December/January 1991/92, Page 5

Letters To (and From) The Editors

Israel on a Downhill Slide?

Regarding your assessment of why Bush won and Yitzhak Shamir and the American Israel Public Affairs Committee lost, AIPAC may have committed the public relations blunder of all time when it encouraged busloads of its smugly self-confident members to blitzkrieg the offices of Washington lawmakers. Confucius was so right. Viewing these scenes on the evening news, rather than just reading about this attempt to lobby Congress for $10 billion in US government loan guarantees for Israel, it was not difficult for Americans to realize that these lobbyists were not arriving to plead for an extension of unemployment benefits, universal medical coverage, an overhaul of the public educational system or any of the other pressing needs this country is facing—all causes that would benefit Americans. They were there to petition for the welfare of Israeli citizens.

It may be wishful thinking on my part, but I choose to believe that Israel's treatment of the Palestinians; its reluctance to come to the peace table with the Arabs; its constant nose thumbing at the United States by the almost weekly openings of new Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, which culminated in the loan guarantee debacle, has carried Israel to the apogee of its relationship with this country. Hopefully, it is all downhill from here on out to reach a point where the interests of Israel are considered to be of no more or no less importance than that of any other country with which the United States has dealings.

Ruth Elizabeth Ramsey, Epworth, GA

Did You Know You're "Indispensable"?

While visiting in a former home city, I turned to the editorial pages of its major daily newspaper and relished a refreshing editorial on our skewed foreign policy in the Middle East. The writer insisted that the US taxpayer is due truth and accountability and that the US government should not support the acquisition of land by force by any government, Iraqi or Israeli.

I contacted the editor to thank him for the editorial and offered him a subscription to the Washington Report. He was familiar with the magazine. The current issue was on his desk. He regards the Washington Report as "indispensable," a "reliable" and "necessary" source for examining and presenting Middle Eastern realities to thinking readers.

It's not the first such reassuring experience I've had in contacting media and academic figures as well as members of the clergy. Even more rewarding is the reaction I've received after introducing such people, seekers of truth, to your magazine for the first time, just as I was introduced to it six years ago after attending a talk by your executive editor sponsored by the chaplain of a local university.

I've been able to provide courageous people with truth to replace Israeli myths. I've been able to provide words of encouragement and knowledge to strengthen the efforts of the battle weary.

Misconceptions about the Middle East abound. Words are mighty weapons in diminishing the power of those who seek to silence or mangle the truth. Publications such as the Washington Report and the books available at excellent prices through its publisher, the American Educational Trust (AET), and such organizations as Americans for Middle East Understanding (AMEU) and Medialink, Inc., can enlighten all those who are willing to learn. Gifts of these publications are a small price to pay for the fruit they bear.

Jane Alford, Burlington, NC

When the Washington Report was several years younger, we tried to keep back of how many new individual subscribers were brought to us by Jane Alford, who tirelessly set up magazine tables at meetings of religious, civic and, of course, Arab-American groups. As one member of the local Arab-American Anti-Discrimination chapter noted, "she 's not Arab American herself, but she puts us all to shame. "An active lecturer and church woman, Jane Alford now is an authorized AET volunteer representative for her area. In addition to her extraordinary success in signing up paid subscribers, she has donated dozens of subscriptions to opinion molders in North Carolina, Virginia and elsewhere and the newspaper editorials in the areas where she's been active show, unmistakably, the results. We appreciate this letter, the first she's written us in six years, and cite her as living proof that one individual, who first stumbled on the realities of the Palestine problem while preparing a review for a local book club, really can make a difference—and has.

Where Can I Get Al Fajr Newspaper?

I noted a mention in an article about an English-language Palestinian newspaper, Al Fajr, out of Jerusalem. I am wondering if you can provide the address of this newspaper to your readers, for those who might wish to look into subscribing to it. I also noticed that Edward Said has resigned from the Palestine National Council. Perhaps you can run an interview with this important and influential thinker.

I had thought about allowing my subscription to lapse, not due to any material in your excellent magazine, but rather due to the fragile state of my personal economy. However, I've decided that a continued subscription to your magazine (and its continued existence) is too important to let expire. Therefore, you may look to a renewed subscription from me on my next payday, and thank you for all the work you do.

Robert A. Curtis, Akron, OH

We reprinted an excellent 5%-page report on Edward Said from New York magazine in the "Other Voices" section of our May 1989 issue, but you're right, it's time for another. We'11 do our best. The US address for Al Fajr is: 16 Crowell Street, Hempstead, NY 11550.

Our annual subscription rate increases from $15 to $19 on Jan. 1, so you'd better subscribe to the Washington Report next payday and save Al Fajr for the one after hat.

Just Stick to the Facts, Please

I would like to point out an error in the caption used for an illustration in my article on Canada Park that appeared in the October issue of the Washington Report. The caption stated that the three Palestinian villages demolished by Israeli forces in 1967 were destroyed in order to build the park. In fact, the park was built more than five years after the villages were razed. I have no doubt that this was simply an oversight, but I feel if uncorrected it may only provide ammunition to critics bent on questioning the accuracy of the Washington Report.

John Dirlik, Pierrefonds, (Montreal), Quebec, Canada

Thanks for catching an error that was ours, not yours. The major Israeli purpose for obliterating these Palestinian villages, along with some 400 others, was to effect permanent demographic changes throughout Palestine, particularly near the "Green Line," and thereby improve Israel's negotiating position. The idea of planting pine trees to cover the site and calling it ''Canada Park'' to attract visits and more donations from members of Canada's Jewish community was presumably a later improvisation.

Thanks for a Daring Book

Thank you for the complimentary copy of Congressman Paul Findley's book. I have to admit that it was very disturbing reading, but it did provide a great deal of material for consideration concerning the Israeli Lobby and the poor representation of the Arab dimension in the ongoing debate.

I myself spent six months studying in Israel as part of the Jerusalem Program sponsored by St. John's University in Minnesota. At that time, I witnessed firsthand the extensive discrimination against the Arab population throughout the state of Israel. In speaking to some of the Christian Arabs in Bethlehem and Nazareth, it became very clear that they felt caught between extremes: either side with the occupying Israelis, or be intimidated by the radical Arab elements.

I was, admittedly, pro-Israeli at that time (in 1978), but events in Israel, especially in recent months, have caused me to re-think my position. They Dare to Speak Out certainly shed a great deal of light on this matter and I learned a great deal from it.

In 1981, as I returned to Israel after my ordination to the priesthood, it was obvious that things had worsened there. Some young Israelis mentioned how they felt that the news media in this country seemed to be anti Israeli. I made it clear that, if anything, the opposite was the case.

I hope that Mr. Findley's book will lead others to speak up and balance the debate of the Arab-Israeli conflict. I would hope too, that the results of the Gulf conflict will help us in America to see the Arab nations in a new light, and with a spirit of cooperation that will truly bring a lasting peace to that area of the world.

I also hope that the contributions made to the effort among the allied nations will not be forgotten and that it will become clear just exactly what the Arab nations did to help the American troops in the Gulf. The media coverage of the rejoicing of the Kuwaiti people and of the kind treatment of the prisoners of war from Iraq can do a lot to change the attitudes of most Americans if we do not allow Israel to sabotage those new relations just because we are friendly to Arab states. Again, thank you for your book and I certainly will make it available to others.

Rev. Father Paul M. Hartley, Pastor, St. Andrew Catholic Church, Tipton, MO

Readers can donate copies of They Dare to Speak Out by sending AET $7.50 to cover a book, postage and handling for each recipient named.

Thank You, God!

Thank God for your magazine. We are spreading the word about it.

Margaret Marrash, Charlotte, NC

And thank God for people like you, who write effectively to your representatives in Congress and receive helpful responses like the one you sent us from Sen. Terry Sanford.

We Need a Little Help For This

We are continuing our previously reported effort for local resolutions against aid to Israel. We are enclosing a copy of our letter to the county commissioner for District 3 of Dakota County, Minnesota.

We also are encouraging similar actions by other persons in the Twin Cities Area. Some have received copies of our letters to our members of the state legislature and will modify the letters for submission to their own representatives. We are hoping that other readers of the Washington Report will undertake similar action with local officials in their respective localities.

Of course, as our letters indicate, we have a definite precedent in the Twin Cities Area. Persons in other areas may have to create precedents for themselves. Perhaps the Washington Report can stimulate such thinking and definite action among its readers.

Floyd R. Nelson, W. St. Paul, MN and William L. Knaus, Mendota Hgts., MN

We'll do our best. A slightly abridged version of your letter to the commissioner is in "Other People 's Mail, '' page 69.

Can You Answer Sen. Simon?

I am enclosing Senator Paul Simon's letter to my sister who called to protest the $10 billion loan guarantee for Israel. (I do not have a US senator.) I have sent my sister articles on this subject from the September/October and November Washington Report so that she has the information needed to support her position with her senator. I am also enclosing a check for $29 for a subscription for my sister, so that she can be educated about aid to Israel, about which she is feeling increasingly frustrated.

May I also suggest that you run an article in the form of a response to Senator Simon from a well-informed constituent. Further, could you do an article on Senator Simon's record on Israel and Middle East issues? I do not remember seeing anything in the magazine about him specifically. All I could find in the recent issues was a list of AIPAC recipients, of which Simon was one.

Thank you for your excellent magazine. I learned about it on a trip to Israel in 1986 and have been a subscriber ever since.

Phyllis McClure, Washington, DC

In 1984, when he was a Democratic member of the House of Representatives, Paul Simon was approached about opposing Republican Senator Charles Percy, then chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and a prime target of AlPAC for voting to sell AWACS to Saudi Arabia and for repeatedly calling for respect for the rights of Palestinians. Simon was promised whatever funding it would take to win the 1984 Democratic primary nomination and then the 1984 general election. From pro-Israel PACs alone he received $301,389 f or his successful 1984 campaigns.

One former AIPAC board member, California real estate developer Michael Goland, introduced $1,200,000 of his own personal funds into "uncoordinated " 1984 television commercials attacking Percy on non-Middle East issues, a violation of election laws for which he was fined the princely sum of $5,000.

Senator Simon's career total is $580,794 in pro-lsrael PAC donations. In the House and Senate he's earned every cent of it, as his letter to your sister demonstrates. His statement that Israel has never defaulted on an American loan is true only because Congress eventually forgives US loans to Israel. Until it does, Congress provides that US economic assistance to Israel always will be sufficient to cover outstanding interest on all Israeli loans from the US government. The statement that the loan guarantees ''would not mean less money for our domestic programs" is a high order of sophistry and a low order of hogwash. If Israel paid back every cent from its own resources, the loan guarantees still would cost the US taxpayer more than $3 billion. Since, in fact, it will look to the US to pay the interest, the principal and all related costs, the ultimate cost to the taxpayer will be something between $40 billion and $120 billion, depending upon interest rates and the rate of inflation over the lifetime of the loans.

Did Israel Really Give Away US Secrets?

Several years ago, our local newspaper, The Buffalo News, published a wire service story relating to the Jonathan Pollard espionage affair and the US military data he provided to Israeli authorities. According to this article, neatly tucked away in the bowels of the newspaper, these highly sensitive documents were subsequently given to Soviet officials, by Israel, in return for a promise to increase Soviet Jewish immigration.

A quote by a State Department spokesperson indicated that this story was true and that they were "deeply disturbed. " Much to my dismay, this was the only media reference given to what I considered a blockbuster revelation, but apparently nobody took notice.

My questions: 1) Is this true? 2) Why didn't the American media pick up on this important revelation? I find it beyond comprehension that we would guarantee $10 billion in loans to a country which shows total disregard for its "best friend's" secrets.

Dennis E. Thompson, Orchard Park, NY

In answer to your first question, it's true. A few years ago the Israelis had a coyer story attributing the steady pow to the USSR of stolen US secrets to a Soviet "mole " within their own Mossad. Seymour Hersh, in his new book, The Samson Option (reviewed on page 71), says secrets were "sanitized " (retyped, which also would protect sources like Pollard) and passed to the Soviets under the direct instructions of Yitzhak Shamir. (AET has the book if you want more details.) Washington Report columnist Leon Hader has some even more interesting theories on Shamir's motives for bartering US secrets on page 8 of this issue. Whatever version one accepts, the leakage to the USSR was detected (in Moscow) by US intelligence and that was the basis for Defense Secretary Caspar Weinberger's letter to the judge before Pollard 's sentencing documenting the "incalculable" harm suffered by the US from Pollard 's espionage, which also compromised American intelligence sources within the Soviet Union. In answer to your second question, you know the answer or you wouldn 't have asked.

You're Presumptuous and Childish

I was pleased to receive my issue of the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs today, but distressed after reading the letters section. No organization or publication concerned with justice and peace should revel in the private suffering that inevitably is involved in suicide attempts, no matter how evil the person's public affairs record. On Robert McFarlane, you reply: "His subsequent suicide attempt speaks volumes about those who sup with the devil." How presumptuous, how childish. You obviously have never experienced severe depression.

No signature, Berkeley, CA

We get pretty depressed at our talent for upsetting readers with our smart-alecky remarks. We think the devil makes us do it.

Your Tenacity Changed Public and Governmental Opinion

I wish to thank you for being there. I have been a subscriber for the past three or four years, and was introduced to the Report through my work with the American Friends Service Committee. I have received more than I was able to give.

Two weeks ago I called your office in an attempt to find some information regarding the present Israeli situation as it relates to the loan guarantees. I had tried to receive this information through my representatives in Congress, and was a bit frustrated with their responses. In calling your office, I received even more information than I had requested. As a result, I was able to be an informed participant in a World Affairs group which we have in this community. It was helpful to the group, and the eyes of many in the group were opened—indeed.

I do believe that because of your tenacity there is a change in the public and governmental thought regarding the Middle East.

Lois S. Mueller, Boulder, CO

We plan to continue tenaciously until, thanks to our equally tenacious readers, that change in public opinion and executive branch policy elicits overwhelming support in Congress.

Massachusetts Voters Should Retire Teddy

I send FYI a copy of a letter I received from Senator Kennedy in reply to a temperate plea of mine that he not support the $10 billion to Israel, but instead help our own jobless, homeless and hungry Americans on our streets.

How ugly that this Congress, so greedy, so corrupt, so lacking in courage, in honesty, in integrity, can shed crocodile tears for the Soviet Jews, but not give a single damn about suffering Americans. We have no money to house our own, but we can give $35,000 to every Soviet citizen coming to settle in Israel. The Soviets are moving toward democracy now, so Soviet Jews will live freely. They are not homeless, or hungry, like Americans on the streets. They are not being clubbed by soldiers who break their arms and legs as are the Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Soviet Jews are not being poisoned by tear gas or killed and maimed with bullets.

It's time we retired Kennedy in Massachusetts; and retired the whole of Congress as well. Thank you for teeing the most honest end courageous news organ in the US. God bless.

Anne Thomas, Brookline, MA

Senator Kennedy's response to your letter is a paradigm for how Israeli's twin tricksters in the Senate, Daniel Inouye and Robert Kasten, assisted by AlPAC's congressional courtesan corps, will pay lip service to the Bush-Baker peace efforts while seeking to sneak through both unconditional loan guarantees and unconditional aid that, if granted, will assure that the peace process fails. The same doublespeak in the House is illustrated by the letter from Rep. Wayne Owens (D-UT) in "Other People's Mail, " page 69.

Did Begin Boost Baghdad's Bomb?

Nobody, not even the Washington Report to my knowledge, has refuted the Israeli claim that they have been proven correct in their bombing of Baghdad in 1981. But now a Harvard physicist, Richard Wilson, says, "the bombing and the wishy-washy world reaction to it discredited the people in the Iraqi establishment who were opposed to making nuclear weapons, and thereby encouraged, perhaps even started, Iraq's nuclear bomb program. " That's from the Sept./Oct. 1991 issue of the Israeli periodical New Outlook, page 36, "Iraq's Uranium Separation: The Huge' Surprise. "

C. Patrick Quinlan, Edina, MN

We suspect the Likud government was delighted to play a role in stimulating an Iraqi nuclear program, since it moved the world several steps toward the military confrontation that has removed Iraq as a player on the Middle East chess-board for the next decade. Don't forget, however, that Menachem Begin's decision to bomb Baghdad in 1981, just before Israeli elections, accomplished something else. It enabled him to come from way, way behind in the polls to be re-elected prime minister of Israel, and then go on to authorize Ariel Sharon's catastrophic invasion of Lebanon. Since 1992 is an election year in the US, Libya take notice.

Turn Up the Lights on Israel's Fifth Columnists

Why do you not print more articles similar to that in your Sept./Oct. issue by Mr. Molineaux on A.M. Rosenthal of The New York Times. I think I recall some references to The New York Times' bias, but I don't recall any others.

Mr. Mortimer Zuckerman of U. S. News & World Report is my pet peeve, especially as this magazine is so influential, widely read, and, except for Israel (as far as I can tell), is quite objective.

I have written Mr. Zuckerman at least 3 or 4 times about his bias .... even had a short answer from him on one occasion. I was so incensed at his editorial in the Sept. 30 issue that I wrote again. I also objected to a column by Mr. William Safire in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Surprisingly they printed my letter .... copy attached. Of course most of my material came from the Washington Report.

In my opinion, articles similar to that on Mr. Rosenthal but pin-pointing other biased and pro-Israeli writers would serve a very useful purpose, especially by showing factual errors in their writing which would tend to minimize their effectiveness.

John S. O'Connor, Seattle, WA

We've reprinted one of your letters in "Other People's Mail" on page 70. As for articles on biased journalists, our problem is not so much lack of subjects as lack of space. Nevertheless, stay tuned.

Why Do You Pull Your Punches About the Lobby?

In my opinion the American Israel Public Affairs Committee is a contradiction in terms. Since there are no Israelis involved in the many lobbies making up this lobby, let's call it what it is. It is a Jewish lobby made up of Jewish activists for the benefit of a foreign state or, as Israel characterizes itself, a Jewish state.

It is a mystery to me why the message of the power of the Jewish lobby is so difficult to get out to the American people! If all of the spokesmen who represent the Arab countries would be encouraged to point out to the world media at every available opportunity that the Jewish lobby has had the Congress of the United States, and every administration since Harry Truman, in its pocket by financing the election campaigns of both American political parties, it would certainly compel those politicians to duck and run for cover.

Instead, your magazine reaches an extremely limited readership through such a small number of subscriptions that, by your own admission, you may be forced to cut the number of issues.

The Jewish lobby doesn't rely on political power, it is the ability to bribe Congress with money. If that was drummed into the consciousness of the American people, the Jewish lobby would fade into oblivion. Bear in mind the fact that 86 percent of Americans backed President George Bush when he refused the $10 billion loan guarantee demanded by Israel to settle Jewish immigrants. So far, that is!

Joseph A. Benoit, Northridge, CA

One correction: we're broke because of too many, not too few, subscriptions. That's why we're forced to increase our rates for 1992. As for your suggestion that Arab governments carry your message, it's our impression that spokespersons for Arab countries have been saying what you advocate for many years, and yet few Americans have paid any attention. That's why we think it's important for Americans to speak frankly to Americans about the matter, although perhaps in somewhat less all-encompassing terms than those you have chosen. It's our impression that what we do has been quite effective, perhaps crucial, in helping to build that 86 percent backing for an even-handed US policy equally concerned about security for Israelis, justice for Palestinians, and tranquility for the rest of the world. If you would prefer to wait for all of those Arab spokesmen to get through to the American public, it's your decision. As truly old "old Middle East hands,'' we decided we just can't wait any longer. Good luck and maybe you can get "all of the spokesmen who represent the Arab countries " each to subscribe to the Washington Report. So far we haven 't had much luck with them.

I Think You're Great, but. . .

Your November issue was wonderful. Since one of Senator Bradley's top aides was one of my husband's favorite former students, I'm sending him whole chunks of the latest issue and telling him we're shocked that Bradley supports the loan guarantees.

I was miffed, however, by the letter from Donald E. Webster accusing me of inaccuracy in the article on the Kurds. What was inaccurate? He says the Treaty of Sevres "never entered into force," and that's exactly what I said—he even quotes me to that effect. I thought I'd mentioned the Treaty of Lausanne that superseded it, but it doesn't matter. The Turks may have guaranteed "the rights of all minorities" in that treaty, but so did the Soviet constitution under Stalin. The fact is, the "Kurdish extremists" were demanding what they'd been promised by the Allies but didn't get—their independence; and the Turks responded with a brutal crackdown, including making the Kurdish language illegal. So I'm sorry you said, "we stand corrected. " We are not corrected. Also, another letter complained that there has been no article about the suffering in Iraq. I remember stealing from one such article for a letter to a newspaper editor. I was so glad to learn that the magazine can go on. It really is indispensable.

Rachelle Marshall, Stanford, CA

Tip to letter writers: tell us we're great before and after you point out an error we've made, and how can we resist reprinting your letter? When two experts disagree, as in this case, we always have a guilty feeling that in condensing an article by one or a letter by the other for space, we may have set up the miscommunication. In any case, we stand corrected: We do not stand corrected. Any questions ?

You Nourish My Hope of Rescue

Enclosed is my check for renewal of my subscription until 1994. I apologize for not having responded earlier. I appreciate very much the Washington Report. It is my favorite publication. Its existence nourishes my hope that the government may be rescued from the captivity of the pro-Israel lobbies. I pray that God will strengthen, bless and protect you, and that your good work will always find favor in Him.

In the search for Justice and Peace, I am

James M. Crawford, Coral Gables, FL

Why Do Missing Israelis Have Arab Names?

I write as a subscriber and supporter of your monthly magazine. The New York Times published an article discussing the hostage crisis and the status of existing POWs (AKA hostages). At the end of the article, the reporter, Patrick Tyler, mentioned a few of the seven names of Israeli POWs. One was Pvt. Rahamin Alsheikh, another was Sgt. Samir Assad. I thought it terribly peculiar to have two Arab-sounding names for Israeli soldiers. I thought non-Jews, with the exception of the Druze, were not permitted to join the Israeli army. Is there a contradiction here?

In your excellent coverage of the Middle East, you might consider an article examining why there are Arabs—Palestinians, Druze, Bedouin, if any—in the Israeli army.

I look forward to your enlightened answer to this puzzle.

James Toth, Somerville, MA

We assume the two missing Israeli soldiers you've named are Druze. There also are so-called Bedouin "trackers ''employed by the Israeli army, and some of these have been killed or wounded in Israel 's service.

Polls Mean Nothing in the Absence of Truth

Reference "Public Opinion" by Fouad Moughrabi in the Sept./Oct. issue of the Washington Report, I question the validity of any public opinion poll on the Israeli/Palestinian issue conducted in the United States today.

As one who diligently sought information about the Palestinian/Israeli conflict and encountered primarily biased and prejudicial disinformation, and blatantly pro-Israel data, I was grossly uninformed and unqualified to respond intelligently to any poll. Until the truth is presented to the public, polls will remain meaningless.

Thanks to efforts put forth through the Palestine Human Rights Information Center, the Washington Report on Middle East Affairs, Amnesty International and others I have found, the truth is being revealed.

Joyce Bacon, Kennewick, WA

Israeli Influence on US Policy

Once again significant criticism of Israeli policy action has been voiced to a Senate committee and ignored by the controlled media of America. Robert Gates told the Senate Intelligence Committee—in answer to Senator Bradley's questions—that in his judgment the arms to Iran disaster was hatched in Israel during a visit by National Security Adviser Robert McFarlane. He also stated that the president of the United States had not been misled by CIA data on Iran—but had been misled by intelligence data from "another country."

I would hope that you would highlight this matter—using transcripts of the Gates hearing to get it right. There may be other references to this matter also by Mr. Gates.

Harry W. Hunt, Huddy, KY

You got it right. The other country is the one Ronald Reagan said "wasn't involved, " that Oliver North and friends called "Banana, " and the Irangate investigators called "Country No. 1. "After AlPAC's defeat by George Bush last September, however, we think Israel's no longer top banana.

Let ADL Eat Crow

I was happy to see in your October issue that the Anti-Defamation League apologized for denouncing the accurate, as it turned out, "60 Minutes" version of the Temple Mount/ Haram Al-Sharif massacre of Palestinians in October 1990. The local Hadassah chapter had given out an action alert last year saying that Israel "was responding to a pre-planned and orchestrated attack by extremist Palestinian Arab rioters meant to injure and kill Jews at the Western Wall during their holiday prayers" and taking President Bush to task for not vetoing the UN resolution condemning Israel.

This October's Hadassah program was at about the same level of objectivity and accuracy. The speaker was the new Israeli consul general to the Midwest, Dr. Yitzhak Ben-Gad, author of Politics, Lies and Videotape.

Ben-Gad was a real fanatic, beyond belief. At one time he shouted, "The Arabs will come to the peace table not as prosecutors but as defendants." Later on he referred to Palestinians as "wild animals." Someone asked a question about the demolition of houses and he got upset. First he said, "When in Rome, do as the Romans. " Then he insulted the questioner. The next questions were about that. When an elderly gentleman asked, "How dare you treat us American Jews so shabbily?" much of the crowd broke into applause.

Since this was a typical Hadassah audience, I was shocked. Two different Israelis came up to me afterwards dripping embarrassment. Each said, "You must be happy, he sure makes your work easier."

In truth, I was happy, but only because a number of times Ben-Gad pleaded with the audience not to criticize Israel publicly, and thereby give ammunition to the "anti-Semites. " I write letters to the editor, and sit at the Madison Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings giving out literature. Virtue is its own reward, we're told, but sometimes it's nice to get feedback. It was great to hear him indicate I was having some effect. In any case, Ben-Gad antagonized a crowd that was pretty difficult to antagonize.

Jim Rissman, Verona, WI

Let's make it clear that you were happy about the recognition that criticism of house demolitions, etc., is so widespread that you even hear it at a Hadassah meeting, and not at being called an anti-Semite. No matter how often critics of Likud extremism are called "self-haters" or ''anti-Semites," it's still a vile and hateful thing to hear and does no one any good at all.

You're Too Slick for Me

I very much appreciate the letter from Allene Long in the October 1991 issue of your publication concerning the slick, shiny paper used. I've noticed more and more items in my mailbox on such paper.

In our home we are very careful about recycling, and I feel my blood pressure rising whenever I see this slick paper. Not only can it not be recycled but it is very stressful for my over-sensitive eyes. Even if you insist on using that paper for the cover, there is no reason to use it for the whole magazine. Sorry, it really turns me off!

Jean Edwards, Louisville, KY

Thanks to a deluge of reader tips and ideas, we're closing in on the problem. Not this issue, hut the next one will, we hope, be on recycled paper. The first we found, from either Japan or Korea, would have added about $3,000 to our monthly printing bill, and some to the postage as well, because we would have had to use a heavier paper to get the same readability. Now we think we've located US-made paper that will cost an additional $800 per issue for a 40,000-copy press run. (For the technically minded, its recycled contents are 50 percent ''preconsumer," meaning waste wood chips, etc., and 10 percent "post-consumer,'' meaning it may have been in your house previously.) If we can find nine readers ready to spend $400 each to pay half the extra cost, we'll pay the rest. The problem with recycled paper is there isn't yet much of a market for it. If we do nine complete press runs on it annually, that's many tons of waste saved.

Now, about recycling this magazine: some are as already have facilities that will recycle glossy paper. If you don't have such a recycler in your area, and you don't keep a file of the magazine, how about returning your copies for people who do? Dozens of institutions, and some individuals, try to buy back issues, all the way to 1982, and we don 't have copies of many issues left. So, if you bundle up your back issues (pristine and undamaged, please) and send them prepaid to us via UPS, we'll credit the postage you spent as a donation to the tax-exempt AET Library Endowment, and also credit you with an additional $1 donation per copy you send us. That way, your magazines will not be destroyed, but recycled right back into libraries. If we find any damaged copies, we'll turn them over to a recycler who can and does use this kind of paper.

So perhaps both problems are almost solved—if nine volunteers step forward.