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New
Finessing The
Expulsions
When Israel expelled over 400 Hamas activists,
Nimrod Barkan began earning his salary in the
United States the hard way.
JAMES D. BESSER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT
F
or a while, Nimrod
Barkan's timing look-
ed perfect: He arrived
in Washington as
Israel's new information
minister smack in the mid-
dle of the U.S.-Israeli
honeymoon sparked by
Prime Minister Yitzhak
Rabin's election last June.
But then came Israel's re-
cent expulsion of more than
400 Hamas activists. And
with it, Israel was again put
on the defensive — and Mr.
Barkan began earning his
salary the hard way.
Since the expulsions, Mr.
Barkan, 40, has mobilized
Israel's 10 consulates in the
United States — and Jewish
organizations — to get the
message out about the
reasons behind the Rabin
government's hardline ac-
tion.
"The point we are trying to
make," he said, "is that
Hamas seriously threatens
the stability of the entire
Mideast, not just Israel."
Mr. Barkan also assesses
for his superiors at the For-
eign Ministry in Jerusalem
how the crisis is playing out
with the American public.
He declined to elaborate on
the advice he is sending to
Jerusalem, but he indicated
that he believes the public
relations damage caused by
the expulsions, while seri-
ous, is not very deep.
Mr. Barkan is impressed
with the American Jewish
community's reaction to the
crisis. The United Nations'
resolution condemning
Israel for the expulsions, he
said, "reinvigorated" Jewish
efforts on Israel's behalf be-
cause the measure did not
weigh the threat posed by
Hamas.
Since he believes that
U.S.-Israel relations are de-
termined by economics and
common values, not by
international politics, his
first priority is to encourage
economic partnerships bet-
ween U.S. Jewish com-
munities and Israel. The
embassy in Washington and
its consulates around the
country, he said, will put a
greater emphasis on Israel's
economic development and
the role various Jewish
communities can play in it.
Baltimore's successful
economic partnership pro-
gram, he said, should be a
model for communities
around the country.
Mr. Barkan also wants to
assure that such minority
groups as blacks and
Hispanics "are not cut off_
from Israel." He especially
wants these groups to know
about the positive aspects of
the U.S.-Israel relationship
and that it can positively af-
fect the everyday lives of
non-Jewish Americans.
In particular, he said,
minority groups in the U.S.
can use Israeli economic de-
velopment programs as
models for similar programs
in their own communities.
Additionally, he wants to
convince the Jewish corn=
munity that the Rabin z
Barkan says the
expulsions' PR
damage is not very
deep.
government intends to
decrease the level of confron-<
tation with Washington.
"We don't need to fight -)
with the United States," he ,
said. "Because of what has
happened in the last few
years, it is difficult for some
Jewish organizations to<
understand that."
Mr. Barkan, who served i<
long apprenticeship in the
foreign service in places like
Cairo and Philadelphia and
taught history and interna-
tional relations at Tel Aviv
University, is also Israel's
Consul-General fo_7_-_(
Maryland, Virginia and the
District of Columbia. He (
plans to be especially visible
in Baltimore.
"The Jewish community in
Baltimore is particularly)
important to us," he sai.(- _•_)
"Its close-knit community
has been very strong in its
support for Israel." ❑