IINSIDE WASHINGTON MARGUERITE'S 2nd Anniversary Sale Americans Upbeat, Soviets Downplay Washington Rally WOLF BLITZER On All Merchandise 3 Days Only Friday, Dec. 11, 10-8 Saturday, Dec. 12, 10-6 Sunday, Dec. 13, 11-3 EXTRA SPECIAL FREE Pair of Evan-Picone Hose with all sales over $50 • all sales final • previous sales & layaways excluded "ORIGINALE" 355-3388 .9,9„4,,,./ "PRIMA DONNA" For The Fuller Figure Fashion Conscious Woman 355-0139 AT M 29555 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield, Mich. MALL Mon.-Sat. 10-5:30 AMERICAN VISA' .... 50 FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1987 Masterbard\J W ashington — Short- ly before Soviet leader Mikhail Gor- bachev's arrival in Washington for talks with President Ronald Reagan, the chief Soviet press spokesman conceded that last Sunday's massive Soviet Jewry demonstration in Washington had succeeded in making its point. But Gennadi Gerasimov, the Soviet Foreign Ministry spokesman, sought to deflate the impact of the rally by rais- ing the Palestinian refugee question instead. He said that people at the Madison Hotel, where much of the official Soviet delegation is staying, had asked him following Sun- day's Soviet Jewry rally "where are the Palestinians who are deprived of their native land, and why didn't they demonstrate?" The Soviet spokesman was responding to a question about the demonstration, which was attended by more than 200,000 people. The questioner had characterized it as anti-Soviet. "I don't think it was an anti-Soviet demonstration," Gerasimov replied in fluent English. "It was a demonstra- tion on one issue, on the issue of Jewish migration. And as I understand, those who took part in this demonstration wanted to make the point, and I think they did." The demonstration was the lead story in major U.S. news- papers. It was also broadcast prominently on American television. But Gerasimov, like other Soviet officials here, clearly sought to play down its importance. Secretary of State George Shultz, appearing on NBC's "Today" show, again pledged that the Administration would strongly press the human rights issue during the summit. "We're going to keep calling our shots as we see them in area after area," he said. But he cautioned against anticipating any immediate progress. "I'm sure we won't be anywhere near what we consider to be a satisfactory solution," he said. In recent days, the Reagan Administration has repeated- ly described the Soviet Union's human rights policy as being "in flux." The Administration, in a Neal Duc hin 50%-73% OFF Special to The Jewish News At the Dec. 6 rally: The Soviets wanted to know about the Palestinians. statement, said that the situation "has improved dur- ing the past year, but the legal underpinnings needed to assure long-term govern- ment respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms remain inadaquate; without such a strong legal framework, human rights practices too easily can be relaxed or tightened, accord- ing to the needs of political expediency." U.S. officials said the entire human rights question, in- cluding free emigration for Soviet Jews and others anx- ious to leave the country, would be one of four major areas of discussion during the summit. The other three in- volve arms control issues, regional problems, and bilat- eral U.S.-Soviet relations, especially increased "people- to-people" contacts. Natan Shcharansky and other Soviet Jewry activists have repeatedly warned of the need for Gorbachev to return to the Soviet Union convinced that an improvement in U.S.- Soviet relations remains dependent on a continued in- crease in the number of Jews permitted to emigrate. Administration officials, however, promised to press the Soviet Jewry issue during the summit. "The U.S. re- mains disatisfied with the Soviet Union's record of im- plementation of their human rights commitments," an Ad- ministration statement said. The Administration noted that Jewish emigration has averaged between 700 to 900 in recent months — compared to a 2,000 average in the 1970s. More than 51,000 Jews were allowed to leave in 1979 alone. The U.S. has called on the Soviets to change its pro- cedures regarding refusals to allow emigration on the grounds of state security and to drop the requirement for an invitation from a close relative and the requirement for parental permission. Soviets Disrupt Jewish Rally In Moscow Washington (JTA) — A number of Soviet Jews were beaten and arrested, and an American correspondent was detained, when some 200 burly men calling themselves "peace protestors" disrupted a "Freedom Sunday" rally in Moscow, according to news sources and reports reaching the Soviet Jewry groups last Sunday. The specifics about the pro- test in Moscow were still sketchy but it was known that two Jewish activists were arrested, several beaten and 27 "unaccounted for" following the protest in front of the Soviet Foreign Ministry, according to former refuseniks as well as the Union of Councils for Soviet Jews. The demonstrators not ac- counted for apparently "dis- appeared" en route to the demonstration on Smolensky Square and are presumed to have been detained by police or KGB, former prisoner of Zion Yuli Edelshtein told reporters here. Arrested by the KGB and detained for four hours was Cable News Network bureau chief Peter Arnett, an American citizen.