I INSIDE WASHINGTON
Immmm'Imm.
Jewish Groups Accept
Arms Sale To Saudis
JAMES D. BESSER
Washington Correspondent
T
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grumbled about the big price
tag of the sale but quickly
sent out signals that there
would be no serious opposi-
tion to the proposal, which
can move forward if Con-
gress does not pass a resolu-
tion of disapproval in 30
days.
"Clearly, this does not rep-
resent the same threat level fmt
as some of the advanced air -
equipment," said a top pro-
Israel lobbyist in Washing-
ton. "The American Jewish
community is not reflexively
against any and all arms
sales. On the other hand,
there clearly are sales that
are destabilizing and which am
significantly escalate the
Middle East arms race."
Other pro-Israel activists •
suggested that with a
number of other volatile
Middle East-related issues
hanging in the balance, now
is not the time to take a
stand on a relatively innocu-
ous Saudi sale.
1
a
Texas Jewish Dems
Flex Political Muscle
MATHEW BOROVOY, D.P.M.
BOARD CERTIFIED IN FOOT & ANKLE SURGERY
he recent U.S.-led
effort to limit the arms
race in the Middle
East ended in failure — in
part because of the suspicion
among other nations that
Washington is reluctant to
limit its own lucrative par-
ticipation in the interna-
tional arms bazaar.
Last week, the administra-
tion punctuated that argu-
ment by officially notifying
Congress of a new $1.8
billion arms sale to Saudi
Arabia.
The sale will include anti-
tank missiles, trucks,
medical evacuation
helicopters and various
parts and maintenance
items for the Saudi air force
— but not the 72 advanced
F-15 warplanes that have
been the subject of specula-
tion for months.
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Four years ago, the - con-
frontation over Palestinian
rights at the Democratic Na-
tional Convention spurred a
wave of grass-roots activity
designed to bolster the pro-
Israel presence at every
level of the party.
Last weekend, that new
party activism paid big divi-
dends: A powerful Jewish
delegation at the Texas
Democratic convention
turned aside a series of
hostile platform provisions
after a compromise between
pro-Israel and pro-Arab
forces broke down.
The earlier compromise
was designed to prevent a
contentious floor battle over
the Middle East. As part of
that compromise, pro-Israel
groups agreed to forsake a
paragraph restating
longstanding U.S. commit-
ment to Israel based on the
shared democratic values of
the two countries.
The agreement also pro-
hibited active politicking on
Middle East questions or the
introduction of additional
resolutions.
But on Saturday, groups
supporting the Palestinian
cause began distributing
leaflets blasting Israel's re-
quest for $10 billion in loan
guarantees, according to
Steve Gutow, executive di-
sml
rector of the Washington-
based National Jewish
Democratic Council, and a
founder of Texans for Justice
and Freedom, the group that
mobilized last week's pro-
Israel muscle flexing.
Pro-Arab delegates, claim-
ing that it was the pro-Israel
forces who had violated the
compromise, then put for-
ward four resolutions pro-
moting their view of the
Middle East. Those resolu-
gri
•
Last weekend, that
new party activism
paid big dividends.
tions were soundly defeated.
More importantly, delegates
revived the provision affirm-
ing the importance of the
U.S.-Israeli relationship.
The difference this time
around, Mr. Gutow said, was
the grass-roots effort that . ,
resulted in a significant
Jewish presence at the con-
vention.
"I was viscerally excited
by what happened," he said.
"Four years ago, there were
only twenty of us; last
weekend, there were almost
600 Jews, from every Senate
district in the state. And
these are people whose in-
volvement in the party is
only beginning."