THE JEWISH NEWS

A Single Word
Can Be Harmful:
Value of
Providing
Look at
the Record

A Weekly Review

Commentary, Page 2

of Jewish Events

VOL. LXXV, No. 17 17515 W. Nine Mile, Suite 865, Southfield, Mich. 48075 424-8833 $12.00 Per Year: This Issue 30c

The Settlements
and Israel's
Leaning on
Democratic
Procedures

The Enigma of
USSR and MFN

Editorials, Page 4

June 29, 1979

egotiators in Upbeat Mood
in Low-Key Autonomy Talks

Robert Strauss: PI-eparing
to Push the Peace Process

By JOSEPH - POLAKOFF

WASHINGTON (JTA)
Robert Strauss,
President Carter's special envoy to the Middle
East, said shortly before his departure for that
region that he has the President's "full authority
and support" in the execution of his mission. He
said that basically it was to keep the Israeli-
Egyptian peace process moving and make sure it
does not "die of attrition" and "to find out how to
bring something more than armaments (to the
Mideast) for one country to frighten the other."
In an interview with the Jewish Telegraphic
Agency at his White House office, Strauss said
the President has told him to use "his own judg-
ment and instincts" but "not to revise" U.S. posi-
tions, such as its stand on the Palestine Libera-
tion Organization.
Strauss leaves for Israel on Sunday to
ROBERT STRAUSS
begin a week-long trip that will take him to
Egypt and Saudi Arabia and probably to Jordan if details with Amman can be
arranged in time. He will be accompanied on what the State Department
described as his "first major impact swing" as Carter's diplomatic representa-
tive, by the Administration's foremost specialists on the Middle East. These
include Harold Saunders, Assistant Secretary of State for Near East and
South Asian Affairs and Robert Hunter, who recently succeeded William
Quandt as Middle East chief on the National Security Council.
In addition, several prominent clothing industry and trade union
leaders will be in the party, including Murray Finley, president of the
(Continued on Page 11)

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Electoral College: A Political Necessity

By HOWARD M. SQUADRON

President, American Jewish Congress

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HERZLIYA (JTA) — The third round of the Israel-Egypt autonomy talks adjourned
Tuesday afternoon with the delegations expressing "gratification" and "satisfaction" but
unable as yet to show much concrete progress.
The two sides are still divided as to what approach to adopt in the talks. Egypt wants a
declaration of "bases and objectives" that would serve as an overall-agenda-framework.
Israel, on the other hand, is pressing for detailed negotiations on the practical matters of
establishing th-e Palestinian autonomy.
The delegations agreed to meet again in Herzliya next Thursday and Friday, by which
time they will have "studied carefully" each other's proposals. An Israeli participant said
the Israeli delegation believed it would be possible to reach agreement on an agenda that
would comprise broad statements of objectives, as Egypt desires. But some more work
would be required to hammer out the text. Meanwhile, the sources said, the Egyptians
were not opposed to starting discussions on the practical arrangements for the holding of
the autonomy elections.
Israeli delegation leader Josef Burg described the two days of talks to newsmen as
"helpful and constructive," and Egyptian Prime Minsiter Mustafa Khalil characterized
them as "very serious and fruitful." Both men explained that the proposals put forward this
week would be studied in the interim, and each side would come to the next session with
comments and reactions.
The fact that there was no deadlock, and that serious discussions were taking place,
was itself "progress," Khalil observed. But he would "welcome" U.S. Special Envoy Robert
Strauss' efforts "to push" the talks at a quicker pace, Khalil added.
Strauss' deputy, James Leonard, who was present at Herzliya, said the U.S. delegation
was "satisfied" with both "the spirit and the substance of the negotiations so far." But he
added that the U.S. looked forward to "more tangible" achievements in the future, and he
conceded that if "we go a great deal longer" without attaining agreement on an agenda "we
won't be so satisfied anymore . . ." Leonard praised the "quality of the discussions." Both
Israeli and Egyptian sources reported that Khalil and Burg had struck up a warm and
informal rapport. _ -
After the Tuesday session ended, Khalil received a telephone call from Premier

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This unusual poster has been published by the
World Zionist Organization to encourage the learning
of Hebrew.

This week the Senate is debating a proposal for direct popular election of the
President, a proposal that would do away with the Electoral College system altogether.
Many traditional liberal groups and liberal Senators favor the proposal, which is being
introduced by Sen. Birch Bayh (D-Ind.).
The opposition includes conservative Senators from rural states — and also the
traditionally liberal black and Jewish communities. These opponents traditionally
believe that the Bayh Resolution will jeopardize the American government structure of
checks and balances; and that it will reduce the influence of blacks, Jews and other
ethnic minorities that exercise political power mainly in urban areas.
Sen. Bayh contends that the "one man, one Vote" concept requires the
presidential candidate with the most popular votes to be declared the winner.
In fact, the popular vote majority determines the president or prime minister of
virtually no Western democracy. For example, Joe Clark is prime minister of
Canada because his party won more parliamentary seats, although it was four
percent behind in the popular vote.
In the U.S., we do not apply the "one man, one vote" concept to any other elections.
HOWARD SQUADRON
We elect two Seantors and at least one member of the House from every state, regard-
less of population. Five members of the Supreme Court, appointed for life, can set aside legislation approved by the
Congress and signed by the President. These arrangements are all part of a constellation of checks and balances.
President Kennedy pointed out the danger of dealing only with the Electoral College. "If it is proposed to change
the balance of power of one of the elements of the solar system," he said, "it is necessary to consider all the others."
The next logical "one man, one vote" step would be to disregard state boundaries in choosing Senators and
Representatives as well as in electing a President — and elect one legislature from equal-population districts, derived
by computer, without regard to state boundaries.
The "one man, one vote" concept was intended to correct injustice and distortion; not to lead to such an
absurd result.
Today, presidential candidates must appeal to what John Calhoun called "concurrent majorities." The Electoral
College system requires them to seek support from a broad cross-section of groups.
Neither the large industrial states nor the small rural states can be ignored. No individual ethnic group can be
disregarded, no geographic section relied on exclusively.
In 1976, 25 percent of Jimmy Carter's popular majority was accounted for by the state of Georgia alone. But he
reached the White House only by winning electoral votes from every region in the country.
If the Electoral College were abolished, the two-party tradition would give way to single-issue and
regional parties, each hoping to gain enough popular votes to prevent any candidate from achieving a 40
percent plurality, thus forcing a run-off election where they could wheel and deal for political advantage.
(Continued on Page 14)

