DRAFT

# A MIDDLE EAST BENELUX - A WAY TO PEACE ?

MORE THAN 40 YEARS OF THINKING AND TALKING PEACE BETWEEN ISRAEL AND THE PALESTINIANS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE GREEN LINE HAVE RESULTED IN A GREAT FAILURE.

ISSUES, LIKE TALKING OR NOT TALKING TO THE PLO ARE MINOR PROBLEMS IN THE GREAT 42 YEAR OLD CONFLICT BETWEEN US AND THE ISRAELI ARABS INSIDE ISREAL AND THE ARABS OF THE TERRITORIES WHICH WERE TAKEN OVER BY ISREAL IN THE SIX DAY WAR.

THE SITUATION IN THE TERRITORIES WHICH ISRAEL CONSIDERS SHE HAS A RIGHT TO GOVERN (AGAINST THE OPINION OF THE WESTERN WORLD) HAS NOT MOVED PEACE ONE INCH NEARER. ONLY TALK ABOUT PEACE BUT NO PROOF OF REALLY CREATING A SITUATION WHICH COULD LEAD TO PEACE.

THE SITUATION BETWEEN US AND THE ARAB WORLD HAS VERY MUCH DETERIORATED. THE ISSUE, SO IMPORTANT TO US AND THE REST OF THE WORLD BECOMES MORE AND MORE ENTANGLED IN SMALL ISSUES AND ENDLESS TALKS. ISRAEL'S IMAGE IN THE EYES OF THE WESTERN WORLD, THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY, OUR FRIENDS FOR MANY YEARS HAS DETERIORATED TO A THREATENING DEGREE, AND EVEN MORE SO IN THE U.S.A.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE ONLY REAL FRIEND IN THE WORLD, THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, WAS PROVED IN THE OCTOBER WAR - NO LESS THAN AT THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISREAL. PLANES LOADED WITH MILITARY HARDWARE, AMMUNITION, SPARE PARTS, SO BADLY NEEDED IN THE WAR, WERE DELIVERED TO US NIGHTLY BY AMERICAN TRANSPORT PLANES. PRESIDENT NIXON AND HENRY KISSINGER COMPELLED THEIR ALLIES (ESPECIALLY WEST GERMANY) TO DELIVER THE MUCH NEEDED 'GOODS' FROM U.S.STOCKS TO AVOID A MILITARY DEFEAT OF ISRAEL. THEY LANDED THEIR PLANES FOR REFUELING IN THE AZORES, AGAINST THE EXISTING AGREEMENT WITH PORTUGAL WHICH PERMITTED THE USE OF THE AIR-FIELDS FOR SPECIFIC PURPOSES ONLY - DEFINITELY NOT FOR HELPING ISRAEL IN A WAR WITH EGYPT.

THE ECONOMIC AND MILITARY AID OF THE UNITED STATES (MAKING ISRAEL ONE OF THE MOST FAVOURED NATIONS), HAS HELPED TO DEVELOP ISRAEL'S ECONOMIC, SCIENTIFIC AND MILITARY STRENGTH. AND WHAT HAVE WE OBTAINED? THE INTIFADA, STONE-THROWING CHILDREN AGAINST ISRAELI SOLDIERS. MANY PEOPLE ON BOTH SIDES HAVE BEEN KILLED AND INJURED IN THIS SENSELESS STRUGGLE.

2.

WE CANNOT TOLERATE AN INTIFADA, BUT WHATEVER WE DO, WE DO NOT AVOID ITS UGLY FACE. TALKS ABOUT PEACE BY OUR PRESENT GOVERNMENT, AND EQUALLY BY THE ARAB GROUPS INVOLVED, WILL NOT LEAD TO A SOLUTION LEADING TO PEACE. IT IS ALREADY TOO LATE FOR THIS.

PEACE BETWEEN TWO ENEMIES IN WAR IS DICTATED BY THE VICTOR, WHO DEMANDS AND GETS THE CONDITIONS. PEACE IS REACHED WHEN A COUNTRY IS OCCUPIED, LIKE INDIA WAS BY THE BRITISH. WHEN THE FOREIGN OCCUPIER HAS TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY TO ITS NATIVE LEADERS, THE NATION WHICH IS FREED OF FOREIGN OCCUPIERS WILL THEN GUIDE ITS OWN NATIONAL LIFE.

OUR SITUATION IS ALTOGETHER DIFFERENT. WE FOUGHT AND WON THE WAR IN 1948 WITH 7 ARAB COUNTRIES IN THE FIELD OF BATTLE, BUT ONLY WITH EGYPT HAS PEACE BEEN MADE AFTER MANY LONG YEARS.

TODAY, 1990, IS DIFFERENT ALTOGETHER TO THE YEARS BEFORE. THE RUSSIAN THREAT TO THE WEST (INCLUDING THE UNITED STATES) HAS DIMINISHED COMPLETELY. THE U.S. AND NATO CONCEPT OF THE MIDDLE EAST'S ROLE AGAINST ANY AGGRESSOR ie. THE SOVIET UNION OR MAYBE SOME OTHER WAR-LIKE STATE IN THE AREA, HAS GONE.

THE STRATEGIC IMPORTANCE OF ISRAEL IN THE OLD U.S.-NATO CONCEPT IS OVER. A NEW MILITARY THINKING OF DEFENCE IS TAKING PLACE IN EUROPE AND EQUALLY IN THE MIDDLE EAST, MEANING THAT ISRAEL'S ROLE IS LESS IMPORTANT THAN IT WAS. THE WHOLE WESTERN WORLD HAS TODAY A DIFFERENT OUTLOOK - VIS-A-VIS EASTERN EUROPE, AND ESPECIALLY THE SOVIET UNION. WE ARE FACING A DIFFERENT WORLD ALTOGETHER, POLITICALLY, MILITARILY AND ECONOMICALLY.

THE WHOLE WORLD IS AWARE OF THIS, BUT WE HERE IN ISRAEL PLAY THE SAME OLD MUSIC AND CARRY ON 'BUSINESS AS USUAL' AS IF NOTHING HAS CHANGED IN THE WORLD. THIS IS ABSOLUTELY IRRESPONSIBLE AND MAY CREATE GREAT PROBLEMS FOR US. LET US NOT FOOL OURSELVES, THE WHOLE WORLD IS CRITICIZING US FOR OUR POLICY TOWARDS THE ARABS. THE INTIFADA IS SHOWN EVERY NIGHT ON TELEVISION AND HAS DESTROYED ISREAL'S IMAGE AS A CULTURED AND ETHICAL NATION. AN EXAMPLE CAN BE FOUND IN THE LATEST

3.

ARTICLE ON THE INTIFADA IN THE OPINION-FORMING TIME MAGAZINE
WHICH IS READ BY MILLIONS OF PEOPLE.

THE GREAT RESPECT AND ADMIRATION ISRAEL WON IN 1948 WITH THE CREATION OF THE STATE OF ISRAEL, ITS MILITARY EXCELLENCE, AND ITS PIONEERING SPIRIT WHICH MADE THE DESERT BLOOM, HAS NOW COLLAPSED, IT DOES NOT EXIST ANY MORE. INSTEAD, WE ARE CRITICIZED WHATEVER WE DO, RIGHTLY OR WRONGLY.

A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACH TO THE PROBLEM OF OUR AREA - MEANING THE WAY TO PEACE - HAS TO BE MADE. THE IDEA OF ISRAEL TRYING TO AGREE WITH THE ARABS TO FIND A WAY TO PEACE, CAN ONLY BE SUCCESSFUL BY CREATING A KIND OF BENELUX ORGANIZATION - BY THINKING BIG. EVERYONE WOULD BE EQUAL BEFORE THE LAW, GUARANTEED HUMAN RIGHTS, COMPULSORY EDUCATION, COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH AND MEDICAL SERVICE, PLANNING IN THE AREAS FOR WATER RIGHTS, AGRICULTURE, INDUSTRY, ECONOMIC ACTIVITIES AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNICATIONS AND ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION. TO REQUEST FROM THE UNITED STATES AND EUROPE A KIND OF MARSHALL AID PROGRAM ( WHICH WAS GIVEN TO GERMANY AFTER WORLD WAR TWO) TO ENABLE THIS PLAN TO BE PUT INTO EFFECT. CAIRO, AMMAN AND JERUSALEM LIKE LUXEMBOURG, BRUXELLES AND STRASSBOURG IN THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY MUST PLAY THEIR PARTS IN THE SAME WAY.

TRIFLING NEGOTIATIONS ABOUT LAND AND RIGHTS FOR US OR FOR THE ARABS MUST BE OVER-RULED BY THE GREAT IDEA OF A BENELUX MIDDLE EAST PACT. WE SHOULD BE CAPABLE OF THINKING WHAT CAN BE DONE TO BRING US TOGETHER, AND NOT WHAT WILL TEAR US APART.

LET ISRAEL, EGYPT AND THE UNITED STATES CREATE A STUDY GROUP TO DISCUSS THE IDEA OF FORMING A MIDDLE EAST BENELUX TYPE ORGANIZATION FOR JEWS AND ARABS. EGYPT, SYRIA AND JORDAN IN THE BEGINNING, AND LATER EXTENDING TO OTHER ARAB STATES IN THE AREA. THIS MAY LEAD US IN A NEW DIRECTION, AWAY FROM THE INTIFADA AND TOWARDS A MUTUALLY BENEFICIENT BENELUX TYPE POLITICAL NATIONAL ORGANIZATION. THIS WILL NOT ONLY BRING PEACE TO OUR AREA, BUT WILL CREATE AN AREA IMPORTANT TO THE WHOLE WORLD. ARAFAT SAID TWICE IN PUBLIC, THAT HE WOULD ACCEPT THE IDEA OF A BENELUX SOLUTION FOR REAL PEACE.

4.

WHERE ARE THE ISREALI AND ARAB LEADERS TO UNDERSTAND AND IMPLEMENT THIS GREAT IDEA ? CAN PRESIDENT MUBARAK THINK LIKE PRESIDENT SADAT AND MAKE THE ARAB CAMP FOLLOW HIS LEADERSHIP ? AND CAN THE LEADERS OF ISREAL BE CAPABLE OF SHOWING THAT THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THE PATH OF THE PAST WILL NOT LEAD TO PEACE, BUT THAT A NEW IDEA SUCH AS THE ONE PRESENTED HERE, MAY DO JUST THAT.

IF WE CAN NOT DO IT ALONE, MAYBE THE WORLD LEADERS CAN COMPEL US TO DO SO; THEY CREATED THE MIRACLE OF A NEW EUROPE VIS-A-VIS RUSSIA. IT ALL BEGAN WITH FREEDOM-LOVING PEOPLE DEMANDING CHANGES, WHY SHOULD IT NOT BE POSSIBLE IN THE MIDDLE EAST TOO ?

LET US NOT IGNORE WHAT IS GOING ON IN LEBANON.

YEKUTIEL X. FEDERMANN

[L.C.]

YEKUTIEL X. FEDERMANN

SEP 24 1990

TEL AVIV, SEPTEMBER 6TH, 1990

THE HONORABLE
DR. HENRY A. KISSINGER
350 PARK AVENUE
26TH FLOOR
NEW YORK N.Y. 10022

DEAR DR. KISSINGER,

THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR YOUR LETTER OF RECENT DATE.

I AGREE WITH YOU THAT THE PRESENT STATE OF AFFAIRS MAKES MY IDEA UNREALISTIC BUT AT THE SAME TIME WE MUST BE CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT THE CHANGES IN OUR AREA, IN THE GULF AND BEYOND, HAS CHANGED OUR SITUATION COMPLETELY. WE ARE FACING A NEW CONSTELLATION AND MUST TRY HARD TO PRESENT THE WORLD AND OUR ARAB NEIGHBOURS, ESPECIALLY EYGPT, WITH A CONCEPT WHICH COULD BE ADOPTED FOR DISCUSSION BETWEEN US AND THE PALESTINIANS. WE MUST TRY TO CREATE A BODY OF REASONABLE PEOPLE IN THE AREAS OF JUDEA, SAMARIA AND GAZA, WHO WILL BE READY TO TRY TO WORK WITH US TO FIND A SOLUTION FOR A BEGINNING OF A DIALOGUE. IF THIS IS FEASIBLE, I DO NOT KNOW, BUT IT MAY OFFER A CHANCE TO NEGOTIATE WITHOUT THE PRESENCE OF THE P.L.O. I NOT ONLY SEE THIS AS A PROBLEM WITH THE PALESTINES BUT ALSO WITH THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL.

WHEN I WAS A STUDENT I READ TWO CERTAIN BOOKS, "DIE GELBE GEFAHR" AND "DER WIND VOM OSTEN", WHICH BOTH SHOW US THE DANGER THE WORLD OF THE 20'S FACED. NOW WE SHOULD BE CONSCIOUS OF THE DANGER FROM THE EAST, NOT RUSSIA, BUT THE ISLAMIC FUNDAMENTALISTS AND MILITANTS OF THE MIDDLE EAST AND THE GULF, WHO CONTROL A GREAT PART OF THE OIL WELLS AND ENERGY USED BY THE INDUSTRIES OF THE FREE WORLD.

I WOULD BE VERY INTERESTED TO HAVE YOUR OPINION AS AN ELDERLY STATESMEN AND ONE WHO KNOWS OUR AREA VERY WELL.

LOOKING FORWARD TO HEARING FROM YOU, I REMAIN, WITH BEST REGARDS,

P.O.B. 3219 · TEL-AVIV 61 031 · TEL. (03) 241135. 241111 · TELEX: 33705 · FACSIMILE 249755

"TO BE OR NOT TO BE....."

WHEN SHAKESPEARE WROTE THESE WORDS WHICH WERE DESTINED TO LIVE AFTER HIM FOR EVER, HE APPLIED THEM TO THE DILEMMA OF THE INDIVIDUAL HUMAN MIND IN CRISIS. HE COULD PROBABLY NOT FORESEE THAT PEOPLE AND NATIONS MIGHT ASK THEMSELVES THE SAME QUESTION IN TIMES OF COMMON CRISIS.

ISRAEL IS TODAY IN SUCH A CRISIS, PERHAPS THE MOST CRITICAL SINCE THE INDEPENDENCE WAR THAT GAVE US THE STATE, 42 YEARS AGO. THE U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL'S UNANIMOUS CONDEMNATION OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT DURING OUR SUCCOT HOLYDAY WAS ITSELF BAD ENOUGH. A CONVICTION WITHOUT A TRIAL, A CENSURE OF THE EFFECT WITHOUT PROVING THE CAUSE. HOWEVER, WHAT WAS WORSE, WAS THE SIGHT OF THE MILITANT ARABS, LED BY THE P.L.O. IN LEGION WITH THE U.S.A. TO HAMMER OUT A RESOLUTION THAT, PAINFUL THOUGH IT MUST HAVE BEEN FOR OUR AMERICAN FRIENDS DID NOT YET SATISFY OUR ARAB ENEMIES.

THE RESOLUTION CAME ABOUT AFTER MANY DAYS AND NIGHTS OF HARD WORK, AND SO I HEARD THAT IN THE END THE SOVIET UNION MADE IT POSSIBLE FOR IT TO BECOME A SOFTER CONDEMNATION OF ISRAEL THAN THE ARABS TRIED SO HARD TO GET. THE GOVERNMENT OF ISRAEL SHOULD SEE THE HISTORIC ACT OF THE SOVIET UNION SUPPORTING THE U.S.A. IN THE U.N. AS HIGHLY SIGNIFICANT FOR FUTURE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS. I AM NOT SURPRISED AT THE WAY THE LIKUD LEADERSHIP ACTED AGAINST THE U.S.A., BUT THE ISRAELI GOVERNMENT SHOULD HAVE ACTED MORE MATURELY.

THE U.S.A. TOOK THE ONLY WAY TO SAVE THE COALITION OF SOME 20 NATIONS INCLUDING THE SOVIET UNION AND SOME ARAB STATES, NOTABLY EGYPT AND SYRIA, WHICH IT HAD BEEN ABLE TO ESTABLISH TO FACE UP TO SADDAM HUSSEIN AND STOP HIM IN HIS TRACKS AS HE EMBARKED ON A HITLER-LIKE POLICY OF SWALLOWING UP HIS WEAKER NEIGHBOURS.

MAYBE THE U.S.A. WOULD HAVE VOTED ANYWAY WITH THE U.N. TO PROVE UNITY WITH THE U.N. AND THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITY OF NATIONS, TO DEMONSTRATE THE STRONG UNITY OF EUROPE AND AMERICA VIS-A-VIS THE SOVIET UNION AND ALL THE ARAB COUNTRIES. THIS MAY BE THE SPIRIT OF OUR TIMES, NO LESS IMPORTANT IN WASHINGTON'S EYES THAN SPECIFIC ISSUES REGARDING ISRAEL,

- 2 -

SUCH AS THE EVENTS ON THE TEMPLE MOUNT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, OUR ALLY AND FRIEND, THE U.S.A., GIVES ISRAEL A SIGNAL TO ACT MORE RESPONSIBLY.

THE U.S.A. WAS APPARENTLY CONVINCED THAT THIS PAINSTAKING ALLIANCE AGAINST IRAQ WOULD NOT HAVE SURVIVED ITS REFUSAL TO ALLOW THE ARABS THEIR SHAKESPEAREAN "POUND OF FLESH" FROM THE UNFORTUNATE TEMPLE MOUNT EVENTS, WHICH SHOULD NEVER HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO HAPPEN. EVEN SOME ENLIGHTENED EUROPEAN COUNTRIES, SUCH AS FRANCE, MIGHT HAVE WITHDRAWN THEIR SUPPORT.

THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT THE MILITANT ARABS PREPARED THEIR ATTACK ON INNOCENT JEWISH WORSHIPPERS GATHERED AT THE WESTERN WALL, OUR HOLIEST SHRINE, VERY WELL. IF ONLY WE HAD PREPARED AS WELL WITH A POLICE FORCE OR REQUISITE STRENGTH, PROPER EQUIPMENT AND CONTINGENCY PLANS TO MEET AND NEUTRALIZE IT WITHOUT HORRIFYING BLOODSHED.

WE DID NOT, AND WE HAVE PAID THE PRICE. THERE IS NO WAY TO MAKE THE U.N. RESOLUTION GO AWAY. WE MUST FACE IT AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS.

UNFORTUNATELY, THE PRESENT ISRAELI GOVERNMENT IS UNABLE TO DO SO, ADDING MISFORTUNE TO REVERSE. THE GOVERNMENT CAME ABOUT AS A RESULT OF POLITICAL MANIPULATIONS TO ACHIEVE A BARE MAJORITY IN PARLIAMENT BY GIVING IN TO OUTRAGEOUSLY SHAMELESS DEMANDS OF THE FUNDAMENTALIST RELIGIOUS PARTIES AND ASSORTED RENEGADES. WHAT TURNS THIS INTO A NATIONAL TRAGEDY IS THAT IN ALL FRANKNESS THE LABOUR OPPOSITION WOULD LIKELY HAVE CEDED NO LESS FOR THE SAKE OF POWER, OR ILLUSION OF POWER.

WE CAN BLAME OUR ELECTORAL SYSTEM FOR THIS SORRY HORSE TRADING WHICH HAS OUR LEADERS SCUTTLING EVERY PRINCIPLE OF ETHICS, HUMAN AND DIVINE, TO PLACATE THE SPLINTER PARTIES CLAIMING TO SPEAK, NAY DICTATE, IN THE NAME OF RELIGION. THIS IS NO GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE, BY THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE REPRESENTING THE TRUE ISRAEL, BUT AN UNHOLY ALLIANCE GAMBLING WITH THE FRIENDSHIP AND ASSISTANCE THE U.S.A. HAS PROVIDED US FOR SO MANY YEARS. WITHOUT THE RELIGIOUS PARTIES IN THE GOVERNMENT, WE WOULD STILL HAVE RELIGION BASED ON THE FREE WILL OF EACH CITIZEN, BUT, WITHOUT THE U.S.A. WE WOULD FAST DECLINE INTO JUST ANOTHER LITTLE COUNTRY, LITTLE REMARKED AND LESS ADMIRED.

- 3 -

WE SHOULD HARDLY BE SURPRISED THAT WASHINGTON MAKES U.S. POLICY IN THE INTEREST OF THE U.S.A. WE SHOULD HOWEVER, MOURN THAT IT WAS THE AMERICAN ENVOY TO THE U.N., A STAUNCH AND PROVEN FRIEND OF ISRAEL WHO HAD TO ACCOMMODATE THE INTERESTS OF OUR ENEMIES IN ORDER TO RETAIN THE COALITION AGAINST SADDAM HE HELPED FORGE. LET US TAKE COMFORT IN THE FACT THAT AT LEAST HE IMPRESSES THE WORLD, AND ESPECIALLY THE ARABS, THAT AMERICA IS YET OUR ALLY.

IN THE PERSIAN GULF AND THE ARABIAN DESERT THE POINT OF "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" HAS BEEN REACHED. SADDAM HUSSEIN IS ENDEAVOURING TO EXPLOIT THE RED HERRING OF ISRAEL TO SAVE HIS SKIN. WE MUST NOT GIVE HIM ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY TO CRAFTILY PUSH US INTO THE TIGHT CORNER THAT IS HIS OWN RIGHTFUL PLACE OF HIS OWN MAKING. MAYBE ARAFAT KISSING SADDAM HUSSEIN SO MANY TIMES IN PUBLIC AND JOINING HANDS WITH IRAQ, WILL NOT BE THE RIGHT PARTNER IN THE EYES OF THE NON-MILITANT ARAB STATES LIKE EGYPT AND MOROCCO AND EVEN SAUDI ARABIA, TO REPRESENT THE PALESTINIANS. HE HAS PROVED TO BE AN ENEMY OF THOSE ARAB STATES WHICH HAVE JOINED THE WEST AGAINST IRAQ.

WE CANNOT AFFORD TO ALLOW EVENTS TO OVERCOME OUR JUDGEMENT, NOR BE SURPRISED INTO THOUGHTLESS REACTIONS. THE WOMEN AND CHILDREN THROWING STONES AT OUR SECURITY FORCES ARE A GREAT DANGER AND THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT AN EVIL MIND GUIDES THEIR HAND. WE MUST NOT ALLOW THEM TO BECOME ROUTINE AND DICTATE EVENTS TO ENTANGLE US INTO THE KUWAIT CRISIS, BUT NEITHER MUST WE HANDLE THEM IN A MANNER CALCULATED TO PLAY INTO OUR ENEMIES' HANDS.

WE NEED NOT TIRE OF REMINDING THE WORLD WHO IT WAS THAT CREATED THE SADDAM HUSSEIN GOLEM WHICH, WITHOUT THE SOPHISTICATED ARMS AND POISON GAS FACILITIES PROVIDED BY THE WESTERN COUNTRIES AS WELL AS THE SOVIET UNION AND CHINA, WOULD BE BUT THE HEAP OF DUST GOLEMS ARE MADE OF.

NOR MUST WE LOSE SIGHT OF OUR ULTIMATE AIM, PEACE WITH OUR NEIGHBOURS, LIKE RELATIONS CANNOT BE CHOSEN BUT PEACE IS A CHOICE TO MAKE. FRONTIERS AND SIZE ALONE ARE NO GUARANTEE FOR OUR FUTURE. IT IS OUR SPIRIT, CULTURE, ETHICS, AND POLITICAL WISDOM THAT CAN AND WILL ASSURE OUR TOMORROW. FRONTIERS CAN MAKE A NATION BIG, BUT IT IS THE SPIRIT THAT MAKES A NATION GREAT.

THE PRESENT GOVERNMENT GIVES NO INDICATION THAT IT IS CAPABLE OF ACHIEVING OUR AIM. IT MUST MAKE WAY FOR A GOVERNMENT OF TRUE NATIONAL UNITY, EMBODYING ALL THE FORCES OF THE BODY POLITIC ABLE TO PROVIDE THE LEADERSHIP WE NEED ON THE DIFFICULT ROAD WE MUST EMBARK UPON WITHOUT FAIL.

THIS MAY LEAVE THE PARTIES SITTING IN THE KNESSET BY VIRTUE OF THEIR RELIGIOUS EXTREMISM OUT OF THE GOVERNMENT. THEIR RIGHT TO FORM PARTIES TO REPRESENT EVERY LEVEL OF FANATIC FUNDAMENTALISM NEED NOT BE DENIED. BUT THEIR PLACE IS NOT IN A GOVERNMENT OF THE CALIBRE WE NOW URGENTLY NEED. WE CAN ENVY THEM THEIR BELIEF, ANNUNCIATED BY THE LUBAVITCHER REBBE THAT NO HARM SHALL BEFALL US, BUT WE CANNOT AFFORD TO DO NOTHING TO MAKE SURE IT WON'T.

THE KNESSET MIGHT DECREE THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A RELIGION COMMISSION OR COUNCIL, THAT WOULD PROVIDE ALL RELIGIOUS CITIZENS AND PARTIES THEIR NEEDS FOR EDUCATIONAL AND HOUSING FACILITIES, YESHIVOT AND SYNAGOGUES. BUT RELIGION MUST BE SEPARATED FROM THE GOVERNMENT OF THE STATE. IT MAY WELL BE THAT THE MESSIAH IS ABOUT TO COME TO REDEEM US, AS THE LUBAVITCH PEOPLE CHOSE TO BELIEVE, BUT THAT IS NOT A PREMISE FOR RUNNING THE GOVERNMENT. ISRAEL TODAY NEEDS STATESMEN OF VISION AND PROFESSIONALS OF ABILITY TO LEAD THE NATION TOWARDS PEACE AND REPRESENT US VIS-A-VIS A WORLD THAT IS BECOMING DANGEROUSLY HOSTILE. WITH SUCH A GOVERNMENT IN FIRM CONTROL THE QUESTION "TO BE OR NOT TO BE" SHALL HAVE ITS PROPER REPLY.

YEKUTIEL X. FEDERMANN

OCTOBER 17TH, 1990

HENRY A. KISSINGER

July 23, 1990

Dear Marty:

Thanks for your letter of June 28. I completely agree that we are in a strong position vis-a-vis the Soviets, particularly because their political retreat coincides with dramatic economic weakness. And I agree that giving them unconditional aid would be wrong (this mistake the US at least avoided at Houston).

In my view, we should give no aid to the USSR unless there is some prospect that such aid will advance US interests and until such aid has a chance of working. This means no aid until the Soviets meet three conditions. Specifically, they must stop sending $15 billion a year to their client states (otherwise Western aid to the USSR in effect subsidizes Cuba, Vietnam and Ethiopia); they must dramatically cut back defense spending (or else American taxpayers are paying for Soviet tanks); and they must introduce thorough-going and real market reforms, lest our money be simply poured down a rat hole.

Many thanks for your thoughts and for sending along your article.

Mr. Martin Feldstein
President & Chief Executive Officer
National Bureau of Economic Research, Inc.
1050 Massachusetts Avenue
Cambridge, MA 02138

TWENTY-SIXTH FLOOR • 350 PARK AVENUE • NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 • (212) 759-7919
TELEFAX (212) 759-0042

JUL 02 1990

NATIONAL BUREAU OF ECONOMIC RESEARCH, INC.

1050 MASSACHUSETTS AVENUE, CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS 02138-5398 TEL: (617) 868-3908 FAX: (617) 868-7194

MARTIN FELDSTEIN

President and
Chief Executive Officer

June 28, 1990

The Honorable Henry Kissinger
350 Park Avenue
26th Floor
New York, NY 10022

Dear Henry:

I believe that the current Soviet economic situation offers
a unique opportunity for even greater arms reductions than have
recently been agreed. Even after those reductions are fully
implemented, the Soviet Union will remain a major military risk.
Why not offer massive economic assistance in exchange for much
more radical Soviet military cuts?

The enclosed *Wall Street Journal* article examines the case
for trading Western economic aid for Soviet arms reductions. I
think that such linkage would be far better than either the
unconditional aid being proposed by some in Europe or the
provision of aid tied only to Soviet economic reforms and
progress in Lithuania. Rejecting the idea of aid altogether
means passing up this opportunity to negotiate important further
arms reductions.

I would be interested in any reactions.

MF:dr
Enclosure

CAROL FELSENTHAL

2920 N. COMMONWEALTH • APT. 9A
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS 60657
(312) 935-5495

APR 10 1990

April 4, 1990

Henry A. Kissinger
Kissinger Associates, Inc.
350 Park Av., 26th fl.
New York NY 10022

Dear Dr. Kissinger:

I am working, under contract with Putnam, on a biography of
Katharine Graham.

I will be in New York the week of May 14, and would like to talk
to you sometime that week.

Among the people I have interviewed thus far are Clark Clifford,
John Oakes, Philip Geyelin, Luvie Pearson, Jean Friendly, Libby
Rowe, Roswell Gilpatrick, Hedley Donovan, Marietta Tree, June
Bingham, Arthur Schlesinger, Jr., Joan Braden, C. Douglas Dillon,
Larry O'Brien, Isaiah Berlin, Judge Theodore Tannenwald, Philip
Elman, Bennett Boskey, Paul Samuelson, George Smathers, Eugene
Patterson, Nicholas von Hoffman, Joseph L. Rauh, Arnaud de
Borchgrave.

Unless I hear from you first, I will call later this month to
make an appointment.

P.S. My last book was a biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth
(published by Putnam in 1988).

SOUTHERN HOMES

Gina Fowler Schreiber
Publisher & Editor

JUN 27 1990

June 19, 1990

Dr. Henry A. Kissinger
350 Park Avenue
New York, New York 10022

Dear Dr. Kissinger,

Our local home and garden publication, SOUTHERN HOMES has recently developed a small department entitled "Pleasure of Your Company" in which we plan to feature the Robert Fersts of Atlanta, Georgia.

Mrs. Ferst was kind enough to share with us some photos taken while you were visiting their home, and suggested we incorporate one of them as an inset photo on the layout. Of course we thought this an excellent notion, and therefore request permission to use one of them for this purpose.

The article is scheduled for publication in our October issue, and of course we will send a copy along to you at that time. We would indeed be honored to grace our magazine with a photograph of you, and sincerely hope that there won't be any problem with this.

I look forward to hearing from you at your earliest convenience, and thank you in advance.

3146 Reps Miller Road • Norcross, Georgia 30071 • (404) 446-6585 • Fax (404) 446-0197

[L.C.]

SOUTHERN HOMES

May 30, 1990

Mrs. Robert Ferst
Number 16, The Gates
2525 Peachtree Road, NE
Atlanta, GA 30305

Dear Mrs. Ferst,

Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to feature your personal "entertaining style" in our feature "The Pleasure of Your Company." I have enclosed two copies of last issue so that you may see how we handle this section, which begins on page 138.

Jean Daniel spoke with me regarding the need for information on SOUTHERN HOMES and "The Pleasure of Your Company" to send to Henry Kissinger's offices. I have enclosed that statement on a separate sheet for you to send with your letter. Also enclosed is our standard photo release that will alleviate any legal problems with our publishing the shot of him at your home. A stamped, self-addressed envelop is also included for the return of the release.

I hope this material serves the purpose. If not, please don't hesitate to call me or Jean. I look forward to the coverage of your party!

tt:se
encl.

3146 Reps Miller Road • Norcross, GA 30071 • (404) 446-6585 • Fax (404) 446-0197

[LC]

SOUTHERN HOMES

SOUTHERN HOMES magazine presents new traditions based on hundreds of years of customs associated with lifestyles in the South. Our well-educated, affluent readers appreciate sophisticated coverage of fine architecture, interiors, design, history, gardens, art and lifestyles that typify the spirit of today's Georgians. With "The Pleasure of Your Company," SOUTHERN HOMES invites its readers to glimpse the creative and elegant ways of entertaining in the South. Some of our region's prominent hosts and hostesses open their homes to show us how they welcome their guests at occasions ranging from formal affairs to barbecue picnics.

JUN 27 1990

Gina Fowler Schreiber

Publisher & Editor

June 19, 1990

Dear Dr. Kissinger,

HENRY A. KISSINGER

February 2, 1990

Dear Mr. Zischke:

I am writing to lend my enthusiastic support to the candidacy of Edwin Feulner, Jr. for membership in the Bohemian Club in the Faculty category.

Ed is President and Chief Executive Officer of the Heritage Foundation in Washington, D.C., one of the country's leading conservative educational, research and analysis institutions. In addition to producing books and shorter studies on foreign, domestic and economic issues, the Heritage Foundation conducts a broad selection of courses in political science, economics and related disciplines. Under Ed's eleven-year leadership, the Heritage Foundation has grown to be a powerful influence on public policy.

But Ed has many other interests and talents as well. He is a member of the Sherlock Holmes and Thackerey Societies in London and a Trustee of the G.K. Chesterton Society. His hobby is model railroading, and I am certain he would be delighted to share his enthusiasm at a Museum Talk.

I have known Ed for many years and can say without

/2

TWENTY-SIXTH FLOOR · 350 PARK AVENUE · NEW YORK, NEW YORK 10022 · (212) 759-7919
TELEFAX (212) 759-0042

[LC]

Ed Feulner will make an excellent faculty member of the Bohemian Club. His role as a leader in the national policy scene is well known, but of greater importance for Bohemia is his willingness to carry a spear in Bohemia as shown by his interest in model railroading.

Feulner's model railroad, The Belle Haven Railroad, is an HO gauge scale model system. It occupies a room in his basement and is representative of the rolling hills and plains of Illinois where Feulner grew up. His interesting hobby, shared by an estimated 300,000 fellow enthusiasts throughout the United States, would make a fascinating Museum Talk.

Feulner's willingness to carry a spear in Bohemia is also attested to by the fact that he serves on the Public Affairs Committee of The Union League Club in New York City, where he is frequently responsible for arranging nationally prominent speakers to participate in their Public Affairs Forum. In addition, he has been a member of The Reform Club in London where he is a member of the Thackerey Society, and of The University Club in Washington for more than twenty years. He is also a member of Washington's Metropolitan Club, and his local country club, The Belle Haven Country Club. In addition, he is a long-time member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. He is a member of the Board of Trustees of the G.K. Chesterton Society, and served as chairman of the Society's 1989 Annual Dinner.

Having received his Bachelor's Degree from Regis College in Denver, his M.B.A. from The Wharton School of The University of Pennsylvania, and his Ph.D. from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, Feulner also studied at The London School of Economics. He served as the first Public Affairs Fellow at The Hoover Institution at Stanford University from 1967-68.

His primary occupation is as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Heritage Foundation, an educational institution in Washington, D.C. Heritage is the leading public policy research organization which produces book length and shorter studies on a whole range of foreign, domestic and economic policy issues. Heritage is described by Bohemian Ronald Reagan as "my favorite think tank," and by Bohemian George Bush as the source of "the kind of quality research and analysis one finds in few other places."

Feulner has taken Heritage in his eleven year presidency from a $1 million, 23-employee organization to an organization of 140 employees and an annual budget of $14 million.

In addition to its activity of influencing the public policymakers in Washington, Heritage conducts a broad selection of courses in political science, economics and related disciplines inside its Washington headquarters building. An additional activity of his involves his chairmanship of the Institute for European Defense and Strategic Studies in London.

Feulner also serves as Vice Chairman of Credit International Bank, N.A. which was recently established as one of the largest initially capitalized federally chartered banks in the history of the United States.

Ed is a family man living with his wife of twenty years, Linda, in their Alexandria, Virginia home. The couple has two children: Edwin J. Feulner, III, a senior at St. James School and the captain of his school's squash team; and Emily Victoria, a junior at The Potomac School where she is the school's number one tennis player.

Feulner attended the encampments in 1979, 1987 and 1989.