INSIDE WASHINGTON FOR A FASHIONABLE FALL OUTLOOK THE BRUCE WEISS Segal's Jewish Peace Lobby Is Making Its Presence Felt CUSTOM-DESIGNED JEWELRY ORIGINAL JEWELRY DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU FJ Let us create an original mounting for your diamond or gemstone. Let us design an original bracelet, pendant, or choker. Let us fashion a pair of elegant, one-of-a-kind earrings. Let us do it now and save 20%. OUR PERSONALIZED SERVICE is unexcelled. We'll do anything to please you. We'll rush your order. We'll make repairs while you wait, if possible. We'll make appraisals instantly. We'll place your selections in layaway, if you wish. At Bruce Weiss, you have it made. SALE ENDS AUGUST 31, 1989 BRUCE WEISS 26325 Twelve Mile Rd. Southfield, Michigan 48034 (313) 353-1424 (S.E. Corner of i ■ velve Mile Rd. Northwestern Hwy.) 10:00-5:30 Mon.-Sat., 10:00-7:30 Thurs. JAMES D. BESSER Washington Correpspondent R ecent congressional action on Middle East matters brought two new groups into the political fray. Friends of Peace Now's Middle East Education Pro- ject, which opened shop here in March, played a role in ef- forts to defeat an amendment to the State Department authorization bill limiting the dialogue with the Palestine Liberation Organization. The group's Washington director, Paul Scham, said that his focus was more on education than on lobbying. "The primary thing I've tried to do is present our group's belief in the absolute necessity of keeping current channels of communication open, and in fact of opening new ones." In addition to its embryonic activities on Capitol Hill, the group is attempting to assem- ble a national network with a special emphasis on college campuses. And the Jewish Peace Lob- by made its lobbying debut in the recent fight over a bill criticizing Israel for closing schools in Gaza and the West Bank. The group is the brainchild of Jerome Segal, the Univer- sity of Maryland scholar whose proposals for a "Peace initiative" by the PLO played a part in the dramatic events last year leading to the open- ing of contacts between this country and the PLO. In recent weeks, the group lobbied hard for a bill by Rep. Howard C. Nielson, R-Utah, which — in its early versions — criticized Israel for the school closings. "I think it was tremendous- ly important legislation," Segal said. "It was the first time the Congress addressed itself directly to the intifada. Implicit was the message that Congress is concerned about some of the methods Israel is using in dealing with the in- tifada." Segal's group presented Congress with a letter- from fifty rabbis supporting Nielson's original school re- opening measure. B'nai B'rith International was quick to blast the new lobbying group. "The Jewish community doesn't need an indigenous organization claiming to speak for Jews, but ad- vocating for a Palestinian state," said Tom Neumann, the group's executive vice president. "Also, these people don't have a history of being advocates for the state of Israel. Where do they come in now, saying Israel has a right to exist, but also advocating for a Palestinian state?" Segal seems undaunted by his critics. "We're organizing local units, with people in 27 states," he said. "We have 125 rabbis who have endorsed us. We have a functioning Washington office. I think we're moving in a pretty good direction." Lieberman In Demand On Kosher Circuit Sen. Joe Lieberman, D- Conn., has become a big draw on the kosher chicken circuit in recent months. Since his election last November, Lieberman, the only Orthodox Jew in the Senate, has been inundated with requests to speak before Jewish audiences. somewhere." At first, Lieberman opted for a low profile — in part to avoid becoming identified ex- clusively by his religion, in part to give him some time to learn the ropes in the Senate. But now, Lieberman is pop- ping up more and more on the Jewish circuit. Recently, he appeared at Lubavitch and Agudath Israel dinners, as well as a yeshivah event in New Jersey. More ap- pearances are in the works. "His being observant at- tracts people," Lewan said. "Jewish groups all over the country want him; right now, the biggest problem we have is saying 'no' kindly." Will Jews Take Heat For New Gun Laws? Sen. Lieberman: More and More "He's in hot demand," said Mike Lewan, Lieberman's chief aide. "A day doesn't go by that a yeshivah, a Chabad group, doesn't want him 28 FRIDAY, AUGUST 4, 1989 Last week the issue of anti- Semitism was injected into the rancorous battle over ef- forts to limit assault weapons. A recent article in the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle criticized Jewish groups for supporting gun control measures. "What I call 'Jewish gun hate' has reached a point that I fear a violent retaliation against Jews — particularly those that publicly denounce the Second Amendment to the Constitution — by hun- dreds of thousands of ex- tremely angry gun owners," wrote Aaron Zelman, a Milwaukee gun dealer. The story, which was reprinted in the national publication Gun Week, went on to mention Sen. Howard Metzenbaum, D-Ohio, who is pushing a stringent anti- assault weapons bill in the Senate. The article was uncovered by a gun control group and passed along to the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism in Washington; the group is in the process of writing a letter to Gun Week. Other Jewish groups are ex- pected to sign on to the letter. An aide to Metzenbaum in- dicated that the article was being reviewed, but insisted that the senator would not be dissuaded by attempts to raise the specter of anti- Semitism.