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involved with the campaigns
of both major candidates for
the Oval Office, and to make
Israel's case before candidates
at the state and local level.
He warned of difficult times
ahead. "We have dedicated
ourselves in recent years to
better relations with the ex-
ecutive branch. But at no
time is the challenge so great
as when the entire ad-
ministration changes."
This challenge, he warned
the group, would only in-
crease as the federal estab-
lishment tries to come to
grips with shrinking budgets
and an uncertain economic
climate.
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
THE BRIGHT IDEA
as a gift
AIPAC Confab Emphasizes
U.S.-Israel Harmony
L
egions of activists for
the American Israel
Public Affairs Commit-
tee (AIPAC) swept into town
this week, provoking the
usual security gliches at their
downtown Washington
hotel—and featuring a parade
of U.S. officials underscoring
the continuing vitality of the
U.S.-Israel relationship,
despite months of disorders in
the West Bank and Gaza.
More than 2,000 people
from 47 states turned out for
three days of speeches, visits
to House and Senate offices
and lobbying workshops.
Benjamin Netanyahu, Is-
rael's departing U.N. am-
bassador and a favorite of pro-
Israel audiences, insisted that
the primary obstacle to peace
remains the Arab nations'
refusal to accept Israel's
existence.
The sheer numbers at the
AIPAC dinner on Monday
night tell a story of major-
league political clout. In a
yearly ritual, AIPAC officials
pointed out political
luminaries in the huge audi-
ence—including 56 members
of the House and 31 senators.
Aspirants for high office were
plentiful-11 Senate and 23
House candidates. There were
five representatives from the
George Bush campaign, six
from the Michael Dukakis
side and at least 11 people
from the State Department.
And the receptions follow-
ing the dinner were a politi-
cian's paradise. The most
popular, judging by the huge
crowds they attracted, were
the receptions sponsored by
Rep. Wayne Dowdy (D-Miss.)
and Rep. Dan Mica (D-Fla.).
Dowdy's featured mint juleps,
Mica's a do-it-your-self ice-
cream sundae bar.
Former presidential can-
didates Albert Gore and Paul
Simon roamed the crowd, the
instinct to press the flesh just
as strong as when they were
in the thick of their
campaigns.•
AIPAC Officer
Clams Up
AIPAC officers are a
notoriously closed-mouthed
bunch, but none is more
clamlike than the group's new
president, Detroiter Edward
C. Levy. Levy declined all re-
quests for interviews during
the conference; in fact, he
declined to even state for the
Netanyahu: A favorite
record whether the con-
ference was meeting his
expectations.
And at the Michigan state
reception on Sunday night
while Levy was in atten-
dance, guards at the door
limited access to Michigan
delegates only and excluded
the press, the only state
delegation to do so.
"Maybe they have better
food in there and they're
keeping it to themselves," one
student delegate said as she
was turned away.
Dine Warns Of
Rough Days
Every AIPAC policy con-
ference is a celebration of the
previous year's ac-
complishments — and in the
past eight years, there has
been plenty to celebrate.
But this year,the ongoing
disorders in Israel's ad-
ministered territories provid-
ed a sober counterpoint to the
normally upbeat tone of the
gathering.
In his keynote address,
AIPAC's director Tom Dine
took note of the altered
climate. "This year is dif-
ferent," he told the throng.
"We meet at a time of great
uncertainty and danger. I
have decided to put aside the
usual accounting of AIPAC's
activities and give you a 'bat-
tle plan' for the next few
months!'
The cornerstone of this
plan, he said, was the kind of
grass-roots activism that
turned AIPAC into a lobbying
heavyweight — and that some
argue has diminished as the
organization's Washington
headquarters has grown. He
emphasized the need for
Israel's supporters to become
Egypt Envoy
Attends Confab
One observer at the
AIPAC festivities was
Abderahman L. Abderah-
man, second secretary at the
Embassy of Egypt.
"You could say that Egypt
maintains a very strong in-
terest in AIPAC," Abderah-
man said, exhibiting the
diplomatic talents that
brought him to Embassy Row.
"I'm finding all this very in-
teresting."
Has Israel's support in
Washington weakened be-
cause of the recent disorders?
"I don't think so," the Egyp-
tian diplomat said. "Israel's
support remains very strong
in Washington — and I think
AIPAC remains a very strong
organization!'
Abderahman said that he
was invited to the policy con-
ference — after an official re-
quest from the Egyptian
embassy.
AIPAC May Lay
Low On Arms
At AIPAC conferences,
some of the most interesting
conversations takes place in-
formally, during the endless
receptions and the even more
endless waiting for passage
through security checkpoints.
A major topic this year was
the continuing flurry of pro-
posals to sell weapons to
various Arab countries — and
the fascinating mystery of
how AIPAC will respond.
There are strong hints that
the group will not actively op-
pose the latest arms-sale
package for the Riyadh gov-
ernment — some $825 million
in equipment for AWACS sur-
veillance aircraft, TOW
missiles and Bradley fighting
vehicles.