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30
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1989
State Report Criticizing Israel
May Give Arabs Ammunition
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
W
ill the recent State
Department report
blasting the Israeli
government for human rights
abuses in the occupied ter-
ritories affect Israel's stan-
ding on Capitol Hill?
Sources here suggested that
the report is unlikely to have
a dramatic impact on Con-
gress — at least in the short
term.
But there was a widespread
expectation that the report
will provide added fuel for
Arab-American groups, which
have been increasingly effec-
tive in using Israel's handling
of the disorders as a political
weapon.
"Increasingly, this is a bat-
tle being waged before
American public opinion,"
said one leading pro-Israel ac-
tivist here. "It would be ex-
tremely foolish to assume
that this will have no conse-
quences."
At hearings last week.
State Department human
rights chief Richard Schifter
attempted to blunt the im-
pact of the report. Under in-
tense questioning, Schifter
agreed that a kind of double-
standard was in effect for
Israel. Because of Israel's
status as a democracy,
Schifter said, "higher stan-
dards are being set in the case
of Israel than are set
elsewhere."
On Capitol Hill, most
members reacted cautiously
to the report. Despite critical
comments to the New York
Times by Rep. David R. Obey
(D-Wis.), and Sen. Patrick J.
Leahy (D- Vt.), who both play
a major role in the foreign aid
process, there were few signs
that the report will play a
significant role in the upcom-
ing foreign aid bill, the first
real challenge for pro-Israel
activists in the new Congress.
According to staffers for
several major pro-Israel
legislators, the fact that the
American Jewish leaders re-
jected pleas from Israeli
leaders to condemn the report
gives some badly needed
credibility to the pro-Israel
community in Washington.
"The worst thing that could
have happened would have
been for the American Jewish
leaders to rubber stamp
everything the Israelis had to
say about the human rights
report," said one Capitol Hill
source. "They didn't do that;
they didn't back down, and
that's going to give Israel's
supporters in Congress a lit-
tle more to work with."
Jewish Groups
Seeking Support
For Family Leave
A number of Jewish groups
have been hard at work in the
opening days of the new Con-
gress, lining up support for a
renewed attempt to pass a
"family medical leave" act, a
bill mandating job-protected
unpaid leave for workers who
need to care for sick or newly
arrived children or ailing
parents.
"This is one of our highest
priorities," said Sammie
Moshenberg, Washington
representative for the Na-
tional Council of Jewish
Women. "Over 50 percent of
American women are in the
workplace, and yet there's ab-
solutely no accommodation
for the fact that these women
are also expected to be
caregivers to their families.
When they give birth or adopt
a child, or take care of ill
parents, they put their jobs in
jeopardy. This just isn't right."
Moshenberg pointed out
that the current family
medical leave proposals —
which are opposed vigorously
by major employer groups like
the Chamber of Commerce —
are not "benefits," but simp-
ly a different form of fair
labor standard. Despite
claims by the Chamber, the
measure would cost relative-
ly few taxpayer dollars,
Moshenberg said.
Currently, Congress is tak-
ing up a House bill sponsored
by Rep. Pat Schroeder, (D-
Colo.), Rep. Bill Clay, (D-Mo.),
and Rep. Marge Roukema, (R-
N.J.) In the Senate, a similar
measure is being pushed by
Sen. Chris Dodd, (D-Conn.).
Tax Reform
Could Affect
Gift Shops
Could synagogue gift shops
be forced to pay taxes on their
"profits?" That's only one
wrinkle of an issue currently
on the move in a Congress
preoccupied by the monumen-
tal budget deficit.
The Unrelated Business In-
come Tax, (UBIT) is a pro-
posal designed to tax non-
profit organizations on the
money-making activities on
which many depend.
"Since the tax reform act of
1986, which eliminated the
non-itemizers deduction and
lowered rates, there has been
a reduction in contributions
to non-profits," said Steven
Silbiger, Washington
representative for the
American Jewish Congress.
"This would affect every
synagogue senior citizens pro-
gram that makes money,
every synagogue gift shop. It
would affect girl scout troops
that make money on their
sales. If it's passed, it would
knock out a few of George
Bush's 'points of light.' "
Last year, the UBIT ques-
tion was stuck in the House
Ways and Means Committee,
with every indication that it
was destined to go nowhere
fast.
But in the new Congress,
with the budget deficit sud-
denly a matter of overwhelm-
ing concern, there are signs
that the proposal is picking
up support. A long list of
Jewish groups are poised to
fight the proposal — in-
cluding such diverse
organizations as the
American Jewish Congress
and Agudath Israel of
America.
The proposal is being cham-
pioned by Rep. J.J. Pickle, (D-
Texas). There are indications
that Pickle may have sold the
bill to the powerful Ways and
Means chairman, Dan
Rostenkowski, (D-I11.).
Morrison Is
New Player
In Immigration -
A quiet coup in a House
subcommittee may have im-
portant implications for
Jewish activists here.
Rep. Bruce Morrison, (D-
Conn.), is the new head of the
subcommittee on Immigra-
tion, Refugees and Interna-
tional Law in the Judiciary
Committee — a position that
makes him a major player in
a number of hot issues for the
Jewish community.
Morrison replaces Rep.
Romano L. Mazzoli, (D-Ky.),
who was ousted in a secret
vote by fellow Democrats con-
cerned about what they
perceived as Mazzoli's ex-
cessive friendliness with the
Republican minority. During
the recent presidential cam-
paign, Mazzoli, who has been
in the thick of controversies
surrounding the handling of
Soviet Jewish refugees seek-
ing entry to the United
States, was seen as less than
supportive of the Democratic
front runner.
The committee is expected