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50 Friday, June 29, 1984
THE.DETROIT.JEWISH NEWS
NEWS
Blacks, Jews in Congress
work toward cothmon goals
BY DAVID SILVERBERG
Special to The Jewish News
Washington For all the
Sturm and Drang gener-
ated by Rev. Jesse Jackson's
statements slighting Jews
and the inevitable Jewish
response, black and Jewish
congressmen are working
together on a common polit-
ical agenda.
"I think it's clear that we
have a common legislative
agenda," says Rep. Julian
Dixon (D-Calif.), chairman
of the Black Congressional
Caucus and a long-time ac-
tivist in both black and
Jewish affairs. The caucus
consists of 19 congressmen
and two congresswomen.
"I think you can easily
say the black caucus is pro-
Israel," says Tom Dine,
executive director of the
American Israel Public Af-
fairs Committee, the pro-
Israel lobby on Capitol HIll.
His colleaues agree. "On the
issue of the Middle East
they have for years been
supportive. We have com-
mon goals generally," says
ADL lobbyist David Brody.
American Jewish Commit-
tee lobbyist Howard Kohr
adds, "It appears at the
moment that the support of
the black caucus is hold-
ing."
For years, black and
Jewish congressmen have
been working together, and
the latest legislative session
was no exception. Black
congressmen voted over-
whelmingly against the
Rahall Amendment, a pro-
posal by Rep. Nick Rahall
(D-W.Va.) requiring that
military aid to all countries
be spent in the United
States. Th amendment
would have crippled Israeli
development of the Lavi
fighter plane. In addition,
the black caucus voted
against equal access legis-
lation, and by and large its
membership supported aid
to Israel.
For their part, Jewish
Congressmen supported aid
to Africa, and voted for an
amendment to the Export
Control Act, proposed by
Rep. Bill Gray (D-Pa.),
which opposed any new in-
vestment in South Africa.
They also supported meas-
ures aiding minority
businesses.
"Our voting records do
tend to be similar," says
Gray, who is vice-chairman
of the black caucus.
"They're rooted in common
experiences in facing ra-
cism and anti-Semitism.
Both communities were vic-
tims. Thus, when it comes to
proper policy, we tend to
work for same goals."
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Which is not to say that
there are no disagreements
between the black and
Jewish Congressional dele-
gations. The two major on-
going debates between
them concern Israeli rela-
tions with South Africa and
affirmative action. But,
Dixon says, "I don't think it
is anything that is insur-
mountable or a gap which
can't be bridged."
Although entirely Demo-
cratic, the black caucus is
not monolithic. Its political
differences can be seen in its
members' endorsements of
the Democratic President-
ial candidates: Ten mem-
bers endorsed Jackson, five
endorsed Mondale and the
rest remain uncommitted.
When it comes to foreign
affairs, Detroit's John Con-
yers Jr. and George W.
Crockett Jr. who serves on
the Foreign Affairs Com-
mittee, have been the most
consistent critics of Israeli
policies and aid to Israel.
Both have large Arab-
American populations in
their districts.
military aid to any country,
and he is critical of what he
sees as heavy Jewish influ-
ence in politics and the
media. He was one of three
black congressmen — along
with Conyers and Rep.
Mervyn Dymally (D-Calif.)
— to vote for the Rahall
Amendment.
When it comes to
foreign affairs,
Detroit's Conyers
and Crockett
have been the
most consistent
critics of Israeli
policies and aid
to Israel.
"On that particular issue
I think most (of the other
members of the caucus)
didn't even appreciate what
was involved and therefore,
they couldn't care less about
it," he observed. "Dixon has
a problem because he is very
responsive to Jewish pres-
sure. I think the Jewish
lobby is unusually strong in
his district, at least that is
what I've been told. So he
would be concerned from
that point of view." Dym-
ally, another member of the
Foreign Affairs ammittee
who voted for the Rahall
Amendment, was worried
John Conyers
about Israeli competition
with U.S. aircraft manufac-
turers located in his district,
according to Crockett.
Other members of the
black caucus who have been
critical of Israel include
Dymally and Rep. Gus Sav-
age (D-Ill.). Rep. 'Walter
Fauntroy, the non-voting
delegate from the District of
Columbia, once met with
Yasir Arafat, a meeting
which returned to haunt
him when he led a campaign
for a Constitutional
amendment granting full
voting rights for the Dis-
trict. Angry Jewish state
George Crockett
assemblymen in Maryland
opposed his efforts.
"You're mistaken when
One congressman whose
you say that the members of attitudes have changed is
the black caucus do any- Rep. Ron Dellums (D-
thing as a unit except in Calif.), a self-styled radical
those instances where the representative from the
isue is clear-cut," Rep. Berkeley-Oakland area.
Crockett insists. "Black Dellums has progressively
legislators react the same moderated his positions on
way as white legislators do; most matters and the Mid-
they do the best for their dle East ig no exception. Al-
constituencies."
though he favors, as an aide
Crockett has long been a put it, "justice for the Pales-
maverick within the foreign tinians," and he has always
relations committee, Dur- opposed foreign aid, he de-
ing this session, he ques- cided to remain neutral on
tioned the proportion of U.S. the controversial Proposi-
aid sent to Israel andEgypt. tion E which would have re-
He consistently oppnes gpired the ;Timor and' ty
,