LOSE WEIGHT • Learn Why Counseling Makes the Difference! Tension In Territories Affects Jewish Views WOLF BLITZER Special to the Jewish News T he latest tensions in the West Bank and Gaza Strip have rein- forced some important trends in the American Jewish and American Arab communities. Although it is still too early to draw any hard-and-fast conclusions, if the riots con- tinue there could be some dramatic changes which would seriously affect the political scene and the shap- ing of U.S. Middle East policy. Embarrassed by the wide- spread media image of the ugly Israeli, American Jews will almost automatically become less gung-ho in their pro-Israel political activity. No one, however, should ex- pect a significant chunk of the Jewish community to completely turn against Israel. While some intellectuals and others will sign protest letters, aligning themselves with Peace Now-oriented groups in Israel, more estab- lishment Jewish leaders will issue statements criticizing various Israeli policies. It is also likely that increasing numbers of influential Amer- ican Jews will become pas- sive. Instead of defending Israel, they will remain silent in the face of what they regard as unecessarily harsh Israeli measures aimed at restoring law and order in the territories. In the American Arab com- munity, the riots appear to have had an opposite effect. The demonstrations in the territories have become an in- creasing source of pride for American Arabs. They want to get more involved, many for the first time. Over the years, the pro- Arab lobby in Washington proved no match for the pro- Israel lobby, which was better organized and financed, and more sophisticated and com- mitted. Americans of Arab ancestry did not appear to have the same zest for political activity. They were also outnumbered. And within the American Arab community, serious splits between various groups further added to their prob- lems. The Lebanese Chris- tians, for example, rarely agreed with the Palestinians or Syrians. Their biggest handicap, of course, was Palestinian ter- rorism. Americans — even American Arabs — had a tough time justifying the planting of bombs in super- markets or the hijacking of airliners. But recently, groups such as the National Association of Arab Americans (NAAA) and the American-Arab Anti- Discrimination Committee (ADC) have begun to make a modest impact on the politics of Washington. They have been especially active in try- ing to influence American blacks and the national news media, and they have scored some points in the process. They still have a long way to go in catching up with the Jewish community. In recent weeks, for instance, nothing could be done to prevent the Congress from overwhelming- ly voting in favor of legisla- tion — attached to the broader State Department authorization bill — to shut down the PLO's offices in Washington and New York. But American Arab spokes- men, led • by former Democratic Senator James Abourezk of South Dakota and Dr. James Zogby, have managed to make their pres- ence felt in Washington. Stories about the American Jewish community's drive to gain support for Israel have been coupled recently by similar stories about the American Arab community. It is too early to conclude if these trends will radically alter the face of American politics. In the past, for exam- ple, there have been other mo- ments when the tide of public opinion appeared to turn. But Israeli leaders should be alert to the long-term ef- fects. THE NATURAL WAY TO TO LOSE • NO SHOTS • NO CONTRACTS W. BLOOMFIELD 855-3430 TROY 435-5555 SOUTHFIELD 569-2669 0 • QUICK SERVICE Paint & Collision • TOWING & THEFT WORK-RENTALS • GREAT COLOR MATCH Foreign & Domestic INSURANCE & FLEET g • Maxie Collision Inc. , 32581 Northwestern Highway, Farmington Hills, MI 48018 (313) 737-7122 JIM FLEISCHER, Proprietor 88 SPRING and SUMMER • • • fabrics are here! Send Someone Special a Gift 52 Weeks a Year. Send a gift subscription to THE JEWISH NEWS! VISIT US AND WE'LL CUSTOM CREATE A TASTEFUL AND ENDURING WARDROBE FOR YOU 669.1440 PAMELA S\VIT, LTD complimentary consultation • alterations Spokesman Defeats Veto Washington (JTA) — State Department spokesman Charles Redman said Tues- day that the United States vetoed Monday's U.N. Securi- ty Council resolution criticiz- ing Israel's Jan. 2 air raid in southern Lebanon "because it lacked balance." While he noted U.S. support for Lebanon's territorial in- tegrity, Redman said, "Peace cannot come to South Lebanon until the border bet- ween Israel and Lebanon is secure." He added that U.N. resolutions dealing with Israel's presence in Lebanon "cannot be productive until the cyclical nature of the violence is acknowledged and ended." Mon., Tues., Fri. & Sat. 10-5:30; Wed. & Thurs. 10-8:00 31205 Orchard Lake Rd. at 14 Mile• In Hunters Square Farmington Hills 737°7970