Philip Klutznick, president emeritus of the World Jewish Congress, declared that American Jews were losing “credibility” and “fooling ourselves” in believing they were “fooling others” in maintaining that Jews in the U.S. and elsewhere were united behind every act of the Israeli government.
“We are doing great damage to Israel by our acts that give rise to serious questions of credibility of our own American Jewish institutions, our own Jewish American leaders who are perceived in too many places as acting as rubber stamps,” he told some 200 people yesterday at a meeting sponsored by The New Jewish Agenda at Temple Sinai here.
Klutznick, who was Secretary of Commerce in the Carter Administration, devoted much of his prepared remarks to defending his right to criticize Israel. He noted that as someone who has held leadership positions in both the U.S. government and the American Jewish community, he had a “moral obligation” to speak out rather than be silent as some have advised him.
He noted that in a speech to the American-Arab Chamber of Commerce in New York last Thursday, he had stressed that “I believe it is appropriate and imperative … that the U.S. maintain its commitment of friendship to Israel and its commitment to the security of Israel.” At the some time, he said there was nothing in this commitment that was “incompatible” with the efforts by the U.S. to achieve good relations with Arab countries.
Klutznick said Israel will make the final decisions on issues of its security but this does not mean that American Jews cannot speak out. “I wish our Jewish community was as open and respected differences and the right to differ as much as the State of Israel,” he said.
OUTLINES NEED FOR ‘SIMULTANEOUS COMMITMENTS’
In his talk yesterday, Klutznick also outlined the views given in the “Path to Peace,” a report he and three others made for the Seven Springs Foundation of Mt. Kisco, N.Y. following a trip to the Middle East tast year. In the audience were two other authors of the report, Harold Saunders who was Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and South Asian Affairs in the Carter Administration, and Merle Thorpe, president of the Foundation for Middle East Peace.
Klutznick said that the letters he has received since the report was published have been 4-1 to 5-1 in favor of his position. He noted that the mail had been much more voluminous and critical when he was one of six Jews who endorsed the Brookings Institute report on the Middle East at the outset of the Carter Administration.
In discussing the Seven Springs reportt, Klutznick said the U.S. must “encourage” Israel and its Arab neighbors, including the Palestine Liberation Organization, to make “simultaneous commitments” in order to achieve a comprehensive peace in the Middle East.
He said the U.S. should not be a “by-stander” after Israel withdraws from Sinai next Sunday but should work vigorously in pushing the negotiations for autonomy for the West Bank and Gaza Strip and beyond that for including Jordan and other Arab countries in the peace process. He warned that unless this is done, the Camp David agreements would come to naught. Klutznick expressed confidence that Israel will leave Sinai as scheduled. “I have not known any government of Israel not to keep its written commitment,” he said. He denied he had ever called on Israel to talk to the PLO. He said Israel should not speak to anyone who does not recognize its sovereignty. He noted that the PLO has been sending “signals” through private conversations with American visitors and other means about willingness to accept co-existence with Israel.
“If they want to say it, let them say it publicly,” Klutznick said. He said that what the PLO should be saying is that it recognizes the sovereignty of the State of Israel and the right of the Jewish State to live behind determined borders.
Klutznick acknowledged that there is a price to pay for peace and Israel must decide if it is willing to pay it. He observed, “The price of peace is land and money. The price of war is people.”
BASIS FOR SADAT’S HISTORIC TRIP
In calling for simultaneous commitments, Klutznick rejected the notion that the late President Anwar Sadat of Egypt made an independent act when he came to Jerusalem in 1977. He noted that there had been a great deal of preparation and back-and-forth discussion before Sadat’s arrival.
He also pointed out that in their respective Knesset speeches at the time, both Sadat and Premier Menachem Begin re-stated their past positions. The only thing that was different was that Sadat had recognized Israel’s sovereignty, Klutznick stressed.
He said they were able to begin negotiations from that point but those negotiations were tough and they would be tough in future talks between Israel and other Arab countries.
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.
