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SERVING NEBRASKA, IOWA Vol. LXII No. 25
m t a , Neb., Fri., February 17, 1984
By Irvinjj Grcenberg President, National Jewish Resource Center The Camp David peace accord between Israel and Egypt was based on the compromise proposed in U.N. Resolution 242. Israel exchanged territories for peace. The architect of Resolution 242, then U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Arthur Goldberg, has explained that the resolution calls for "withdrawal from territories" rather than "withdrawal from the territories" in exchange for peace. This language was intended to allow for partial withdrawals, with the extent of territorial givebacks directly correlated to the extent of peace attained. From the beginning, there was a recognized asymmetry in the Camp David process. Israel was giving back tangible land which provided strategic depth against any possible Egyptian invasion — and major petroleum resources worth billions and providing insurance against a future oil squeeze. In return, Egypt was giving peace and recognition — intangibles which could be repealed by government fiat at any time. The intangibles were particularly vulnerable because the'Egyptian government Was not a democracy. It was -focused on pne man — Sadat 7- who could be supplanted by another wjtli relative ease. Policy continuity could hardly be guaranteed. As it turned but, Sadat was assassinated. • Peadf and recognition would carry permanent weight only if incorporated into substantive arrangements in commerc?,^culture, .dmlogite, population mingling, and a new mindset'which'could ch'ectc anygovernment seeking tb r re-/ verse the peace process. In recognition of this asymmetry, the Camp David accord extended the process of exchange. Israel gave back'portions of the Sinai over a period of years — to allow time for confirmation of the substance of peace. In retrospect, there were errors in the Camp David accord. The ideal exchange would have stipulated the extent of peace as the criterion for extent of land return. Ideally, the treaty should have stated: For ambassadorial relations,
"Because the American dream began at Ellis Island for millions of American Jews, the Men's division of the Federation Campaign will sponsor a unique mission to New York, April 25-27, to enable us to make a vital connection with the origins of the* American Jewish experience," said Tom Fellman, Mission chairman. Participants will view a multi-media slide presentation depicting the Ellis Island experience of our forefathers and proceed to a guided walking tour of the lower East Side, which was home to so many of our early Jewish immigrants. Visits to historic Jewish institutions, some still in operation, will be capped off by a savory luncheon at Ratners, he added. • . * A highlight of the mission will be the opportunity, to view "The Precious Legacy", an exhibit of Judaic treasures from Czechoslovak State collections, on exhibit at the Jewish museum. This exhibit recently broke the attendance record for any preyiouB touring exhibit, while-at the Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., Mr. Fellman said. . Briefings at the Israeli Consulate and National ADL are also planned. • • .
so much land; for cultural relations, :;o much more land; for 10,00!) tourists per year, so much land, for 1,000,000 tourists per year, so much more land. But such an accord would have left the timing of return uncertain. Sadat neither trusted Israel nor (he insisted) had the margin to allow indefiniteness to the land return. Since the United States hacked Sadat and Israel was eager for peace, Sadat got his way. The price of this agreement was that Sadat's original behavior — breaking the total Arab boycott of peace — was richly rewarded but there were no incentives for future good performance by the Arabs, Setting aside the basic policy law of rewarding good behavior and penalizing wrong behavior was a policy mistake. Israel always has the built-in incentive of acceptance, i.e., an end to genocidal threats and the cessation of the highpercentage losses of its sons in war. The Arabs have no counterpart pressure because their governments are nondemocratic and their population less politically active. Thus, the Camp David accord and its provision for the future continued the all-too-familiar failure to reinforce good behavior. Sadat, who opened negotiations with Israel, was assasinated — as King Abdullah of Jordan was decades earlier. By contrast, Arafat and Assad have been repeatedly rewarded for obstructing peace. Wow, Mubarak has pulled hack on peace in the past two years with impunity. Egypt has withdrawn its ambassador to Israel and sharply restricted commercial relations and tourism. Its press has resumed the villification of Israel. The United States has failed to penalize these actions in any way. To be fair to Mubarak, while he has been regressing he . has repeatedly asserted that there will be no warfare against Israel. Israel's strategic planners have been able to count on Egypt's continued military neutrality. But the emptying of the substance of peace leaves Egyptian peace policy vulnerable to future change by Mubarak or some future successor. It also prevents any momentum toward making
peace with Israel by some other Arab nation. Egypt has now been readmitted tqihe Islamic Conference Organization on condition that Cairo agree to "adhere to the principles, rules and decisions of the Islamic Conference Organization." (These decisions include repudiation of the Camp David accords.) Egypt cannot formally repudiate Camp David for fear that Israel would go right hack into Sinai. But King Hassan II of Morocco announced: "For Egypt, Camp David is dead. This is because it has obtained nil of its fruits. Egypt has recovered its occupied territories. It recovered its petroleum . .." Hassan directly quoted Mubarak as follows: "Camp David remains alive only in the minds of the Arabs . . . in Egypt it is drained of its substance because Egypt obtained, thanks to Camp David, what it wanted." Commented Hassan: "Formally the treaty remains .. . Nevertheless, in politics there is not only form but also substance." Mubarak has failed to repudiate Hassan's statements. Two things can be done to correct the erosion of, the Camp David process. If the President will not pressure Egypt to honor the treaty in substance, then Congress should move to cut aid to Egypt until its behavior shows that it is honoring the Camp David accord. Secondly, the peace and extent of Israel's settlements on the West Bank should be adjusted to give the Arabs incentive to go to the peace table. Both the Israeli government in its settlement policy and the United States government in its objections to the settlements should build in a time factor. If the Arabs do not come to the peace table by a certain year, then the United States will withdraw its objections to certain settlements. The settlements give Israel a chance to give back more or less land — depending on the depth of the peace offered by the other side, and how soon they offer it. This gives the Arabs the charice to earn the West Bank autonomy which Israel has promised and even — if their peacefulness (continued on page 2)
Council wins award National Council of Jewish Women, Omaha Section, is the 1984 winner of the Quality of Life Award. Sponsored by the Omaha Association of Life Underwriters, the award is given for ongoing achievement for the benefit of a substantial segment of the commun i t y . NCJW P r e s i d e n t C o n n i e Slutzky was presented with a plaque and a $500 check during a luncheon last week at Mutual of Omaha. A special presentation also was made to V. J , S k u t t , Mutual and United of Omaha, chairman of the board, for his outstanding, service to the insurance industry. From left are: Eugene Conley, president, Guarantee Mutual Life Insurance, who made the presentation to Mr. Skutt; Mrs. Slutzky, John Emery, associate general agent, R. D. Marcotte & Associates, who presented the award to Council; and Mr. Skutt.
Co-hosting the mission with Mr. Fellman are: Howard Hahn/Jim HarriB," Arnold Joffe, Howard Kooper, Jay Lerner, Mike Platt, Martin Sophir and Sid Wertheim. 11
WASHINGTON — Fearing that a constitutional convention called to consider an amendment requiring a balanced federal budget might lead to fundamental changes in the U.S. Constitution, B'nai B'rith International has announced a nationwide campaign-to make Americans "acutely aware" of the perils inherent in such a convention. Spearheading the drive is the Jewish organization's Grass Roots Action Network(GRAN), under the chairmanship of St." ' Louis businessman Stuart Raskas.. Raskos noted that 32 states have already petitioned Congress to call a convention, with only two more states required to make it mandatory. According to the B'nai B'rith -leoderj.the question may soon be put to vot-
ers in California and Montana, and is currently before the state legislatures in Terri Zacharia, chairman of the NewcomMichigan, Kentucky and Vermont. ers Committee, announces the first NewB'nai B'rith will concentrate on those five comers party of the year on Saturday, Feb. and, at the same time, support efforts in 25 at 7:30 p.m. other states to withdraw petitions already The event will be a Bagel Bash dinner at submitted to Congress. the home of Barb and Larry Zacharia, 9913 Although, said Raskas, the matter is not Harney Parkway. a "Jewish issue," Jews, as a minority "must The main course will be catered; the desbe vigilant to. possible constitutional serts and side-courses will be pot luck style, changes which could weaken the protec- : contributed by Newcomer hosts and comtions we and others rely on." mittee members, she said. Raskas said that not only is there an "apThe. Federation sponsors two Newcomer palling amount of ignorance and misinfor- -events.each year. They are. held as get-tomation" on the issue,, birt that the'.press - gethers for families and singles who are new "has been surprisingly complacent.',' Thus, ....' to the Omaha atea, or Omahans who are he added, it is imperative that B'nai B'rith returning to the city after being absent for ' (continued on page 7) ... ..-. ; several years. '
These events serve as an opportunity for newcomers to meet other new people, Mrs. Zacharia said. Usually, the newcomers parties are held at the Jewish Community Center. . • ... . ."The committee wanted to try something new this time around, so we decided to have a Saturday night event", said Mrs. Zacharia. "We also thought it would be nice to have it at a private home instead of at the 'J'". Mrs. Zacharia encourages all newcomers. who m,ay have been overlooked when invitations were sent out to come to the Feb. 25 party. All newcomers who received invitations should RSVP to Leslie Wolfson at the Jewish Federation: 334-8200.