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SERVING NEBRASKA, IOWA
VoLLWNo.40
Omaha, Neb., Fri., June 17,1983
U.S. undecided on Lebanon move By Helen Silver WASHINGTON. (JTA) — The Reagan Administration appeared undecided as to whether it will be necessary for Secretary of State George Shuljz to return to the Middle East to conclude an agreement for the withdrawal of Syrian troop* from Lebanon. Lebanese Foreign Minister Elie Salem, in Washington for meeting* with Administration official*, said at the American Enterprise Institute that Syria will probably seek a high level American involvement in negotiating a Syrian withdrawn! from Lebanon, simultaneously with the withdrawal of Israeli troops and Palestine Liberation Organization force". At the same time, Philip Hobib, President Reagan's special envoy to the Mideast, was in Washington for "consultations," li wan reported earlier that Itabib, along with U.S. Ambassadors to several Mideast countries, would meet in Washington to discuss effort* to persuade the Syrians to withdraw. At the State Department, deputy spokesman Alan Romberg would only My it is "premature" to speculate on whether the U.S. is prepared to play a high level role a* Salem suggested earlier.
"We have a continuing deep interest in this question and the iitsue of getting all foreign forces out of Lebanon and we continue to have an active diplomatic dialogue with a variety of parties on the subject," Romberg said. Romberg also reiterated that the U.S. had "discussed" the Middle Enst issue and the withdrawal of foreign troops from Lebanon with the Soviet Union, although he said he
could provide no details of Lebancse agreement these exchanges. May 17. "We have discuK.ted the He acknowledged that Middle East issue with the Secretary of State George Soviet* . . . and our objec- Shullz, while in the Mideast tives is to get all foreign indicated, the Syrians might forces out of Lebanon nnd bo concerned over «ome asrestore Lebanese sover- pects of the agreement, but eignty throughout the the concerns do "not equate country while asmiring se- to the question of reopening curity across Israel's the agreement," he said. northern border." The concerns mny be that The D e p a r t m e n t the security tone in south spokesman said that he was Lebanon mipht go over into not aware of any consider- the S y r i a n - L e b a n e s e ation to reopen the Isracli- border.
Soviet rabbi raps Omahan James Glenn
By David Bittncr Moscow Jews see the Kremlin's hand behind a Soviet rabbi's sudden decision to protest «n American attache's activities on behalf of Soviet Jewry, according to a recent article in the New York Times. The attache is a former Omaha man, James Glenn, who has been a second werotnry in the American Embassy for two years. The controversy centers around Mr, Glenn's presence at weekly gatherings at 'Moscow's only synagoguo, where Jewish activisii and dissidents meet every Saturday evening to exchange information about emigration and arrests among themselves and with Americamt and other westerners, snid the newspaper story. The gatherings have thus provided Soviet Jews with nome of their only contacts with foreign supporters,' it said. According to the Times, S o v i e t Knbbi Yakov Fishman sent a letter of protest to U.S. Ambassador to Russia Arthur Hnrtmun in which he said Mr. Glenn's activities are disrespectful to Jews who come to the synagogue to worship, and accused Mr. Glenn of trying to learn which Jews were necking to emigrate and
whether they were being persecuted. The letter quoted by the Times also said Mr. Glenn had exchanged telephone numbers and addresses and had Rhown a "suspicious interest" in Jaws who had been refused permission to emigrate. . The Times said AmbagBndor Hart man rejected Rabbi Fishrmin'H charges as "unfounded nnd factually false." The Ambassador naid Mr. Glenn was acting on his instructions to gather information that would "broaden the embassy's understanding of Soviet and Jewish affairH." Mr. (ilenn, who has many friends among Moscow's Jew, Kaid he believed the protest letter from Rabbi Fishman hnd been officially inspired and was intended n» an official warning to his Bucccssor, since he is leaving the Soviet Union this summer, the Times reported. The Times said Moscow Jews agreed it was u n l i k e l y that Rabbi Fisbmnn would have taken the initiative to complain without Home prompting by the Soviet authorities. The authorities have never approved of the synagogue assemblies and have tried to discourage or even block them in the past.
ADL report finds common thread inhate groups Washington. D.C. — A pseudo-Christian movement that preaches hatred and violence against Jews, blacks and other minorities has become increasingly active in America, according to a report made public by the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith. Titled "Identity Churches: A Theology of Hate," the ADL report points out that "Identity" doctrines are the common theological thread of several organized hate groups — including the Poase Comitatus and element* of the Ku Klui Klan. The report was made public by Seymour Reich, head of the League's National Civil Rights Committee, at a session of ADL's National Commission meeting here marking the agency's 70th anniversary. Mr. Reich said the core of the "Identity" churches' antiSemitic, racist "theology" Is the doctrine that white AngloSaxons — not Jew* — ore "God's chosen people" and that the white race is "superior" to other races. According to the report, the "Identity" churches — such as the "Ministry of Christ Church" in Maripoaa, CA, and the "New Christian Crusade Church" in Metoirie, LA — have propagated "vicious hostility" toward non-white races and "relentless vilification of Jews," including calls for murder. "Many Identity adherents," according to the League's study, "believe that the second coming of Christ" is at hand and that a "gigantic race war" will precede it, sending American cities up in flames — with only "Identity" followers surviving. Warning that the danger from the "Identity" movement does not come from the size of its membership but i u potential for violence and the use of religious themes to promote bigotry, the report declared: "Increased public awareness of the nature of this movement, as well as active attention by law enforcement authorities . . . are the essential antidotes needed to combat the poison spread by 'Identity' propagandists." "Identity" follower*, the report pointed out, differ from religious hatemonger* of 40 or 50 years ago, such as Father Charles Coughlin and Gerald L.K. Smith. Their antiJewish preachings were based on now-discredited centuries-old sources of anti-Semitism, the League said. While not abandoning this form of religious bigotry, tho "Identity" movement, according to the study, claims it* own members are the "true Jews." In this way, it seeks "not simply to scapegoat Jews, but to supplant them . . . to deny the Jews of the world their most fundamental human
right — namely that of their existence as Jews." The "Identity" phenomenon in the United States today, Mr. Reich said, traces its roots to the "Anglo-Israelism" movement that developed in Great Britain in the mid-10th century. It* adherents identified Anglo-Saxons with the "Ten Loot Tribe* of Israel," claiming that England and America constitute the "Israel" referred to in the Bible. The best known of the early advocates of tho "Identity" pscudo-religion, the study said, was the late Wesley Swift, a one-time Klan organizer and Well-known anti-Semitic and anti-Catholic bigot. The founder of tho Christian Defense League, Swift was the leader of a Los Angeles "church" called the "Anglo-Saxon Christian Congregation" during the 1950'*. One of Swift's "disciples," the League noted, is the "Rev." Richard Butler, the leader of the Idaho-based hnto group known as "Aryan Nations" which is affiliated with the "Identity" church known as the "Church of Jesus ChriBt Christia^." Another "Identity" figure.who was influenced by Swift is a 66-year-old retired army colonel, William P. Gale, who is associated with the Posse Comitatus, a group which advocate* vigilante justice. One of its members, Gordon Kahl, is undor indictment for the February murder of two federal marshalA in North Dakota, and in now a fugitive. Poiwe Comitatus members, the report said, have founded and are members of such "Identity" churches as "Life Science" or "Basic Bible" churches which preach anti-black, nnti»Semitic bigotry. Gale promotes anti-Jewish propaganda through his "Ministry of Christ Church" in California. In taped broadcasts over a Kansas radio station, KTTL-FM, he has advocated violent means to "cleanse our land" of Jews. ADL haii filed a complaint with the Federal Communications Commission regarding the station's programming practices. The ADL report describex, in addition to Swift, Gale and Butler, the background of six other major "Identity" figures: — Sheldon Emry, whose "Lord's Covenant Church" of Phoenix. AZ, is the sponsor of his "Amcrica'n Promise" radio program and who.disseminates anti-Semitic books and tracts such as "The Jews that Aren't." — Gordon Winrod, a longtime anti-Jewish propagandist and the son of the late Gerald B. Winrod of Kansas, an anti-Semite known for his pro-German activities in the 1030's and 1940's. The "pastor" of the "Our Savior's Church" in Gainesville, MO, Gordon Winrod has used his
radio broadcasts and publications to advocate "killing all Jews." — Dan Gayman, who organized the "Church of Israel," based near Schell City, MO, has disseminated atorrentof propaganda attacking Jews, Judaism and Zionism. He has links to Aryan Nations. — James K. Warner, whose nnti-.Iewinh operations include the founding of the "New Christian Crunade Church," id a former member of the American Nazi Party and has been active with tho Ku Klux Klan. — Robert E. Miles, who also has a history of involvement with the Klan, began devoting full time to his "church," the "Mountain Church of Jesus ChriBt tho Savior," based in Michigan. He served nearly six years in federal prison for his role in the bombing of school buses in Pontiac, ML Through a bi-monthly newsletter, the report notes, Miles preaches a religion that is a "coarse amalgam of violence, white supremacy, anti-Semitism and racism." — Thomas A. Robb, who has been publicly identified as the national chaplain of the Knights of the KKK, is the editor of an anti-Semitic and racist tabloid called "The Torch." The publication beam the subheading, "The Revolutionary Newspaper of White Christianity." Organizations closely affiliated with the "Identity" movement listed in the report in addition to Aryan Nations and I'osse Comitatus are: — The Christian Defense League, led by Warner, which proclaims itself "tho voice of true Christianity in America," says its "ultimate aim in to sweep . . . anti-Christ from our churches." CDL in associated with the Louisiana-based "New Christian Crusade Church." — The Covenant, the Sword and the Arm of the Lord, n paramilitary survivalist group, operates a "Christian" communal Kcttlcmcnt in rural Minnouri and advocates preparation for the "ultimate Holocaust." The group has proclaimed that "we believe in the Scandinavian-GormanicTcutonic- British-American people to be tho Lost Sheep of the Mouse of lnrael which Jesus was sent for." — The Christian-Patriots Defense League, which is bsscd in Illinois and headed by John R. Harroll, serves as an umbrella organization for four extremist groups. Among them is tho "Christian Conservative Churches of America." Its goal: "to effectively oppose Zionism and Communism." The ADL report, which was prepared by AOL's Civil Rights Division, is available through tho organization's headquarters at 823 United Nations Plaza, New York, NY 10017, or any of ADL's 28 regional offices in the U.8.