72 Friday, February 3, 1984

THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS

Democratic Candidates' Stances on the Middle East

By DAVID FRIEDMAN
WASHINGTON (JTA) —
The Rev. Jesse Jackson's
success in obtaining the re-
lease from Syria of captured
Navy flier Lt. Robert
Goodman may result in a
major challenge to the
Democratic Party's tradi-
tional consensus in support
of Israel.
Jackson and former Sen.
George McGovern of South
Dakota have, since entering
the race for the Democratic
nomination for the
Presidency, made no secret
they differ from the six
other candidates in that
they believe that Israel
should be pressured toward
negotiations aimed at a
Palestinian homeland.
But Jackson's flight to
Damascus has given him
both the publicity and the
credentials, at least in the
media, to make foreign pol-
icy and particularly the
Middle East a major issue in
the Democratic primaries
as the campaign is now in
full swing. The civil rights
leader had not even left
Damascus when he began
arguing that the U.S. can-
not favor Israel at the ex-
pense of the Arab states.
"Any policy that excites one
nation and incites others is
not a good policy," is the
way he puts it.

By contrast, former
Vice President Walter
Mondale, and Senators
John Glenn of Ohio, Gary
Hart of Colorado, Alan
Cranston of California
and Ernest Hollings of
South Carolina, and
former Florida Governor
Rubin Askew all have
emphasized the tradi-
tional U.S. friendship for
Israel. They have ac-
cused the Reagan Ad-
ministration of straying
from the principles of the
Camp David agreements,
and castigated it for
arguing in public with Is-
rael.
At the same time, a new
consensus appears to be
emerging in the Democratic

JESSE JACKSON

WALTER MONDALE

Party to demand that the
U.S. Marines be pulled out
of Lebanon as soon as possi-
ble. Glenn is the only one of
the eight Democratic
Presidential hopefuls who
has not called for a pullout,
although he has warned
against an escalation that
could lead to war between
the United States and
Syria.
However, even many of
the supporters of the var-
ious candidates accept
President Reagan's views
that such a pullout would
end chances for uniting
Lebanon and badly damage
American interests in the
Middle East.
Cranston addressed this
issue in a recent interview
with the New York Times.
"If we pull out of Lebanon,
we plainly would not be pul-
ling out of our interests in
the Middle East, our real
interests," he said. "I don't
think we have a deep na-
tional interest_in Lebanon.
And we would maintain our
close relationship with Is-
'rael and continue to be
committed to Israel's secu-
rity and survival."

* * *

Mondale and
the Senators

All of the Democratic
candidates maintain they
are committed to Israel's se-
curity and survival. Mon-
dale, the acknowledged
Democratic frontrunner,

GEORGE MCGOVERN

to th Jewish community.
While opposing the sale
of AWACS to Saudi
Arabia in 1981, he ap-
proved the sale of F-15s to
the Saudis in 1978. He
strongly criticized Is-
rael's bombing of the nu-
clear reactor in Iraq and
supported a
"moratorium" on settle-
ments.
Glenn has also come
under criticism for saying at
various times that the U.S.
should have contacts with
the PLO. But in a speech to
JOHN GLENN
the Foreign Policy Associa-
RUBIN ASKEW
tion in New York in Sep- F-15s to the Saudis but
has a long record of support tember he said the United against the AWACS sale.
for Israel and close ties to States should "neither rec- In addition, he got into
the Jewish community ognize nor negotiate" with some hot water when,
going back to his days as a the PLO until it abandons during a Senate debate,
Senator from Minnesota terrorism and renounces its he referred to Sen. How-
ard Metzenbaum (D-
and as a protege of the late pledge to destory Israel.
In the same speech, Glenn Ohio) as the "Senator
Hubert Humphrey.
However, some suppor- opposed any concessions to from' Bnai Brith." He
ters of Israel have been put the Arab states "that would later apologized.
has
also
Hollings
off by the fact that Mondale endanger Israeli security."
He
said
that
the
U.S.
may
criticized
the
Administra-
was President Carter's Vice
President. Moshe Dayan, in well limit the arms to Arab tion for neglecting the
Camp David process. He be-
his memoirs, describes how countries "so long as they
Mondale was the Adminis- remain outside the peace lieves the autonomy talks
tration official selected to process." He, too, has ac- should be revitalized as the
harshly criticize visiting Is- cused the Administration of best means of solving the
raelis. At the same time, retreating from Camp problem of the West Bank,
Carter's National Security David and of a policy during including settlements. He
Adviser, Zbigniew Bre- its first 16 months of keep- has called Israel "our best
friend in the Middle East"
zezinski, in his memoirs, ing Israel publicly at arm's
and a strategic asset.
criticizes Mondale for being length. He has also faulted
Askew has no national
opposed to pressure on Is- the Administration for
making a public issue of its
record on Israel but has
rael.
maintained a pro-Israel
In the current cam- differences with Israel.
The three other Senators stance in the campaign. He
paign, Mondale has ac-
cused Reagan of under- in the race are all avowed has been quoted as saying
mining the Camp David supporters of Israel. that the Israeli settlements
peace process and failing Cranston has been one of Is- in the West Bank are not an
to give the Middle East rael's staunchest supporters obstacle to peace and should
in the Senate and as a not be moved. He added that
his personal attention.
He charges that the Rea- member of the Senate Israel is justified in building
gan policy is built in "illu- Foreign Relations Commit- the settlements as long as
sions" that Saudi Arabia tee has constantly defended there is no peace agree-
can moderate the behavior the Jewish state. He has op- ment.
* * *
of other Arab states, that posed weapons to Arab
Rev. Jackson
King Hussein of Jordan countries for fear they will
would come to the negotiat- be used against Israel.
Sen. McGovern
Cranston also has ac-
ing table "if only we
Jackson
maintains that
weakened our adherence to cused the Administration he supports a secure Israel
of
backing
away
from
Camp David," and that the
and supports the Camp
U.S. "could make new Camp David. He has David peace process. But he
friends in the region by maintained that Israel is has criticized the recent
holding Israel at arm's the only true friend of the agreement between the
United States in the
length."
U.S. and Israel on strate0c
Mondale said recently region and once the
cooperation as a "blank
Arabs
realize
that
the
that "instead of backing
check" for Israel wihtout
away from strategic cooper- U.S. will not abandon its any concessions on the set-
commitment
to
Israel
ation with Israel, as the
tlements in the West Bank
Reagan Administration has they will be willing to or Israel's occupation of the
done repeatedly, I would negotiate for peace.
Hart, a member of the Se- West Bank, Gaza and the
make it meaningful and
Golan Heights.
permanent." He said he nate Armed Services Com-
He charges also that the
mittee,
has
called
Israel
a
would also urge Egypt to
United States is in complic-
"strategic"
asset
and
a
"de-
"resume its promised nor-
ity with Israel in its inva-
malization of relations with pendable ally." "Support for sion of Lebanon. Jackson
Israel
is
morally
right,"
he
Israel."
argues that the U.S. must
Mondale criticized the said in a Chicago speech. "It also seek friends in the Arab
Administration's support of was right in 1948. It is right world. The best way to de-
the meeting in Cairo last today. And it will always be fend Israel is to relieve Is-
month between Palestine right."
He has opposed arms to rael "of having so many
Liberation Organization
Arab
states who refuse to enemies," he contends.
chief Yasir Arafat and
Jackson wants the U.S.
Egyptian President Hosni deal diplomatically with Is-
lop am, ot-
rael.
He
has
also
warned
.11 P
Mubarak.
Mondale's chief rival that dependence on Arab oil
for the Democratic nomi- is a threat not only to Is-
nation, Glenn, has not rael's security but to that of
had Mondale's close ties the U.S. itself. -
Hart has also denounced
calls for concessions by Is-
rael until the Arab states
agree to negotiate with
Jerusalem. He has urged
the Administration to stop
"public statements that
play into the hands of those
who seek to deligitimize the
very existence of Israel."
Hollings, like Glenn,
GARY, HART
voted for the sale of

ALAN CRANSTON

to talk to the PLO and
favors a Palestinian
homeland in the West
Bank and Gaza. He met
with Arafat in 1979. He
has also sought to sepa-
rate Zionism from
Judaism. "Zionism is
rooted in race, it's a polit-
ical philosophy," he said
in a recent interview in
New York magazine.

But during a July 1980
address before the conven-
tion of the American Feder-
ation of Ramallah Palestine
in Birmingham, Ala.,
Jackson excoriated
Zionism. He reportedly
stated: "We have the real
obligation to separate
Zionism from Judaism .. .
Zionism is a kind of poison-
ous weed that is choking
Judaism."
A 19-page fact sheet sent
last Oct. 6 by the Anti-
Defamation League of Bnai
Brith to its national execu-
tive committee, before
Jackson announced his
candidacy, charged him
with a wide array of "insen-
sitive and troubling" public
actions "particular in re-
spect to Israel, the
Holocaust and black-Jewish
relations."
One such example cited in
the ADL fact sheet concerns
a statement Jackson made
during his 1979 Mideast
tour. He was quoted as say-
ing: "I'm sick and tired of
hearing about the
Holocaust . ."
McGovern also maintains
that the United States has
"a special commitment to
Israel" and says he would be
willing to enter a defensive
agreement with the Jewish
state. But he argues that
the U.S. has to be "more
even-handed" and "not give
Israel a blank check unless
they take more effort than
I've seen on compromising
on the West Bank and keep-
ing open the door to even-
tual settlement of that area
by the Palestinians."

4

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ERNEST HOLLINGS