Jewish Post, Indianapolis, Marion County, 16 June 1967 — Page 9

By M. Z. FRANK

Some time ago Ben Gurion said that peace in the Middle East will come when the United States and the USSR will no longer find it in her interest to sup-

ply arms to the Arabs.

What has been happening at the United Nations since the outbreak of the War on Monday, June 5, seems to point in that direction. While it may be too soon to discuss the new developments in Soviet attitude towards the Is-raeli-Arab conflict, it is al-

ways timely to review the developments leading up to the present. Russia’s relations with Israel is full of surprises and riddles and the story is full of gaps. But some facts are clear. IN 1947 RUSSIA suddenly came out in favor of a Jewish State in Palestine. The Jews were pleasantly surprised. The Arabs were dumbfounded. Only half an hour before Gromyko’s famous speech in favor of a Jewish State, the Arab delegates at the UN were saying “We will walk out and the Russians will walk out with us.’’ Twenty years later, Fedorenko has dissappointed the Arabs almost as cruelly as

Gromyko had in 1947.

After Truman recognized Israel de facto, Russia went a step further and recognized it de jure. In February 1949, when the first Knesset held its opening session in Jerusalem, the State Department forbade the U.S. Ambassador, the late James G. Macdonald, to attend, because officially Jerusalem was to be an international city, not the Jewish capital. But the Russian Ambassador attended. Russia took not only a pro-

Israel stand but its diplomatic representatives in Tel Aviv openly expressed anti-Arab sentiments. Then there was a turn for the worse in stages: At first, perhaps aroused and angered by the enthusiastic reception the Jewish community in Moscow accorded to Golda Meir (Israel’s first Ambassador to Moscow), Russia began to browbeat its Jewish citizens who showed any interest in Israel. (It is still unhealthy for a Russian Jew to be seen in the company of an Israeli diplomat). THE NEXT STAGE CAME when official anti - Israel sentiments of the Soviet authorities were displayed on the international arena. It is anybody’s guess whether that did or did not come from a frustration by the Soviets over the failure of the Communists and pro-Commumst Mapam to gain control of the Government, the Histadrut and some of the trade unions. Personally I believe — it is only a theory — that there is a connection between the failure of the seamen’s strike in 1951-1952 led by the Leftists and the intensified anti-Israel propaganda by the Soviets and their followers. The third stage came when Russia began to supply arms and economic assistance to Egypt and other Arab governments. This policy was initiated by Khrushchev against the vigorous objections of Molotov who argued that the Arabs are not a solid force to bank on. By 1955 and 1966 the situation became menacing to Israel’s existence. Finally, Israel attacked in October, 1956 and smashed the concentrations of the Egyptian army in Sinai. The Israeli army captured untold quantities

of Russian equipment in the Sinai campaign of 1956. The Russians were very angry, which was natural. Also Eisenhower and Dulles were angry — which was stupid. Israel managed to wrest some advantages from the diplomatic struggle, the British were ousted from the Middle East and the French were left to nurture their resentments. Nasser was saved and Khrushchev renewed his efforts to bolster him up. TEN YEARS LATER, the things erupted again. This time the American government, though hesitant and still inclined to appeasement, was more favorably inclined to Israel’s case and American public opinion is now staunchly pro-Israel. The collapse of the EisenhowerDulles policies is now evident. Throughout all these years, there were elements in Israel which advocated a more “consiliatory” policy as a means of insuring Israel’s existence. To Nahum Goldmann and his friends it meant mainly a certain style of talking. For awhile Abba Eban was inclined to adopt the Goldmann line. To the Leftists it meant a Leftist government — which is clearly what Russia wanted. In 1949 Moshe Sneh, a General Zionist leader, joined the Communist party and shouted hurrah for Stalin as a means of integrating Israel into what he believed to be the fate of the Middle East. A certain Mapam leader, Aharon Cohen, went far enough in collaborating with Soviet officials to be sentenced to prison. For the moment it seems that the pro-Com-munist line in Israel is dead as a force in public life. What the Russians plan to do to salvage their influence in the Arab world is still a mystery.

Frank

Jordan, Israel Friendship, But It's In America

In United Jewish Appeal's Drive One Week Equals Year

NEW YORK — An outpouring unexampled in American Jewish history has provided Israel with funds in one week with more than is raised in a normal year’s campaigning by the United Jewish Appeal. The UJA decided against releasing combination figures, although local Anglo-Jewish papers were publishing totals in their own campaigns. THE NEW YORK Times announced that more than a dozen individual contributions of $1 million had been received. The figure for New York City alone was over $20 million. Every community in the United

States has launched an emergency drive. Fortunately for timing’s sake, the Spring campaigns were in their last stages. All funds announced raised in the emergency campaign are in addition to the amount raised in the regular spring drive. ONE OF THE first large Jewish communities to report was Chicago, which first released a figure of $3,821,000 and then a few days later revised it upward to $5,100,000. The drive in other countries was reporting just as exciting totals. In Great Britain the figure was $24 million from its 400,000 Jews, while in Canada an origi-

nal goal of $10 million was hiked to $25 million without the bat of an eyelash. The $5 million quota for France was reached quickly and just as quickly the goal was raised to $10 million. When Prof. Saul H. Lieberman, of the Jewish Theological Seminary of America and Mrs. Lieberman donated $5,000 to the Israel Emergency Fund, ihe Conservative Rabbinate was electrified, but not nearly as much as when an additional $20,000 in cash was added to the first gift. “This day is our great opportunity, one that may never repeat itself, to help save Klal Yisreal,’’ he asserted. Victory Expected By Eisenhower GETTYSBURG, Pa. — To Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, the crushing defeat Israel handed her Arab neighbors on the battlefield apparently came as no surprise. Conferring with a group of journalists in his office, the former President recalled that a brigade of Israelis attached to the British Army during World War II were great fighters. In last week’s war, the general said, the Israelis made a very careful estimate of other forces and showed generalship “far and above what the other fellows did.” Eisenhower indicated he believes even though the fighting has stopped, tension in the Middle East will continue indefinitely because of the bitter feelings between Jews and Arabs.

PHILADELPHIA — Despite the now historic military confrontation between Israel and the Arab states, a melting pot of youths from the Middle East and other areas felt nothing but friendship for one another. It was the traditonal “candlelight” ceremony, held annually at International House for more than 3,500 foreign students in this area. THE EVENT is an expression of gratitude to those who have contributed to our beliefs through mutual exchange. A Jordanian girl served as president of the International Student Council and won the “Student

of the Year” award. Each foreign student about to return home lit a candle and passed the “light of friendship” to another — the girl from Jordan to a coed from Israel, and she, in turn, to a Lebanese. IN PRIVATE conversations, the students said they hoped for a peaceful solution of the Middle East crisis. “If these girls and boys could be involved in world diplomacy, the results would be more favorable,” commented Esther Klein, Jewish Times. ‘ They may be the future leaders of their countries, but they realize the urgency for peace now.”

No Shame, No Morals By Jewish Collegians

NEW YORK — America’s Jewish collegians were strongly indicted as being members of a generation “which knows no shame and has no barriers against immorality.” THE CHARGE was leveled recently by Rabbi Mordecai Gifter, dean of the orthodox Tclshe Rabbinical College in Cleveland, at a convocation on Character Education. He decried the commitment of some campus groups to a relative morality. “Moral axioms and moral decisions cannot be shaped by seasonal or temporal fashions, nor can a moral being be educated through a code designed by the human mind,” the rabbi stated. HE ADDED that the identifica-

tion mark of Judaism is fear of God or man’s knowledge that he stands as an imperfect being before God. “Ethical conduct is devoid of content if it lacks this fear and awe,” Rabbi Gifter said. Brazil Court Oks Stangl Extradition RIO DE JANEIRO — Brazil has approved extradition of Frank Paul Stangl, Nazi commandant of extermination camps where hundreds of thousands of Jews perished. He has been ordered extradited to West Germany for trial under a Brazilian Supreme Court ruling. •

Your Name By NORBERT PEARLROTH Dear Mr. Pearlroth: Our family can be traced back to 6 generations. Can you tell me if it has a special meaning? The family name is GABOV1TCH. The family name as far as we know, originated in Poland. Thanks for an entertaining square in the Post & Opinion. — Mi's. Michal Jacobson, W ; estbury, N.Y. Gabovitch (Gabowicz) appears to be derived from the Hebrew title of Gabbai, originally the Treasurer of a synagogue, "^his position was usually combined with that of a synagogal President. The terminal “. . .wicz” means “son (or descendant) of," so that the full name denotes “the son or

assumed in 1804.

Dear Mr. Pearlroth: Can you tell me the

origin of my family name “Naymark,” also spelled originally Najmark. My family came from Poland. Yours truly — Mrs.

S. Singer, Duluth, Minn.

Najmark is the Yiddish phonetic spelling of Neumark(t), the name of two towns on the territory of the ancient kingdom of Poland. One is located in what was formerly Prussian Poland and the other in Silesia. One of these two towns may have been the hometown of your ancestor before the family migrated to Russian Poland. Another possibility is that the source of the name was the New Market Hall in Warsaw, established by the Prussians when they ruled occupied Warsaw in 1796. The inference is that your ancestor had some interest in the new shop-

ping facility.

(Do you want to know what your name means? Send all queries to Mr. Pearlroth, The Jewish Post & Opinion, TV Fifth Ave., New York, N. Y. 10011).

Pearlroth