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34

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1988

Shultz's Denial Of Arafat Visa
Will Put Pressure On Bush

JAMES D. BESSER

Washington Correspondent

T

he announcement that
the United States will
refuse to provide a visa
for Palestine Liberation
Organization chief Yassir
Arafat caught Jewish acti-
vists by surprise.
As late as last Friday — one
day before the State Depart-
ment decision was announced
— activists involved in the
anti-Arafat effort were quiet-
ly predicting that the visa re-
quest would be approved.
The decision came directly
from Secretary of State
George Shultz, who resisted
strong pressure from the staf-
fers in the department's Near
East Bureau, who argued
that a rejection would violate
the United Nation's 1947
Headquarters agreement and
result in international con-
demnation of the U.S.
position.
According to numerous
reports, the decision was
Shultz's alone.
One high State Department
source attributed the decision
to the secretary's desire to
lock the incoming Bush ad-
ministration into a policy of
not negotiating with the PLO.
"This will unquestionably
make it more difficult for
Bush and Jim Baker to turn
around and say, hey, let's
start talking to the PLO," one
source said. "Shultz is han-
ding the ball to his successor
— but there's a spin to it."
There were early signs that
Bush and Baker were less
than pleased with the deci-
sion, but several other close
observers suggest that
Shultz's motives centered
more on the secretary's long-
standing antagonism toward
terrorist organizations, and
the PLO in particular.
Jewish activists generally
applauded the decision,
though several indicated that
they are waiting to see how
the administration responds
to the mounting interna-
tional reaction.

Activists Watch
As Helms View
For Senate Slot

The 1988 crop of senators
arrives in Washington this
week for its orientation, with
new House members coming
in a week later.
But the real action will take
place in the nooks and cran-
nies of the Capitol, where a
number of leadership and
committee decisions will be
made — many of which may
have tremendous significance

for Jewish activists here.
At the top of the list for
Congress-watchers is the
year-long battle to fill the slot
left by Sen. Robert Byrd, (D-
WV.), who is stepping down as
majority leader. Byrd has
often locked horns with the
pro-Israel community.
The fight, which is expected
to be resolved sometime this
week, pits Senate veteran

George Shultz:
A move with a spin;

Daniel Inouye (D-Hawaii)
against two relative
newcomers — Sen. Bennett
Johnston, (D-La.), and Sen.
George J. Mitchell, (D-
Maine). All three are strong
supporters of Israel.
Another Senate realign-
ment may have drastic im-
plications for Jewish "multi-
issue" groups that tradi-
tionally focus on civil liber-
ties and social justice issues.
The Labor and Human Re-
sources Committee, a pivot
point for most social legisla-
tion, has three vacancies. Ac-
cording to numerous Capitol
Hill reports, two of the slots
may be filled by Sen. Jesse
Helms, (R-N.C.), and Sen.
William L. Armstrong, (R-
Colo.), both hard-core
conservatives.
"Helms has been a serious
problem for our issues," said
a legislative specialist for a
major Jewish organization
here. "If this is the way the
committee lines up, I think
we're looking at a difficult
year."

Bush Cabinet
Is Worrisome

In yet another wave of
speculation over the shape of
George Bush's emerging
cabinet, there is talk here
that a Jewish congressman
may be in line for the top post
at the Department of Health
and Human Services.
Rep. Willis D. Gradison, Jr.,
an Ohio Republican, is said to

be on the "short list" for the
HSS job — an appointment
that would not displease
representatives of the
domestically oriented Jewish
groups here.
But a last-minute entry
into the fray may prove to be
a problem for Gradison; last
week, reports surfaced that
the job was also coveted by
Surgeon General C. Everett
Koop.
Pro-Israel activists are less
happy about the continuing
speculation over the top post
at Defense.
For a long time, it has been
expected that Bush would
choose former 'Ibxas senator
John lbwer as secretary. But
the appointment has been
held by ferocious in-fighting
in the Bush transition team
over lbwer's staff, and over
the fact that the lbwer nom-
ination might be hard to sell
to Capitol Hill.
From the pro-Israel perspec-
tive, John Thwer is not look-
ed on with favor.
"He's supported just about
every Arab arms sale," said
one pro-Israel lobbyist, "and
he is closely linked with oil
interests. We've had un-
friendly defense secretaries
before. But this time we won't
have a George Shultz to pro-
vide balance."
Finally, last week's appoint-
ment of Richard G. Darman
as budget director has not
been drawing raves from the
pro-Israel community.
Darman, who is known as a
tough budgetary watchdog,
was — in the words of one pro-
Israel lobbyist — "fairly
unhelpful" during last year's
battle for legislation reliev-
ing Israel of some of its mas-
sive debt burden by restruc-
turing loans through private
banks.

Sununu Role _
Still Opposed

The appointment of New :-
Hampshire governor John
Sununu as chief of staff in the
upcoming Bush administra-
tion may be a "done deed,"
but some Jewish activists
here are still in an uproar
over new information on
Sununu's pro-Arab views.
Last week, Sununu met
with Jewish leaders at a
meeting put together by the
Conference of Presidents of
Major Jewish Organizations.
The meeting was described
by several participants as an
open and blunt exchange;
when the smoke cleared, most
Jewish leaders expressed
satisfaction that the new
chief of staff, who may well
become the most second most