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28
FRIDAY, MARCH 10, 1989
Some Of Israel's Supporters
Complaining Of Flat Response
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
I
srael's position in the
arena of American public
opinion continues to
erode, some of its staunchest
supporters on Capitol Hill are
privately complaining about
a flat response from the
Jewish grass roots.
Some senators and con-
gressmen have reported a
sharp increase in constituent
mail critical of Israel,
especially since the recent
State Department human
rights report that chastised
the Jerusalem government
for its handling of the Palesti-
nian disorders.
Several senators' staffers
privately revealed that mail
is running strongly against
Israel — in some cases as high
as 8-to-1 against Israel's
policies in the occupied
territories.
But the staff of a Jewish
congressman suggested that
the drop in mail supportive of
Israel has been part of a
broader decrease in mail
about the Middle East. "It's
old news, in a way," this
source said. "What we seem
to be hearing from consti-
tuents is that they're tried
and frustrated by the whole
thing."
According to some pro-
Israel activists, the lack of
response from the Jewish
community reflects confusion
and uncertainty over Israel's
policies in the Middle East.
"Frankly, people are in a kind
of moral paralysis," said one
top pro-Israel lobbyist here.
"People just don't know what
to write in defense of Israel."
The drop in pro-Israel mail
comes at a time when Con-
gress is taking up the foreign
aid budget and in the wake of
Israel's public relations pro-
blems resulting from the
human rights report.
"It's human nature that
unless people see a crisis,
they don't respond," said
Malcolm Hoenlein, director of
the Conference of Presidents
of Major Jewish Organiza-
tions. "And in part we just
haven't reached out to
mobilize them. The Arab
community is doing that in a
very intensive way."
Temple Youth
Argues For
Pro-Choice
More and more, pro-choice
activists are watching the
Supreme Court, where briefs
in the Reproductive Health
Services v. Webster case are
due this week. Several Jewish
groups are participating in
the Religious Coalition for
Abortion Rights amicus brief;
developed in large measure
by the American Jewish
Committee.
Jewish members of both
houses are playing a leading
role; on the House side, the ef-
Metzenbaum: Leading role.
'fort is being spearheaded by
Rep. Bill Green, (R-N.Y.),
along with Rep. Don Edwards,
(D-Calif.). On the other side of
the Capitol, Sen. Howard
Metzenbaum, (D-Ohio), a
senior member of the Jewish
senate contingent, is taking
the lead, along with Sen. Bob
Packwood, (R-Ore.).
But according to some
reports, promoters of the Con-
gressional brief have en-
countered unexpected
resistance in collecting
signatures.
And last weekend, the
North American Federation
of Temple Youth emphasized
the pro-choice argument
when it weighed in with
House and Senate staffs.
"They came away ecstatic,"
said a spokesman for the
group. "They really felt they
accomplished something and
learned something about the
way the system works."
Budget May Not
Create 'Kinder
Gentler Nation'
i-n
Jewish
groups
Washington are starting to
poke into the dark corners of
the new budget proposed by
President George Bush.
And what some groups are
finding is something less
than the "kinder, gentler na-
tion" promised by the new
administration.
Generally, Jewish groups
applauded the administra-
tion's request for a substan-
tial increase in money for the
homeless. But there was con-
cern about cuts in education
programs, including pro-
grams for disadvantaged
children and the handicap-
ped, and possible cuts in
Medicaid payment rates to
states that could result in
decreases in nursing home
reimbursements.
In a detailed analysis of the
budget, Steve Silbiger,
Washington representative
for the American Jewish Con-
gress, said rhetoric, the
budget will cut some $20
billion in domestic programs
and leave defense spending at
current levels.
"The real point here is that
it doesn't add up," Silbiger
said. "Unless you get a tax
bill, there are going to
substantial cuts in all sorts of
programs. While we may
squeeze by this year,,the lack
of a tax bill will have a
dramatic effect next year
across the board, including in
the foreign aid budget."
Irving Kristol
Spruces Up
Quayle's Image
Vice President Dan Quayle
has an image problem in the
Jewish community, according
Kristol: 'Not well known'
to some of his- supporters.
But all that will change, if
William Kristol has anything
to say about it. Kristol, son of
leading Jewish neoconser-
vative Irving Kristol and
former top aide to William
Bennett when he was educa-
tion secretary, has joined
Quayle's staff as assistant to
the vice president for
domestic policy.
"Basically, the Vice Presi-
dent's ties to the Jewish com-
munity have always been
stronger than people realize,"