In a pre-publication fete announcing the release of his new book “Heritage: Civilization and the Jews,” Israeli Minister Abba Eban hosted a reception on the sailing yacht “Caravan” which took the guests to Ellis Island for a briefing and later a sail up the Hudson River. Also aboard was journalist David Horowitz, who had known Eban since his days as a Representative to the UN.
During the reception, Horowitz introduced Eban to another friend and author, Dr. Rochelle Saidel, whose new book about the pursuit of Nazi war criminals in America was soon to be released.
Dr. Saidel’s 239 page volume titled “The Outraged Conscience: Seekers of Justice for Nazi War Criminals in America,” was published in December 1984 by the State University of New York Press, Albany, N.Y. The brilliant work by Dr. Saidel produced the most comprehensive research yet done on the subject of Nazi hunters in America. Famous Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal commented about the masterful volume: “For this book I have waited a long time.”
In her book, Dr. Saidel dedicated an entire chapter to David Horowitz’s role in exposing Nazis who somehow had managed by fraud and bribery to find haven in America. Her chapter about Horowitz was titled: “Always a Man With a Cause.”
One of the first copies of Dr. Saidel’s new book was sent to Minister Abba Eban in Jerusalem.
United Israel World Union commemorated its 40th Anniversary on Saturday, April 27, 1985 in the small Michigan township of Ottawa and the town of West Olive, situated between the “Dutch” city of Holland and Grand Haven along the coast of Lake Michigan. A special outdoor service was held at the former township with an evening gala banquet at an inn in the Tulip Festival city of Holland.
Among the special guests participating in the historic anniversary was Congressman Mark Siljander, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and who also served on the Middle East subcommittee. The delegation from New York included United Israel President and Mrs. David Horowitz, and Vice President Eddie Abrahams.
Also attending was Dola Ben-Yehuda Wittman, daughter of the renowned founder of Modern Hebrew, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Ben-Yehuda was a Jewish Litvak lexicographer of Hebrew and newspaper editor. He was the driving spirit behind the revival of the Hebrew language in the modern era.
The highlight of the gala banquet was a spellbinding message by Congressman Siljander who spoke of falling in love with Israel and the Jewish people to the extent of being inspired to study the sacred language, Hebrew, and to accept the Torah faith as part of his own religion.
Congressman Siljander also payed high tribute to David Horowitz, the local unit leaders, and United Israel World Union for having pressed forward through forty years, the very biblical principles on which our own country was founded and for propagating prophetic truths to the world.
Local newspapers in Grand Haven and Holland devoted special articles to the event.
United Israel’s celebration wasn’t the only 40th anniversary to take place in 1985. In sharp and sobering contrast, tens of thousands of people in Hiroshima, Japan marked the 40th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the city on August 6, 1945, beginning the age of weapons of mass destruction.
On June 24, 1985, the Space Shuttle Discovery completed its fifth mission. On board as a payload specialist was Sultan Salman Al Saud of Saudi Arabia. Al Saud became the first Arab, the first Muslim, and the first member of a royal family to fly into space.
Less than a month later, U.S. Vice President George H. W. Bush announced that New Hampshire teacher Christa McAuliffe, one of more than 11,000 applicants, would become the first schoolteacher in space. She was selected to ride aboard the tenth mission of the Space Shuttle Challenger. On January 28, 1986, the ill-fated flight broke apart 73 seconds into its mission, resulting in the death of all seven crewmembers, including McAuliffe.
Following the 1982 Lebanon War, the PLO moved its base to Tunisia. After continued PLO hijackings and terrorists activities, Israel chose to retaliate directly against the Tunis headquarters of the PLO. Operation “Wooden Leg” was launched by Israel against the Palestinian Liberation Organization headquarters in Hammam Chott, near Tunis, Tunisia, on October 1, 1985. With a target 1,280 miles from the operation’s starting point, this was the most distant action undertaken by the Israeli Defense Forces since Operation “Entebbe” in 1976. The PLO headquarters was completely destroyed, although Yasser Arafat, the head of the organization, was not there at the time and escaped unharmed.
Interestingly, intelligence supplied to Israel by Jonathan Pollard on the Tunisian and Libyan air defense systems greatly facilitated the raid. Pollard, a former intelligence analyst for the United States government would later plead guilty in 1987 to spying for and providing top-secret classified information to Israel.
During October and November of 1985, David Horowitz delivered lectures on the global situation as it affected Israel from the vantage point of the UN to three congregations: Beth Ahm, Springfield, N. J.; Sons of Israel, Woodmere, N. Y.; and Temple Emanuel, Manhattan. He was also the guest speaker at the “Fortieth Annual Religious Service and Breakfast, Nassau Masonic Districts” on October 27th.
Also in October, Mr. Horowitz received a special guest. Mr. Lowell Gallin, Director of the Israeli headquartered “Root and Branch Association,” which has as an affiliate “The Noah Institute,” stressing the universal values of the Seven Noachide Principles, paid a visit to Horowitz at his UN office. The discussion centered on common interests of activities.
As 1985 drew to a close, David Horowitz also announced the publication of a new book. The Philosophical Library of New York, a long established publishing firm known for publishing some of the most important historical works on Science, Philosophy and Religion, had just released the new volume.
The new work titled “Pastor Charles Taze Russell; An Early American Christian Zionist” was compiled and written by Mr. Horowitz to chronicle one of America’s staunchest Christian supporters of the Zionist cause at the turn of the century.
The renowned Christian preacher and Bible scholar, Charles Taze Russell (1852-1916) was the first President of the Watchtower Society and is known to many as the founder of Jehovah’s Witnesses. But few realize that Pastor Russell was an early advocate of Zionism and that he boldly predicted the imminent return of the Jewish people to Israel.
Researching the fascinating enigma of Pastor Russell for over fifteen years, Horowitz dedicated the new volume to the late John J. Hoefle of the Epiphany Bible Association, who was a life-long devotee of Pastor Russell. Horowitz credited Mr. Hoefle’s widow, Emily, for providing inspiration and valued assistance to his efforts.
David Horowitz immediately received two prestigious endorsements for his new book.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Benjamin Netanyahu, having seen and read an advanced copy, offered these comments: “David Horowitz sets the record straight about the beliefs and achievements of Charles Taze Russell. Recognition of Pastor Russell’s important role as an early American Christian advocate of Zionism is long overdue. Mr. Horowitz has performed an admirable service in restoring to public knowledge the story of this important Christian Zionist.”
Mr. Netanyahu’s good friend, the former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Jeane Kirkpatrick, having also read an advanced copy of the historic volume, had this to say: “This is a fascinating account of a neglected man and a neglected chapter in the history of Zionism. David Horowitz’s well-written book on Pastor Charles Taze Russell makes for extremely interesting reading. I definitely recommend it.”
Among the many literary contributions of 1985, the works of Eban, Saidel and Horowitz provided important historical volumes that inform, enlighten and provide important linkages between past and present.
Ralph Buntyn is executive vice president and associate editor of United Israel World Union. A historian and researcher, his many articles and essays have appeared in various media outlets.
This post is the fortieth in the ongoing series “Remembering David Horowitz.”