Hadassah Honors ‘peace Pilot’

Abie Nathan, Israel’s famed “peace pilot” who mobilized his country’s voluntary medical aid for Cambodian refugees received Hadassah’s first “Lovers of Peace” Award last night at a $2500-a-plate dinner at the Plaza Hotel here. Nathan is known for his “Peace Ship” which plies the Mediterranean waters between Egypt, Lebanon and Syria, to whom he broadcasts messages of friendship to over 30 million listeners The broadcasts are in Hebrew, Arabic, French and English.

In presenting the award to Nathan, Bernice Tannenbaum, national president of Hadassah, re-called: “In 1977, with special permission from President (Anwar) Sadat, Nathan broke the barriers between Egypt and Israel when he took his Peace Ship through the Suez Canal. During the Guatemala earthquake, Abie spent three months there and helped to rebuild several hundred homes in the town of Sanarate and personally contributed the sum of $60,000 toward the project

“In 1978, in the midst of the suffering and shelling of the people of Lebanon, the Peace Ship sailed into Beirut carrying a cargo of on ambulance and medical supplies to aid the unfortunate victims of violence caused by guests in their own country. When the Peace Ship was turned back, he sailed to Cyprus where he distributed the cargo among the Lebanese refugees there.”

Rose Matzkin, national Hadassah Medical Organization chairman, said that Hadassah doctors, volunteering in the Cambodian field hospitals, expressed gratitude to Nathan “who helped us immensely in practical ways.” Dinner chairman Gladys Zales, announced that $250,000 was raised at the dinner for the Hadassah Medical Organization.

NATHAN ANNOUNCES GIFT FOR AMERICANS

In response, Nathan said: “For years we Israelis have been the recipients of America’s generosity and good will. But we, too, must be in a position to give, as well as to receive. Therefore, from the voluntary contributions that the Israeli people send to our Peace Foundation, I plan to present Hadassah with a sum of money –to be held in trust — and spent to relieve suffering in the United States whether from flood or fire or whatever. We Israelis want Americans to know that we core about them.”

Nathan said his peace ship, which broadcasts on AM and FM frequencies outside of Israel’s territorial waters, is manned by an international crew of 12 to 16 volunteers and broadcasts 24 hours a day. Between sessions of classical, pop, Arabic, Israeli and American music — the most popular with listeners — he carries public service announcements for health, education and civic groups and promotes peace through talk shows.

No one ever has a microphone alone –only to give his side.” Nathan explained. “There is always a dialogue. As a result of this ‘fairness format’ we have a large audience which knows that they can depend on us to present all sides of on issue.”

Recently, he said, “a young woman wrote to us from the Sudan and described how surprised she was to tune into an Israeli-sounding station where Hebrew was spoken and then followed by an Arabic response with a differing point of view. She alerted fellow students of Khartoum University who have joined the ever-widening circle of listeners.”

Since the peace treaty between Egypt and Israel, Nathan said, he has persuaded Radio Cairo to change its name to “The Voice of Peace.” “Can you imagine,” he said, “we play the same peace songs today”