Q:
How should the Jewish people react to the new president, President Ford, specifically the incident when General Brown made a negative statement about the Jewish lobby and President Ford refused to fire him?
A:
I am not the leader of a big community. I have a very little shul here and I’m not that important to give directives for the Jewish people.
But privately if you would ask me I would say that we have to react with restraint. President Ford is not an individual. He represents a great part of the American people. And therefore we have to use the utmost discretion in dealing with such a president.
Everybody knows that Ford has many friends among the Orthodox Jews, personal friends. He has done many favors to Orthodox Jews. Ford entered the presidency in a time of terror, a reign of terror. He came in shivering and doing his best not to get in wrong with anybody. And therefore how much can you blame him if he yields to the pressure of the majority and he is now not so favorable to Israel as was expected?
Now, if you can use legitimate pressure on public officials then there’s no reason why not. But it should be done in a quiet manner. But if it’s done demonstratively and it’s done insolently like the man who wrote an article with a big caption ‘Ford must go,’ that’s very bad manners. Jews always respect authority. And we shouldn’t follow the vandals and the revolutionaries that feel it’s smart to be impudent to people in authority. We should respect the President no matter what. If you can accomplish something quietly why not? But don’t do it insolently.
And General Brown? It could be that Ford was not in the position to fire Brown. I’m sure that quietly he met him and told him he should change his way of speech, that he should soft-pedal his words. And it could be that Brown didn’t exactly mean what he said.
And therefore whatever our reaction is it should be done quietly, with respect for authority.
TAPE # 75 (October 1974)
