POLITICS
Friendly
Foe?
John Conyers has his own view of Middle
East peace which often puts him at odds
with Detroit's Jewish community
MARVIN WANETIK
Special to The Jewish News
ohn Conyers, Jr., the 12-
term Congressman from
Detroit's northwest side,
has a reputation as a
maverick. According to
Michael Barone in the Almanac of
American Politics, Conyers' only
criteria for choosing sides on an issue
are his own principles. "He opposes
anything he regards an infringement
on civil liberties, and is not afraid to
stand against a tide of opinion!'
Congressmen are not always
noted for this particular type of
courage, but the demographics of
Michigan's First District give Conyers
considerable license to go his own
way. Over 70 percent black and even
more heavily Democratic, the district
routinely returns Conyers to Con-
gress every two years with less than
token opposition. Assured of his
future, Conyers could afford to be an
early opponent of the Vietnam War,
a tireless supporter of civil rights, a
leader in the movement to erect sanc-
tions against South Africa, and even
to chair the impeachment procedures
against Alycee Hastings, a black
federal judge in Florida who charged
his accusers of racism. Conyers' con-
demnation of Hastings made im-
peachment possible.
His seniority has paid off with the
chairmanship of the criminal justice
subcommittee of the House Judiciary
Committee, where he has fought to
reform the Criminal Justice code and
protect civil rights.
Conyers' maverick proclivities
have been nowhere more evident than
in his voting record on Israel and Mid-
dle Eastern issues. He stood against
the majority in his party and the Con-
gress by opposing the closing of the
Palestinian Liberation Organization's
offices in New York and Washington.
He has refused to oppose arms sales
to Saudi Arabia and other Arab na-
tions, and has often voted against
foreign aid bills which included im-
portant aid for Israel.
On these issues, Conyers has also
stood against a substantial majority
of Michigan's congressional delega-
tion, and this has been a constant
source of anguish for supporters of
Israel.
"He's the most hostile anti-Israel
member of the Michigan Congres-
sional delegation, pro-PLO and
always toeing the line!" says Ezekiel
Leikin, executive vice president of the
Zionist Organization of America's
Detroit District. David Lebenbom,
former president of the Jewish Com-
munity Council and current vice-
chair of the National Jewish Com-
munity Relations Advisory Council,
says, "He's generally been very un-
sympathetic to our lobbying on the
issue."
Louis Panush has been a long-
time activist in support of Israel. "I
get so angry with Conyers. His posi-
tions are almost always the opposite
of people like Congressman Sandor
Levin and Governor James Blan-
chard?' Panush, a Southfield resident,
is honorary national vice chair of the
Zionist Organization of America, and
makes it his own special task to main-
tain a correspondence with the
Michigan congressional delegation.
"I always get negative answers
back from Conyers, anti-Israel and for
the creation of a Palestinian state. I
stopped writing to him at least a year
ago."
The congressman has also been a
frequent participant in Palestinian
meetings and rallies in Detroit.
Conyers responds both
philosophically and angrily to
negative views of his record on the
Middle East. "Foreign affairs issues
are often subject to great distortions
of accuracy," he observed, "and this is
especially true when the issues
involve the passions that are raised by
religious, ethnic or tribal conflict.
However, it is a gross canard for
anyone to say or imply that my intent
is to weaken the military security of
Israel. Israel is our greatest friend in
that region of the world, a democracy
like us, and U.S. foreign policy should
work to maintain the State of Israel!'
Larry Horwitz, a former board
member of the Detroit chapter of the
American Jewish Committee and a
delegate to the Jewish Community
Council, was Congressman Conyerg'
first administrative assistant, from
1965 through 1971. He was succeeded
by another Jewish aide, Neil Kotler,
and the present administrative
assistant, Julian Epstein, is also
Jewish.
"From the beginning," says
Horwitz, who is executive vice
president of the Detroit Economic
Growth Corp., "John was most
concerned about Israel's continued
existence. In 1967, when Egypt's
President Nasser ordered the
withdrawal of the United Nations
peace-keeping force in the Sinai,
Conyers was concerned that the
Johnson Administration was not
doing enough to discourage Nasser
from attacking Israel. He not only
signed a letter along with his
colleagues, but made a floor speech
calling for LBJ to take clear and
immediate action to protect Israel the
day the war started."
Conyers and the majority of the
Jewish community may well agree on
the ultimate goal of a secure Israel,
but there is no denying the lack of
agreement on the methods to be used.
For Conyers, security for Israel
can not be obtained only through
military strength. "I believe we need
the recognition of a Palestinian
nation or territory as a way out of
what is currently a no-win situation.
The way to make Israel secure is to
someday make the Middle East a
region without tensions or violence.
"lb accomplish this, we have to
widen the dialogue, both here and in
Israel. I've talked to Knesset
members about this problem, I've
spoken to Arab-American groups. In
1984, while I was chair of the
Congressional Black Caucus, I put
together a meeting between a number
of Jewish leaders and the Caucus
members to discuss the issues, and
I've been trying to put together
another session with larger
participation, but the problem is that
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS 111