Sections of the American news media were sharply taken to task by Dan Pattir, Premier Menachem Begin’s information counselor, for their treatment of Israel in general and their presumption that Jewish terrorists were responsible for the June 2 bomb attacks against West Bank mayors although an exhaustive investigation into the outrage has yet to yield evidence as to the identity of the perpetrators.
Pattir spoke here Friday at the 38th annual meeting of the American Jewish Press Association (AJPA) at which Frank Wundohl, editor of the Jewish Exponent of Philadelphia, was re-elected to a third term as president. The AJPA is an association of some 75 English language Jewish weeklies, bi-weekly and monthly periodicals.
Pattir said that the investigation into the bombings is the “most thorough and widest investigation” in Israel’s history but “no real clues” and “no concrete leads” have emerged. So for there are only “suspicions” as to the identities of the perpetrators of the “criminal, outrageous attempt” on the lives of Arab mayors, he said. But, he noted, there are still “no clues to the identities of the assassins” who ambushed and killed six yeshiva students in Hebron on May 2.
Despite the absence of evidence in the bomb attacks, Pattir charged that News week magazine has already “passed judgment, blaming “Israeli terrorists.”
Although Begin has condemned the bombings as “crimes of the gravest kind,” Pattir said, Time magazine quotes an anonymous State Department official who “courageously” hid behind anonymity to say that “Begin has taken actions that are clear incitements to violence.”
CARTOON DENOUNCED
The Israeli official also criticized a cartoon published in the Washington Star, a daily owned by Time, Inc., which depicted Begin as “a terrorist” with features reminiscent of the way Nazi, newspapers pictured Jews. He called the cartoon sheer anti-Semitism.”
The cartoon was denounced as “obscene” by Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ephraim Evron who addressed the AJPA meeting. He said it could have “come out of the pages of Der Stuermer.” Evron also blasted parts of the American media for its treatment of Israel. They have “no moral conception of what is going on” and “slanting and imbalance are setting no standards in coverage,” he said. He complained that “I have seen very little reaction from liberal groups” to “the strange stories by anonymous officials, attributed to the Prime Minister” (Begin).
At another session, Herschel Blumberg, president of the United Jewish Appeal told the assembled editors and publishers that they constitute “the forum for fundamental Jewish values” and that “the Jewish newspapers remind us of our Jewishness,” like those in the past “kept us out of the narrowness of ghetto life.”
He referred to UJA leaders in 800 communities across America as the “guardians of our people and their destiny.” He urged Jewish newspapers to support the new UJA campaign to raise $635 million in 1981 as its “minimum regular goal.”
Blumberg warned that “The human cost of shortfall” in the campaign includes no new facilities for immigrants absorption in Israel, with 40, 000 more expected; reduction by two thirds of settlements in the Negev and enrollment cancellation for 2000 disadvantaged youngsters from Project Renewal neighborhoods.
Blumberg noted that lack of funds may limit Galilee settlements. “Only one settlement this year and probably not that,” he said. This prompted a question later to Pattir as to how he squared Begin’s proposal to build ten more settlements on the West Bank when funds may be lacking for a single new settlement in Galilee. Pattir replied that Begin did not “say tomorrow ten more settlements will be build for strategic importance.” He said “the overall settlement plan (for the West Bank) will be completed, but when was not mentioned by Begin.” He said the financial arrangements will be determined when decisions are made on the timing and location of the settlements. Meanwhile, “priority is being given to Galilee over the West Bank,” he claimed.
Morris Amitay, executive director of the American-Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), spoke of continued U.S. dependence on Arab oil and said “We’ve tightened the noose around our necks. Therefore, we have to be saying we have to be nice to the Arabs to have access to Arab oil.” He predicted a “crunch” in U.S.-Israeli relations this year with President Carter applying more pressure on Israel “insofar as autonomy is concerned” for the West Bank and Gaza Strip. He said the issue in the autonomy talks is who will control the West Bank and on that, the U.S. is “closer to Egypt and the Arab states than to Israel.”
Carter invited the AJPA delegates to a special press conference with him at the White House Friday. He was the sixth President to do so. The practice began in the Truman Administration when Philip Slomovitz, editor and publisher of the Jewish News of Detroit, and vice president of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, led an AJPA delegation to the White House. Slomovitz was the founding president of the AJPA.
OTHER OFFICERS ELECTED
Other officers elected of the AJPA 38th annual meeting are Albert Bloom, Pittsburgh Jewish Chronicle, first vice-president; Anne Hammerman, Daylon Jewish Chronicle, second vice president; Larry Hankin, Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle in Milwaukee, third vice-president; Vida Goldgar, Southern Israelite in Atlanta, Go., recording secretary; Judith Manelis, United Jewish Appeal Record, corresponding secretary; Jeanne Samuels, Houston Jewish Herald-Voice, treasurer.
New members chosen for the executive committee are Morris Maline, Omaha Jewish Press, and Leon Brown of the Philadelphia Jewish Times.
Resolutions adopted included reaffirmation of support for the principle of maximum editorial freedom of expression of Jewish journalists in the United States and throughout the world. Another resolution decried “the use of violence and terrorism, directed toward Jews, Arabs or others in Israel, or the administered territories,” and urged that “the perpetrators be speedily brought to justice.”
The Association also “condemned the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and the continued persecution of Soviet Jews and other activists, ” and “continues to press for free emigration of dissidents and refusniks and all oppressed minority groups.” The AJPA also urged its members to “communicate with each Jewish Federation and Welfare fund in the country to increase significantly their allocations to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency.”
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.
