1983-1984 Rothberg Yearbook

Israeli P olitical E vents th e Year We Were Here
Suffice it to say it was a politically eventful year. On the economic front Israel saw two devaluations and
another year of triple-digit inflation. Social issues included the growing problems between religious and nonreligious
Israelis with the Sephardi-Ashkenazi rift beginning to heal. In politics we saw Begin step down, Shamir
come in, a call for early elections, new waves of terrorism between Arab and Jew and a country with queries
about the Lebanese situation.
As we stepped off the planes in July and made our way to the banks we exchanged our money at a rate
of 49 shekels to the dollar — at press time it will be over 200. And remember the exchange rate follows the
inflation rate. Although Israel’s inflation can be calculated many ways, a rate over 400% for 1984 would not be
too far off the mark. Likud tried to slow inflation down twice in late 1983 with a 7.5% and 15% devaluation of
the shekel. The government then found it necessary to close down the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange until things
cooled down. Needless to say a way out of the economic quagmire will be a hot topic in the coming election
campaign.
There were growing problems between secular and religious Israelis. The religious circles want the nation and
her laws more closely tied to Jewish law. Riots between religious observers and non-religious Jews broke out in
Petah Tikvah in early 1984. Religious Israelis are opposed to daylight savings time and the 16-week trial period.
The issue of religious observances is volatile. Resolution will prove to be complicated for the Jewish state.
Only a little more than a month had passed when Begin decided to resign as Prime Minister. After political
maneuvering inside and outside the Knesset Yitzhak Shamir was chosen to head the government. With his political
and economic work cut for him Shamir and Defence Minister Moshe Arens set out for a trip to Washington D.C.
The meeting with Reagan was positive and agreements with the Administration on economic and military aid
were secured.
Into 1984, the Tami party broke from the Likud government coalition to support Labor on a bill calling for
early elections. After political infighting the date 23 July was settled on. As party lists are being formed, campaigning
will soon be underway.
With the beginning of the third year of Israel’s presence in Lebanon approaching, Israelis are still questioning
the past, present and future of Operation Peace for Galilee. It would be out of place to assess the Lebanese situation
here. But the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) are still there and the United States, France, Italy, Britain, Syria,
the USSR, Phalangists, Druze, the USS New Jersey, a changing Lebanese government and a myriad of militias
were coming, going or remaining.
In September 1983 the IDF pulled out of Beirut and the Chuf mountains and set up positions on the southern
bank of the Awali River. Soon after tragedy struck when IDF headquarters in Tyre became the third target of
Islamic fundamentalist suicide drivers killing over twenty Israelis. Later in 1983 Israel and Syria with the PLO (Palestinian
Liberation Organization) arranged and conducted a prisoner exchange4,500 Arabs for 6 Israelis.Eight Israelis
are still being held by Syria. Recently, the Lebanese government abrogated the disengagement of forces agreement
with Israel of 17 May 1983. The IDF.s major role remains maintaining Israel’s now peaceful northern
border while observing Syrian, Druze and Lebanese troop movements.
El Salvador joined Costa Rica in Jerusalem, making these two countries the only two in the world with embassies
in Israel’s capital. Israeli-Egyptian relations deteriorated further when Egypt severed ties with El Salvador
for the move. Legislation calling for the U.S. embassy to be moved to Jerusalem is still in Congress and is opposed
by the Reagan Administration.
Shocking news ripped through Israel when, on 5 December, a No. 18 bus was blown
up killing five people and wounding 42. This was the beginning of a horrifying new
“wave” of terrorism between Arabs and Jews. After terrorist bomb incidences in Ashdod
and at the Klal building, Jerusalem was the target of another terrorist attack on 2 April when
three terrorists fired weapons and threw hand grenades before two of them were killed and
the other was captured. In the aftermath of the assault, one person was killed and 48 were
wounded. Not two weeks later terrorist activity erupted again and the news horrified
Israel and the world. Terrorists unsuccessfully hijacked an Egged bus to Gaza in a 10-hour
ordeal. Upholding the policy of not giving into terror, Army troops stormed the bus
killing two terrorists, one passenger and freeing 377 others. As Israel became the site for
widespread terrorist sieges there was renewed concern for “beware of suspicious objects.”
The particulars regarding the “Hebrew Underground” movement are still unknown or
unclear. A number of people, the majority of whom are extremist nationalist, are in custody
for their involvement in Jewish terrorism. Investigation continues in an effort to
bring an end to these disturbing and unsettling activities.
These are perplexing problems. Any one of these enigmas has wiped out lesser nations.
The difficulties are not new, they are reoccurring albeit not in such force or numbers.
Editorially speaking, if these problems remain unchecked the pragmatism of Israel will
overwhelm the idealism of a Jewish nation. Hopefully the state and government realizes
the urgency of these issues and. will do what is ethically proper and not politically safe.
Malcolm Davidow, Tulane University
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