INSIDE WASHINGTON
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
Anti-Duke Delegation
Seeks Jewish Support
Tulane University and the
vice-chair of the Louisiana
Coalition against Racism
and Nazism. "We're meeting
with labor groups and Jew-
ish organizations, trying to
heighten awareness about
David Duke, and what his
campaign means."
Duke, Powell stressed, has
been underestimated since
he entered the campaign
against incumbent Sen. J.
Bennett Johnston.
"He's running much
stronger than anybody ex-
pected. It's likely he will
draw Johnston into a runoff.
We don't want to see him es-
tablish legitimate political
credentials. But regardless
The delegation made stops
at the offices of a number of
Jewish groups, where they
discussed the delicate ques-
tion of how the Jewish com-
munity should respond to
the Duke phenomenon.
"Basically, we're trying to
raise money and raise con-
cern," said Lawrence
Powell, a history professor at
of what we do, he is going to
come out of this stronger
than we'd like."
Jewish groups, Powell
said, are in a particularly
difficult position when it
comes to the stop-Duke
movement.
"They're obviously con-
cerned," he said. "But it's
delicate; you don't want to
create a sympathy backlash
by bringing in a lot of out-
side people. You're dealing
with some very angry, al-
ienated people; Duke has
given them a legitimate
mechanism for venting those
feelings. You have to be
careful you don't entrench
that."
Jews Played Major Role
In Civil Rights Victory
Jewish groups here won a
major victory when the
Senate passed the Civil
Rights Act of 1990 after
some of the most
acrimonious debate in recent
memory.
Passage came despite
behind-the-scenes activity
by one Jewish group, the
Union of Orthodox Jewish
Congregations of America,
which opposed key parts of
the bill — and worked with
representatives of Vice Pres-
ident Dan Quayle to
discourage the administra-
tion from accepting the
Senate version.
The bill is designed to
reverse a series of recent
Supreme Court decisions
that make it more difficult
for employees to prove dis-
crimination cases against
their employers.
Backers of the bill, in-
cluding the American Jew-
ish Committee, the National
Council of Jewish Women,
the American Jewish Con-
gress, the Union of Ameri-
can Hebrew Congregations
and the Anti-Defamation
League also pressed hard for
language that would
equalize the treatment of
discrimination based on
race, ethnic origin, gender
and religion.
Business groups had ob-
jected to the measure be-
cause of its inclusion of com-
pensatory damages for vic-
tims of discrimination, and
because of concerns that it
would force employers to
adopt a de facto system of
quotas.
The administration tried
to use the quota issue to
knock Jewish organizations,
particularly the Anti-
Defamation League, off the
bill.
The strategy backfired; be-
cause ADL and the Ameri-
can Jewish Committee had
special credibility on the
quota issue, their steadfast
support for the legislation
became a major plus for
backers of the measure and
contributed to the successful
Senate vote.
.
And the Senate adopted
language explicitly stating
that the bill was not intend-
ed to create a quota system.
Sources with the Orthodox
Union indicated that while
they support the idea of a
new civil rights bill, they
continue to worry about the
possibility of inadvertent
quotas, and that the bill does
not contain "religious ac-
commodations" language
designed to protect Sabbath-
observing Jews, among
others, from job discrimina-
tion.
The action now shifts to
the House, which was due to
begin work on the civil
rights measure this week.
B'nai B'rith Interracial
Project To Be Launched
B'nai B'rith International
is putting the final touches
on a program designed to
delve into the growing rift
between blacks and Jews.
The big international
organization is getting set to
announce a National Center
for Black-Jewish Relations
of B'nai B'rith.
"What we want to focus on
is the next generation of
black-Jewish relations,"
said Tom Neumann, B'nai
B'rith's executive vice-
president. "We want to take
a closer look at the problems
that exist — but also look for
creative ways to foster better
relationships."
The institute, Neumann
said, will consist of some 50
Jewish members, including
a deputy mayor of New
York, the New York at-
torney general, and a long
list of scholars, Jewish
leaders and local and state
officials.
Neumann envisions active
programs on college cam-
puses, where anti-Semitism
and racism are growing at
alarming rates, and educa-
tional programs designed to
teach children the lessons of
tolerance.
Early plans also call for an
expansion of the "Mickey
Leland Kibbutz Internship"
program, which exposes
black inner-city children to
kibbutz life in Israel.
The group will also look for
and recognize positive de-
velopments in black-Jewish
relations through its King-
Heschel Award.
Baker-Levy Meeting Set
For Aug. 9 Or 10 Maybe
Last week's announce-
ment that Secretary of State
James Baker would meet
with his new Israeli
counterpart, David Levy, in
Washington next month
capped a week of hectic ac-
tivity for State Department
planners.
The two were scheduled to
meet in Paris last week, but
the meeting was canceled
because of Levy's recent
heart attack.
By midweek, the State
Department was trying to
figure out how to arrange a
meeting here in Washing-
ton, which Levy was known
to favor.
But there were two prob-
lems First, despite a strong
desire by top State Depart-
ment officials — including
Secretary of State James
Baker — to be working with
Levy, there was also a
fear of appearing too eager
for a meeting at a time when
the administration was lean-
ing hard on the Shamir
government to move forward
on the peace process.
Another factor was more
mundane; Baker was
scheduled to be in Washing-
ton for only five days in
August. The Levy meeting
had to be shoehorned into
that narrow slot.
By Friday, the State
.
Department was ready to
announce a concrete plan —
almost. Baker and Levy will
meet on August 9 or 10 in
Washington.
But the proposed Levy-
Baker meeting will not be
the first top-level visit from
an official of the new Israeli
government. Last week,
Defense Minister Moshe
Arens was in town for a
quiet meeting with Defense
Secretary Richard Cheney.
Arens remains a popular
figure at the Pentagon; even
while tensions continue
between the administration
and Prime Minister Yitzhak
Shamir, the Cheney-Arens
connection was seen as pro-
viding a degree of balance to
the troubled relationship
between the two countries.
The meeting's primary
topic — the Arrow missile
program, a joint develop-
ment project under the U.S.
"star wars" umbrella — also
had symbolic importance.
Increasingly, Israeli officials
'lave worried that the end of
the Cold War would knock
the wind out of U.S.-Israeli
joint military projects.
Last week's Arens-Cheney
meeting confirmed continu-
ing U.S. support for the
Arrow despite the thaw in
East-West relations.
Tributes To Moshe Arad
Are Already In Works
Israeli ambassador Moshe
Arad hasn't even officially
been replaced yet, but al-
ready Jewish groups are
planning tributes to the
amiable diplomat who has
faced one of the most daun-
ting jobs imaginable.
The Conference of Presi-
dents of Major American
Jewish Organizations is
planning a September
tribute to Arad, who is due
to be replaced in the next
few months — probably by
Zalman Shoval.
Some Jewish activists
have argued that Arad's
reputation was hurt by the
fact that he represented a
divided government. ❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
35
NAT I O N AL
A
group of leading op-
ponents of David
Duke were in town
last week, looking for ways
to broaden the coalition that
is lining up to stop the
former Ku Klux Klanner's
surprisingly effective bid for
a seat in the U.S. Senate.