Syria's Jews: An Exchange of
AN EXCHANGE OF CORRESPONDENCE SYRIA'S JEWS December 27, 1977 Mr. Adib Daoudi Mouhajerin Kasr el-Jmhouri Damascus, Syria Dear Mr. Daoudi: I want to thank you for your generosity in spending so...
...That is the problem, and I am deeply disappointed by a response to a reasoned plea for elementary decency which systematically avoids any discussion at all of the issue the letter addresses...
...Can you imagine your reaction if I were to publish a pamphlet on the condition of the Palestinians in which I would print an endorsement by a widely discredited and inauthentic Palestinian...
...As for the image of Syria, you may understand my cynicism if I point out the experience President Sadat has had...
...It was good of you, and I am grateful...
...While I don't have a ready demographic breakdown of the 5,000, it is likely that at least half are women, which reduces the military potential of the group to a maximum of 2,500...
...Others might respond that the Palestinians have remained displaced through all these years because the governments of the Arab states have failed to permit them to become integrated—in sharp distinction to the condition of the Jews from the several Arab lands, also once displaced...
...When we met in Washington you voiced a desire to see Quneitra from the other side...
...I assume that there was a bureaucratic error of some sort along the way...
...The distressing thing about your letter, in my view, is the very peculiar construction of your response...
...And, obviously, the simple recognition of the depth of Jewish identity does not derogate in any way from our loyalty to this nation...
...And, at the same time, I am bound to suggest that your own linking of the two problems, the problem of Syrian Jews and of Palestinians, suggests very strongly that your concern for the one has blinded you to the claims of the other...
...It seems that you seek freedom of movement for only one group of people and do not recognize how intensely the Palestinian people desire to return to their homeland...
...Whatever credibility that pamphlet might have had was entirely subverted by this endorsement...
...Sincerely, Dr...
...I have refrained from placing my views in the context of the larger question we discussed, and on which our differences particularly distressed me—the question of Jews as a nation vs...
...But if it is a small matter, why not resolve it...
...Koch had had a revelation like St...
...In the meantime, I have reviewed my notes of our conversation, and I am struck by one small part of it...
...Daoudi: I want to thank you for your generosity in spending so much time with us during our recent visit to Damascus...
...I concluded my letter by wishing that Mr...
...On a minor matter first: I was, indeed, interested in seeing Quneitra from "the other side...
...When one singles out any group of people on the basis of their religious preference there is a risk of discrimination...
...Please forgive this further intrusion upon your time, which is so very full these days...
...I have already told you why I did...
...In the event, I was not contacted by any representative of the Syrian government, and such appointments as I managed to set up—fortunately, enough to fill my time productively—were made possible through the good offices of the American Embassy...
...I am among that number, as I am also one of those who have opposed Israel's settlement pol icy...
...I have to say that, while I realize that Syria would not want to "contribute" even one able-bodied man to the Israeli military, it is simply not plausible that Syria is genuinely concerned about the significance—other than at the symbolic level—of so small a contribution to Israeli military capability...
...And I have to add that this point is so frequently stressed by Arab spokesmen that I fear we are dealing either with a very major misunderstanding, which people of conscience should seek to overcome, or with a clumsy effort at propagandizing Jewish peoplehood out of existence...
...Yet your letter dealing with 5,000 Syrian Jews makes no mention of the three million displaced Palestinians, or the 50,000 Syrians driven from the Golan Heights...
...A small matter, as I have said...
...Sincerely, Leonard Fein Editor-in-Chief February 21, 1978 Mr...
...You may remember that I asked you why the Syrian government did not do itself the favor of permitting those Jews who would like to leave to do so...
...It is perfectly possible to be profoundly concerned with one group without losing sight of the needs of others...
...Paul did on the Road to Damascus...
...Jews as a religion...
...The larger question, of course, is the nature of your response to my letter...
...20008 Dear Mr...
...I leave aside the question of the political implications of such entitlements, but I do not see how those who defend the right of Palestinians to define themselves can turn around and decide for the Jews that Judaism is simply a religious persuasion...
...It is because of this, I assume, that your government's pamphlet on the condition of Syrian Jews chose to quote from Rabbi Elmer Berger, a man who has for years stood in virtually total isolation from the overwhelming mass of Jewry because of his insistence on distorting the definition of Judaism by viewing it solely as a creed...
...Since I had wondered about your trip to Syria and Egypt and had not heard from you, I was glad to be sent a copy of your December 27,1977, letter to my friend Dr...
...I look forward to meeting and talking with you again...
...And now we come to the heart of the matter, your reference to the Palestinians...
...Admittedly, even so limited a problem as that of the Syrian Jews is not likely to be amenable to resolution through an exchange of letters between an editor of a Jewish magazine in the United States and an adviser to the President of Syria...
...When I put that proposition to you, your response was that you could not permit the possibility that able-bodied men might choose to emigrate to Israel...
...Fein: I would like to take the liberty to answer a letter which I did not receive directly from you...
...While you are likely correct that there has been less attitudinal change than President Sadat had hoped, you must know that some of us remain—albeit cautiously—deeply impressed with President Sadat and very hopeful that his initiative will lead to a stable peace...
...Let me say once again that I am concerned about the Palestinians, a position which is not especially popular in the Jewish community these days, as you are aware...
...And because I had nothing to say about the Palestinians in a letter which was about another matter entirely, you have reached the conclusion that I "do not recognize how intensely the Palestinian people desire to return to their homeland...
...I did not suppose that your trip to the Arab world would drastically change your views and your position...
...That is why, you said, your President was prepared to accept the concept of a special program for brides, a program with obvious humanitarian purpose, but could not permit open emigration, a concept which might mask a military purpose...
...Obviously, it is for them, not for me, to say which construct they would prefer—insofar as they may freely say so, without fear of penalty...
...Ambassador, I appreciate the time you took to respond to my letter to Dr...
...Surely vivid memories of homes and orchards bind a people to a land at least as forcefully as religious ties...
...I chose to add some remarks to a very lengthy conversation that I had with Dr...
...Your letter, however, failed to mention the citizens of Jerusalem—Arab and Jewish—who were killed by terrorists during those same weeks...
...Leonard Fein Editor-in-Chief MOMENT 55 Chapel Street Newton, Massachusetts 02160 Dear Mr...
...Your call for Jews to leave their country for religious reasons underestimates the social and cultural ties they have developed over centuries...
...The conversion of the Syrian Jewish problem into another counter in the Middle East crisis is exactly what I did not want, and your insistence on politicizing this simple matter of human rights is not, in my view, either a constructive or a humane response...
...Your concentration on this matter leaves me with some disturbing impressions...
...I wish that you also had had one...
...I, for example, did not suggest that the Syrian Jews would necessarily choose to leave Syria, or that having chosen to leave, they would necessarily choose Israel as their destination...
...Insofar as your government believes that it would be wrong to single out the Jews for the granting of this right, I would be perfectly pleased, as you must be aware, were this right granted to all Syrian citizens...
...In any case, were the Jews to be permitted to leave, the contribution to Israeli military capability would be far outweighed by the esteem which Syria would gain in the eyes of the world...
...tion of war and peace your nation and its neighbors confront, and so it is...
...The issues we discussed are so very important to so many people, and the differences in our views so profound, that discussion, together with an effort to understand the framework from which different people operate, can go on almost endlessly...
...It will seem, of course, a very small matter compared to the large quesThe following exchange of letters ensued after Leonard Fein's return from the Middle East...
...Sabah Kabbani Ambassador Embassy of the Syrian Arab Republic 2215 Wyoming Avenue, North West Washington, D.C...
...Of that number, I think it safe to assume that at least 25 percent are over the age of 40, leaving a group of 1,750...
...We are talking, therefore, about a group of currently "usable" men that cannot possibly number more than 1,000...
...Edward Koch's account of his trip to Syria...
...A family reunification program, or a quota of emigration permits numbering, say, 100 families per year, or any of a variety of schemes might be proposed that would in very direct fashion provide those of us who would like to believe that Syria is capable of progressive action with some reassurance that we are not entirely mistaken...
...It seems to me that this long letter about an issue which could be solved when we have genuine peace in the Middle East might not have been written if you had seen more of the "other side...
...Fein's subsequent reply...
...Let me first put that letter into perspective...
...I am sure you will agree with me that the Jewish people do not have a monopoly on human rights...
...Yet apparently you never met with the people from the Ministry of Information who were willing to help you do this...
...We discussed it in your office, and it is a problem to which you are, I would imagine, daily exposed...
...My letter was carefully phrased, and fully reflects my beliefs...
...We shall, all of us, have to learn to listen rather more carefully and sensitively to what is being said...
...The issue of Syria's Jews is only one of the components of the negative image Syria presents to the world, but it is one which is so easily remediable that I fail to understand why the regime does not do something about it...
...When Jewish leaders here boycott meetings with President Sadat, when homes of prominent Egyptians are bombed, and perhaps most significantly, when settlements on occupied territories are defiantly continued in the face of world opposition, I cannot help but wonder how willing Israel and its supporters are to view Syria more positively regardless of our actions...
...Sadat's concern for his country's image and his cordial treatment of American Jewish leaders have not been met with a genuine change in attitudes...
...If there is a response to the argument that the Palestinians "already have 20 or 21 states" in which they can make their home, it is that people are entitled to define for themselves the nature of their aspirations and the meaning of their identity...
...Nonetheless, it seemed to me—and seems to me—that by dealing with a problem that has boundaries I might accomplish more than by adding my voice to the hundreds of others that are heard daily on the large questions of war and peace...
...I do not call for the Jews to leave Syria, or the United States, or the Soviet Union, or Israel...
...My letter was not intended as a catalogue of contemporary human misery...
...But even as we all await that day—you, who were so emphatic in your preference for a peaceful solution, and we and other Jews, whose prayer for peace is so fervent—the gesture of kindness and compassion for which I plead could only benefit your nation...
...Daoudi you expressed a broader sensitivity, but I hope you will understand how I have received these impressions to the contrary...
...I fear that you and other supporters of Israel create this sort of discrimination by consistently emphasizing any matter relating to Jews at the expense of larger issues...
...No nation wishes to be perceived as insensitive to human rights, and you know, of course, how very poor is Syria's international image in this regard...
...It seems to me that from Syria's own perspective, the restriction on emigration for Jews is counterproductive...
...But I have to add that it is exceedingly distressing to be informed, in effect, that the merits of the case for Syria's Jews are contingent on a recognition of the merits of the Palestinian case...
...Alas, we all of us have work to do, and here I am, back at my desk, already filled with questions which will have to await my next trip to your country...
...The problem becomes more serious in your next paragraph—paragraph three of your letter—in which you propose that it would be discriminatory for the Syrian government to uproot the Jews and in which you pervert my letter by converting it into a "call" for Jews to leave "their" country...
...It generates very negative publicity in this country and throughout the West, Mike Wallace notwithstanding, and since the number of people involved is so small—just 5,000 in the entire country, if all of them were to choose to leave—their departure could not make very much difference to the Syrian economy...
...Happily, it did not affect the quality of my experience, but it did make it impossible for me to do all the things you and I had spoken of...
...But I can tell you, very plainly, that American Jews are, in the main, quite happy to think of themselves as American Jews rather than Jewish Americans...
...We include that letter, Kabbani's response to it, and Dr...
...It did not mention any number of groups around the world who suffer needlessly...
...Our conversation then went on to other matters, and I regret that I did not later have the chance to raise with you the obvious "follow-up" question...
...Daoudi permits you to infer that I am insensitive to the claims of Palestinians, even though we may disagree on how those claims should be translated into practice...
...Can it be that the granting of a universally acknowledged human right is viewed as a discriminatory call for the uprooting of a group...
...Sincerely yours, Leonard Fein Editor-in-Chief moment Magazine cc: Mr...
...On November 30, 1975 the New York Times published my response to Mr...
...But, quite frankly, I cannot see that the Syrian case is strengthened by your statement that even if Syria were to act more decently, it would not be viewed positively by Israel and its supporters...
...Finally, regarding the reaction to President Sadat, Israel's settlement policy and so forth: unless you can try to make some distinctions, we'll never get anywhere...
...Daoudi regarding a limited subject where, I had hoped, the very narrowness of the matter might, perhaps, permit some reconsideration of the Syrian position...
...But because war and peace is the issue in the Middle East and because the destiny of the Arab and Israeli peoples is at stake I was surprised and disappointed that virtually your entire letter focused on Syrians of the Jewish faith...
...The first element of your response has to do with my having chosen to focus my letter on "Syrians of Jewish faith...
...Syria's image remains primitive not because Israel and its supporters are blind—even though I might wish we saw more clearly—but because Syria's behavior remains primitive...
...Perhaps in your talk with Mr...
...I am not especially interested in that approach, since it seems to me that a more fundamental question is here involved...
...Nothing in my conversations with you or in what I have written on the Middle East or in my letter to Dr...
...No such thing...
...No one from the Ministry of Information was in touch with me, although I assume that my presence in Damascus was not a secret, nor could I easily initiate contact, since you had not provided me with a contact person...
...It is the kind of assumption from which war grows...
...Let me now add that I have the distinct impression that the Syrian Jews I met are "Jews of Syrian nationality...
...I find it irritating to be lectured by defenders of Palestinian rights—and, as you know, I am not without sympathy for the Palestinians—regarding the meaning of Judaism...
...You may recall that in our last conversation before my departure, you informed me that I would be contacted once in Damascus and then informed of the detailed arrangements proposed for my visit there...
...And of that number, given the high birthrate, at least a third are under age—indeed, very many are below the age of ten...
...Daoudi, but I must say that I am quite surprised, and disappointed, by the substance of your response...
...And some of these would choose not to leave, and some would go to the United States...
...I simply ask that those who wish to leave be permitted to leave...
...So much for context...
...The original letter to Adib Daoudi, Special Advisor to Syria's President Assad, was sent by Daoudi to Dr...
...Sabah Kabbani Ambassador March 3,1978 Dr...
...Sabah Kabbani, Syria's Ambassador to the United States...
...I do not flatter myself that the Syrian government is particularly interested in what I have to say about its policies on the Middle East...
...The vast experience that goes under the name of "Jewish peoplehood," that is perceived by the Jews to have been a national experience, that informs most Jews and most Jewish activity, cannot be understood by those who insist on telling us that we are a religion, and that alone...
...Naturally, we could have spent many more hours without "concluding" our conversation...
...Does that mean that you don't care about them...
...Let me be as clear as possible: the assumption that a person who cares about the Jews, or about any other particular group, necessarily does not care about the Palestinians, or any other particular group, is a very dangerous assumption...
...I must say that wherever I traveled and with whomever I spoke in the Arab world, I encountered a major misunderstanding of Jewish people-hood, and I hope that one of these days, in more pacific circumstances, Jews and Arabs will develop a more certain appreciation of each other's self-understanding...
...So much for openers...
...It did not purport to be a comprehensive summary of my impressions of Damascus, or of my thoughts on a Middle East settlement...
...Images change only when those who hold them are willing to let them do so...
...Needless to say, I am offended and disgusted by the bombing of two homes of prominent Egyptians in Washington in recent weeks...
...I hope not...
...The Syrian government does not wish to contribute to a policy which would uproot or discriminate against any Syrian citizen in this manner...
Vol. 3 • April 1978 • No. 5
