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34
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1988
Jewish Leaders VVIII Try
To Sensitize Sununu On Israel
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
p
ublicly, Jewish lead-
ers in Washington
have tried to put the
best face on last week's ap-
pointment of John Sununu as
White House chief of staff.
"It's clear now this is a per-
son we will have to learn to
work with," said one pro-
Israel lobbyist. "It would be
counter-productive to con-
tinue the debate over his
statements on Israel."
But privately, some Jewish
activists were still fuming.
Several Washington represen-
tatives expressed concerns
about Sununu's ability to con-
trol access to the president,
and to control the flood of
paperwork that moves
through the White House
every day.
Also, Sununu's status as a
Washington outsider was
seen as a factor that may
make things more difficult for
the pro-Israel community. -
Sununu acted quickly to
head off criticisms from
Jewish groups and from the
Jewish delegation to Capitol
Hill. Even as Jewish con-
gressmen like Rep. Charles
Schumer, (D-N.Y.), and Ste-
phen Solarz, (D-N.Y.) were
drafting letters asking
Sununu to clarify his position
on the U.N. "Zionism as
racism" resolution, Sununu
was telling reporters that he
accepts that "the key to peace
and tranquility in the Middle
East is to guarantee and to
continue to guarantee the in-
tegrity and the security of
Israel?'
Generally, Jewish activists
here seemed willing to accept
that clarification.
"The appointment is a done
deed," said one official with a
major pro-Israel political ac-
tion committee. "Our job now
is to reach out to him and sen-
sitize him to our issues, in the
way we have done with many
other appointees."
No Fireworks At
Tirade Inquiry
Israel's decision to keep a
low profile in the dispute over
the U.S. Trade Represen-
tative's investigation into
labor practices in the ad-
ministered territories ap-
parently paid off last week
when the long-anticipated
hearings produced no fire-
works and no surprises.
It was feared that the hear-
ings, precipitated by a peti-
tion from an Arab American
group under review proce-
dures for the Generalized
System of Preferences, would
turn into a media circus for
Israel's detractors. Instead,
thanks to the low-key ap-
proach taken by Jewish
groups, including the Anti-
Defamation League of B'nai
B'rith, and the Jewish Labor
Committee — and the support
of a number of U.S. trade
unions, last week's hearings
were a dry and technical af-
fair.
"It all became very legal-
istic," said Nisha Shrier, who
has worked the issue for the
Republican presidential
hopefuls before this year's
primary season began. When
George Bush wrapped up the
nomination, the group was
ready with members in key
posts within the Bush cam-
paign organization.
According to early reports,
the new Democratic group
would operate in much the
same way.
Hyman Bookbinder, the re-
tired Washington represen-
tative of the American Jewish
Committee and the chief Jew-
ish liaison for the Dukakis
campaign, has been a major
advocate for the proposal.
Bookbinder argued that
such a group would add to the
influence of the Jewish com-
munity in the post-election
jockeying that is certain to
take place in the wake of
Dukakis' defeat. "We feel it is
important to have an ongoing
Jewish presence in party
affairs," Bookbinder said.
"Particularly an organized
presence of the type we devel-
oped during the campaign."
Aid To Israel
May Be In
Jeopardy
John Sununu: Clarified
position on Mideast.
American Jewish Committee.
"The big charge was that
Palestinian workers on the
West Bank were not getting
the same benefits as Israeli
workers," "But Israel count-
ered by arguing that the
system provides roughly
parallel benefits for Arab
workers."
A final decision by the
USTR is not expected before
April.
Democrats May
Form Jewish
Coalition
Michael Dukakis's Jewish
campaign team may not be
going home after all.
According to sources here,
members of the candidate's
Jewish campaign council are
on the verge of establishing a
permanent committee that
would operate much like the
National Jewish Coalition on
the GOP side.
The coalition, organized as
an outgrowth of the first
Reagan-Bush campaign, had
close ties with a number of
Speculation about the
evolving shape of the new ad-
ministration is not the only
show in town. A growing
undercurrent here involves a
looming fight over the federal
budget. The fireworks —
which should begin soon after
Congress reconvenes in Jan-
uary — could have a dramatic
effect on Israel.
Under continuing Gramm-
Rudman budget constraints,
Shoshana Bryen, director of
the Jewish Institute for Na-
tional Security Affairs, said,
foreign aid has been slashed
to the point where it will be
very difficult to find any more
places to cut without lowering
funds earmarked for Israel
and Egypt, the primary reci-
pients of foreign aid.
"There are a number of
countries where it's in our
strategic interests to main-
tain high levels of aid," Bryen
said. "The most reasonable
thing to do would be to argue
for more foreign aid in gen-
eral, as a critical part of U.S.
foreign policy. But historical-
ly, people don't like to give
away American money."
Bryen declined to predict a
cut in Israel's $3 billion
allocation — although she
agreed that pressure on that
allocation would be intense.
It will be almost impossible