Major American Jewish organizations and leading figures in arts and letters have joined in a campaign urging the West German government to reconsider its plans to sell advanced weaponry to Saudi Arabia.
Cables and letters of protest have been sent to West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl and to Bonn’s Ambassador in Washington, Peter Hermes. All point out that Saudi Arabia is still in a state of war with Israel and claim that the record shows that the Saudis finance and equip the Palestine Liberation Organization and other groups bent on Israel’s destruction.
AFFRONT TO LOGIC AND HISTORY
Gerald kraft, president of the Washington-based B’nai B’rith International, noted in a message that Bonn’s decision to sell tanks to Saudi Arabia while at the same time embargoing arms to Israel “is an affront to both logic and history,” and indicates that West Germany is in effect turning its back on its own history.
“The West German government’s argument that Saudi Arabia is eligible for arms sales because it is not in a ‘region of terrorism’ ignores the facts of the Middle East situation,” Krafte said. “Saudi Arabia is and has been an integral part of the Arab vendetta on Israel and is involved as a major bankroller and weapons supplier for the Arab states which confront Israel.”
SAUDIS’S HOLY WAR AGAINST ISRAEL CITED
Howard Friedman, president of the American Jewish Committee, expressed hope in a letter to Kohl that the Federal Republic will reconsider its decision to sell arms to the Saudis. “Saudi Arabia regards itself as a belligerant in the Arab-Israel conflict and even proclaimed an Islamic jihad or holy war against the Jewish State, and has given practical expression to these sentiments by providing billions of dollars to Syria, Jordan and the PLO to purchase weapons,” Friedman wrote.
He added, “The three reported weapons systems (reportedly slated for Saudi Arabia) while ostensibly designated as ‘defensive’ , in fact constitute indispensable componets of an integrated offensive weapons system… The distinction between defensive and offensive is an illusive one. The only real distinction is the intentions of the user. Until the Saudis unequivocally renounce war with Israel as an option, any prudent statesman must assume these weapons may be used in a renewed Arab attack against Israel.”
MIDEAST REALITIES IGNORED
Kenneth Bialkin, national chairman of the Anti-Defamation League of B’nai B’rith, stated in a cable to Kohl that “in light of the tragic events of this century, it seems inconceivable that today the German government would be sending sophisticated weaponry to a country that is still fiercely committed to the destruction of the Jewish State.”
He said the German justification that “Saudi Arabia is not in an area of tension… cynically ignores Middle East realities… There is probably no area of greater tension or potential tension on earth.”
‘WE ARE … DEEPLY PAINED’
Writers and Artists for Peace in the Middle East sent a letter to Ambassador Hermes three days ago on behalf of “Christions and Jews representative of various segments of the American arts community (who) have watched with great interest Germany’s retum to the community of democratic nations during this past generation… We are therefore deeply pained to learn that the German government plans to sell advanced and sophisticated war planes, tanks, missiles and electronic communications systems to Saudi Arabia, a regime which has declared a jihad against and continues to be in a state of war with the people of Israel, and which is unequivocally committed to the extinction of Israel.”
The 33 signatories included writers and authors Cleveland Amory, Howard Fast, Norman Mailer, Robert St. John, Barbara Tuchman, Elie Wiesel, E. L. Doctorow and Isooc Bashevis Singer; actor Michael Moriarty; actresses Maureen Stapleton and Jill Clayburgh; musicain Lionel Hampton; playwright Murray Schisgal; and artist Raphael Soyer.
Their letter appealed to “the German people– its religious leadership, its academics and artists– to raise their voices to prevent this contemplated action. We appeal to the officials of the Federal Republic of Germany to reconsider their current plans of sending munitions to Saudi Arabia, which could again threaten the survival of the remnants of the Jewish people.”
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
