Haim Zadok, Israel’s Minister of Justice, yesterday reaffirmed his opposition to Israel using the death penalty against terrorists. Demands for the death penalty were raised in Israel after the hijacking of the Air France plane to Uganda, but Zadok, with the backing of the Cabinet said the government would continue its policy of not executing terrorists.
Zadok, who addressed the 62nd annual national convention of Hadassah which began last night at the Washington Hilton Hotel, told reporters that capital punishment would not serve the interests of the Jewish State. “Not only would it not deter potential terrorists but it would create martyrs, thus providing an example for others to follow.”
In his address to the convention last night, Zadok stressed that Israel will not limit itself to passive preventive measures in combatting terrorism. “We shall continue to strike at the terrorists wherever they are with all the resources and all the resourcefulness at our disposal,” he declared.
LIPCHITZ’S MASTERPIECE TO BE COMPLETED
The 2500 delegates to the convention were told today that the “Tree of Life,” the final masterwork of the famed sculptor Jacques Lipchitz, who died in 1974, will be completed and placed at the Hadassah University Hospital on Mt. Scopus in Jerusalem by June, 1978. Lola Kramarsky, co-chairman of Hadassah Building and Development, said that before Lipchitz died he completed several bronze maquettes, and a plaster model about 4-1/2 feet high. The work will be completed by his assistants under his widow’s supervision.
The “Tree of Life” includes depictions of Noah, the sacrifice of Isaac, with an angel restraining Abraham, the three patriarchs, Moses and the burning bush and a phoenix supporting the Ten Commandments.
“Hadassah’s legacy to Israel includes art and beauty, as well as healing and teaching,” Mrs. Kramarsky said. “The Chagall windows in the synagogue at our Medical Center at Ein Karem are a national treasure for now and for posterity–and we are proud to add another such treasure on Mt. Scopus.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
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.
