INSIDE WASHINGTON hilsum's misses & misses petites contemporary fashions WINTER & HOLIDAY CLEARANCE SALE Save Up To 75% On a wonderful selection of petite & misses fashions • Dresses • Sportswear TAKE AN ADDITIONAL 10% OFF ANY PURCHASE With this Coupon • Expires January 14, 1989 Prior Sales & Layaways Excluded HARVARD ROW MALL 11 MILE & LAHSER 354-4560 Tues. & Wed. 10-6 Mon. & Thurs. 10-8 Fri. & Sat. 10-6 o owl HERE'S THE I GAME PLAN I 40 Centerpieces I O'Decorations cf7Partyware 0•Balloons 0•And Much More! 6,t1 FARMINGTON HILLS 28946 Orchard Lake Rd. 855-3636 FRIDAY, JANUARY 6, 1989 JAMES D. BESSER Washington Correspondent 0 fficials at B'nai B'rith headquarters in Washington were pat- ting themselves on the back last week after the group's unprecedented foray into the Soviet Union. After months of behind-the- scenes work by Dan Mariaschin, the group's fast- moving public affairs director, a delegation of B'nai B'rith leaders visited Moscow and met with Soviet officials on a , wide range of issues. The most dramatic result was the - opening of a 38-member B'nai B'rith unit in Moscow, the first time an international Jewish organi- zation has had an official presence within the Soviet Union. The group also propos- ed the establishment of a per- manent B'nai B'rith office in the Soviet Union. The group, which included B'nai B'rith president Seymour Reich, Mariaschin, Thomas Neumann, and repre- sentatives of several key B'nai B'rith programs, also discussed the current U.S.- Palestine Liberation Oorganization initiative, the pressing need for rabbis for Jews remaining in the Soviet Union and Pamyat, the ultra- nationalistic Soviet group im- plicated in recent outbreaks of anti-Semitism. "It was important that we raised these issues in the way we did," said Mariaschin. "We talked directly to the Soviet ministries concerned with these questions — which made it more likely that our views would be a part of the mix that eventually results in new Soviet policies." Israeli Info Officer Mending U.S. Fences SOUTHFIELD 27831 Southfield Rd. 557-8152 HOURS: MON. thru FRI. 10 to 7 • SAT. 10 to 6•SUN. 10 to 4 26 42nd B'nai B'rith Chapter Opens In The Soviet Union It's been an agonizing year for the staff of the Israeli em- bassy in Washington, beginn- ing with the early rounds of the intifada and ending with the U.S. opening to the P.L.O. But at least in one area, there has been a significant change. David Peleg, the em- bassy's new information minister, has moved quickly to restore lines of communica- tion with Jewish groups around the country, and especially with the small corps of Washington repre- sentatives of the major Jewish organizations. "He came in at a very dif- ficult time, with the Israeli elections and the 'Who is a Jew' issue," said one official with a -big Jewish organiza- tion here. "And, frankly, he came at a time when the em- bassy was under a lot of criticism for ignoring the organized Jewish community in this country. In three months, he's mended a lot of fences." Three months ago, Jewish representatives were fre- quently squabbling with the embassy over requests for in- formation; today, they are receiving updates almost on a daily basis. Peleg is a 46-year-old career diplomat who has served as counselor for information in London and as a personal aide to Simcha Dinitz. He has been in the foreign ministry for 23 years. "My most important role is to coordinate Israeli infor- mation activities in Wash- ington," Peleg said. "I am very concerned about strengthening the good rela- tions that exist now between Israel, the embassy here, and the Jewish organizations. A major part of my job is to look for new avenues of friend- ship." Activists Meet With Greek Ambassador Jewish representatives fac- ed off with the Greek am- bassador last week over its re- cent refusal to extradite to Italy a Palestinian suspected of participating in a 1982 at- tack on a Rome synagogue. "It . was not a satisfactory meeting," said David Harris, Washington representative of the American Jewish Com- mittee. "We made it very clear we were not satisfied by the explanations offered by the ambassador. We urged the ambassador to convey our shock and dismay to his government in Athens, and he indicated that he would." But the Jewish activists who met with Ambassador George Papoulias were also mindful of another impen- ding extradition case: Greece is considering an American request to extradite Moham- med Rashid, who has been ac- cused of participation in the 1986 bombing of a TWA flight from Rome to Athens. Four Americans died in that incident. Also attending the meeting were representatives of the David Harris: `We were not satisfied.' Anti-Defamation League of the B'nai B'rith and the In- ternational Council of the B'nai B'rith. Meanwhile, Rep. Larry Smith (D-Fla.) was busy last week preparing a "sense of the Congress" resolution urg- ing the Greek government to honor their extradition obligations in the Rashid case. Job Changes Bring Same Faces Things may be quiet on Capitol Hill during the lull between administrations, but action on the job-hunting front is hot and heavy, both in government and in Washing- ton's sprawling non-profit sector. Chris Gersten, executive director of the conservative National Jewish Coalition, will be leaving his post soon — hopefully for a job in the in- coming Bush administration. Gersten reportedly is inter- ested in a position in the State Department. According to sources in the Bush camp, there will be no decision on a position for Gersten until mid-January, when James Baker takes the reins at the State Department. Another rumored appoint- ment involves Robert H. Pelletreau Jr., the U.S. am- bassador to Tunisia and sole link between Washington and the PLO. Pelletreau is at the top of the list of replacements for Richard Murphy, assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs. Pro-Israel lobbyists regard the 26-year foreign service veteran with mixed feelings; according to several sources, he is a hard-working profes- sional diplomat who has very