YES , "THERE REALLY IS A ROSLYN!" American Attitudes Have Also Changed A rethinking of the Palestinian question is also taking place among American Jewry as a result of the Persian Gulf War. "The mood is a harder line toward the Palestinians since they sided with Saddam Hussein," said Ronald B. Weitz- man, Baltimore regional president of the Zionist Organization of America. "I'm finding that more people are saying that maybe we shouldn't be so quick to condemn the Israeli govern- ment when it takes a tougher position on the issue," he said. American Jewry appears to have shifted its position on two key points relating to the Palestinian issue, Jew- ish leaders and observers around the nation said in interviews: There is less support for pushing Is- rael into a compromise not to its liking, including acceptance of the Palestine Liberation Organization as the legiti- mate representative of the Palestinian people. And there is more support for Isra- el's insistence that any discussions concerning Palestinian autonomy be held in conjunction with bilateral peace talks between Israel and its neighboring Arab states. "I think few American Jews now be- lieve the Middle East peace process re- ally does have to start with the Pales- tinian issue," said Martin Raffel, Isra- el task force director for the National Jewish Community Relations Adviso- ry Council. "I think the American Jewish main- stream before this war was moving toward the belief that it was the Israeli government that was most intran- sigent on this issue," said Peter Edelman, co-chair of Americans For Peace Now, which has been highly crit- ical of Jerusalem's past handling of the Palestinian question. "At least in the short run, the war has turned this around," he said. To a large degree, the shifts in Amer- ican Jewish thinking appear to be a di- rect result of the anger and revulsion felt by many toward the wholesale Pal- estinian embracing of Saddam Hus- sein's Scud missile attacks on Israeli cities, those interviewed said. This sentiment is most striking among those on the liberal-left end of the American Jewish spectrum, those who in the past maintained — and gen- erally still do — that territorial com- promise and Palestinian self- determination is in Israel's long-term interest. "I'm furious with the demonstra- tions in support of Iraq, with the exal- tation of Saddam Hussein that we've seen among the Palestinian people and leadership," said Albert Vorspan, di- rector of the Union of American Hebrew Congregation's Commission on Social Action. "I'm disgusted with (Palestinian) moral blindness and stupidity," added Michael Lerner, editor of the liberal Jewish bi-monthly magazine Tikkun. But in addition to anger, some of those interviewed said their thinking about the Palestine issue has also been altered by what they perceive to be a new Middle East dynamic resulting from the war. The new dynamic, they explained, is Israel's unexpected alignment with Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Syria and other Arab states against Iraq. Mr. Lerner, for one, said this turn of events was the basis of his "willingness to consider support for" Israeli Prime Minister Yitzchak Sha- mir's insistence that parallel talks with Arab nations accompany any discus- sion with Palestinians. Prior to the Gulf crisis, Mr. Lerner said he viewed the prime minister's stand as an "an obstructionist ploy" because of the scant likelihood at the time that Arab leaders, whose nations are technically still at war with Israel, would actually talk with Israeli offi- cials. But the Gulf war, he said, has made direct talks between Israel and the Arab members of the anti-Iraq coali- tion "very possible," Mr. Lerner said. The shifts in American Jewish think- ing may well signal a move to the right. But Baltimore Rabbi Mark Loeb, a leader in the city's Americans For Peace Now chapter, and others, stressed that this new attitude in no way approaches the surge to the right evident among Israelis. "American Jews may be upset at seeing Palestinian support for Saddam Hussein, but they are nowhere near ready to even consider supporting transfer," said Rabbi Loeb, spiritual leader of the Conservative Beth El Congregation. "American Jews remain aghast at the notion," he said. ❑ Ira Rifkin who cares how you look and feel in your clothes all day long. Just because you wear that perfect on-the--job look, it doesn't mean you're strictly 9 to 5 underneath. Come in and be fitted by a staff of experts who will solve your necessities, be it a petticoat length or a special bra. We'll keep you feeling strictly feminine 9 to 5 or 5 to 9. Don't forget we have the perfect swimsuit for you, too! WE ENJOY SHOPPING WITH YOU! 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