August 8
Zichron Yaakov & Druze Village
Carmel Wine only 50 cents a bottle. Visits Druze village and is surprised by their loyalty
Bob praising Druze Loyalty to Israel
Thursday August 8, 1957
Dear Mom Dad & Alan
Yesterday we went on a tour of the vicinity (the coastal plain between Tel Aviv and Haifa. The first place visited was Zichron Yaakov & the winery where most Israel wine is produced for export. It tasted great & is sold here for about 50 cents a quart bottle. Some contrast to the price of it in the U.S.
From there we went to a Druze Village. It was amazing what a fierce loyalty the people have to Israel. I then walked through town & had many talks with the people most of whom and all the younger ones spoke Hebrew. I was amazed however when in house after house a picture of Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan was in the wall along with their sons in Israel’s Armed Forces . The children really get some education learning Hebrew, Arabic and English.
From there we toured a religious Kibbutz and then a small Arab Village which was deserted & now has been turned into an Israel version of Greenwich Village. The few people that live there and their words were typical of New York’s similar section.
Last but not least for the day we went swimming in the Mediterranean. That is where I am leaving for right now. So I hope everything is OK on the other side of the world as it seems to be here.
Love
Bob
David’s Comments:
Thursday August 8th 1957
“Yesterday we went on a tour of the vicinity (the coastal plain between Tel Aviv and Haifa). The first place visited was Zichron Yaakov & the winery where most Israel wine is produced for export. It tasted great & is sold here for about 50 cents a quart bottle. Some contrast to the price of it in the U.S.”
My father liked to support Israel and he would bring Israeli wine and grape juice into the house for Shabbat. He would also try to get the Jewish organizations and the synagogues to carry Israeli wines.
Druze Loyalty to Israel
“From there we went to a Druze Village. It was amazing what a fierce loyalty the people have to Israel. I then walked through town & had many talks with the people most of whom and all the younger ones spoke Hebrew. I was amazed however when in house after house a picture of Chief of Staff Moshe Dayan was in the wall along with their sons in Israel’s Armed Forces.”
My father always had empathy for the Druze community of Israel, and you can see it already in this letter. He appreciated their contributions to the State, which includes serving in the army and risking their lives. My father never understood why they didn’t get extra benefits and were treated the same as Arabs such as MK Ahmed Tibi, who is an enemy of Israel.
They often seemed more Zionist than many of the Jews. For instant, my father befriended Ayoob Kara, a Druze who at the time was a Likud Knesset member and later became Israel’s Communication Minister. Ayoob Kara strongly opposed the 2005 withdrawal from Gush Katif and Northern Shomron. He helped create a group in the IDF called “Druzim don’t Expel Jews”. If Jews had also refused to expel Jews, the evacuation of Gush Katif might not have taken place, and we would not have missiles being launched from Gaza to Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv, etc.
Ayoob Kara worked with me and my father within the Likud to oppose the Gaza Disengagement, together with Uzi Landau, Danny Dannon, Yoav Hurwitz and Avraham Magasie. We ended up winning the referendum in the Likud, but Prime Minister Ariel Sharon just ignored us and continued bulldozing Gush Katif.
Assisting Druze Soldiers
When two Druze Border policeman were arrested after the murder of Col. Dror Weinberg, my father paid their legal fees.
My father is proud to have donated a pool table to a Druze Army Base in the North near Um Al Fahem.
Lebanese Christians
In the 1970’s, Lebanese Christians were being massacred daily by Muslims and/or Syrians.
Not only was President Carter silent, but he called the Syrians in Lebanon “peacekeepers”. My father could not remain silent. He lobbied Congress and organized protests throughout the United States.
At one protest, my brothers, accompanied by a group of Syrian and Lebanese Jews demonstrated in front of the UN building in New York. They were dressed up as Lebanese Christians. In addition, my father brought eight authentic Lebanese Christians to join them.
All of them protested against the massacre of the Christians in Lebanon. It was broadcast on every TV station and newspaper but I don’t think anyone ever knew that most of the protesters were Jewish.
Abandoning Lebanese Christians
My father was furious when Israel withdrew from Lebanon in May, 20, and abandoned the Lebanese Christians who had fought alongside with them as part of the South Lebanese Army.
Many of its members fled to Israel, leaving behind their families and property.
Christian Copts
My father worked with Senator Jesse Helms of blessed memory against the massacre of Christian Copts in Egypt.