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FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: MARCY SCHNEIDER, Program Director, Fleischman Residence 661-2999 An. •No. ■ •• 01 1 M. 1, 1_11 • A., ■ _..1_01,0\" 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.