had to be trans­ the Arab world and gradually also in the wider mitted to listeners outside the building.