tion Gets Kudos

ress pleased with U.S -
er Middle East dilemma.

KIMBERLY LIFTON STAFF WRITER

strained, if Israel did not
make a gesture to diffuse
the situation.
Israel deported the
Palestinians from the
occupied West Bank and
Gaza to Lebanon in
December after accusing
them of leading the radi-
cal Muslim group,
Hamas, in the killing of
six Israeli soldiers. Leba-
non has not allowed the
deportees further into
the country, leaving
them stranded in tents
in a deserted strip of
rocky territory.

Deportees pray
at their make-
shift camp in
Lebanon.

"We are gratified
that both govern-
ments are open to
compromise."

— Robert Aronson

ewish and congressional
leaders this week
praised the Clinton team
for its response to
Israel's treatment of the
Palestinian deportee cri-
sis.
Many leaders and
organizations, among
them the American
Jewish Congress, Ameri-
can Jewish Committee
and Michigan Sen. Carl
Levin, also drafted let-
ters and memos urging
Secretary of State War-
ren Christopher to veto
any U.N. Security Coun-
cil resolution that would
condemn or impose sanc-
tions on Israel for the
expulsion of Hamas ter-
rorists.
In a statement, the

Detroit Zionist Feder-
ation warns the new
president "that you can-
not compromise with ter-
rorists."
After deporting 400
members of the Hamas,
Israel, facing mounting
U.S. pressure, agreed
late Monday to allow 100
exiled Palestinians to
return home and to repa-
triate the others before
the end of the year.
The action followed a
reported warning on
Monday from Secretary
of State Warren Chris-
topher to Israeli Prime
Minister Yitzhak Rabin
that the Middle East
peace process would be
jeopardized, and U.S.-
Israel relations could be

"The U.S. administra-
tion has shown a clear
understanding of the
security considerations
which prompted the
Israel government's ac-
tion to remove a source
of terrorism," said
Federation Executive
Vice President Robert
Aronson. "We are grati-
fied that both govern-
ments are open to com-
promise, and that they
are working together
toward a resumption of
peace negotiations."
David Gad-Harf, exec-
utive director for the
Jewish Community
Council, lauded the
administration for dis-
playing sensitivity "on
part of the United States
for Israel's concerns
about terrorism."
"This presents a hope-
ful picture of the future
of U.S.-Israel relations
under the Clinton ad-

ministration," Mr. Gad-
Harf added.
Joining in Mr. Levin's
opinion were 67 U.S.
senators. In the letter to
Mr. Christopher, drafted
by Sen. Connie Mack,
the senators state in
part, "Today Unite
Nations Secretary Gen-
eral Boutros-Ghali called
on the UN Security
Council to take whatever
measures are required to
enforce resolutions call-
ing for the retrun of over
400 Islamic fundamen
talists expelled by Israel.
"We believe the Unites.
States must remain true
to your commitment to
oppose any unbalanced
resolution condemning
Israel," the letter states.
"It would be ironic if, in
the name of peace and
international law, the
United Nations were to
encourage violence
against Israel, under-
mine the peace process,
and strengthen Hamas, a
terrorist organization
committed to Israel's de-
struction."
Eight of 10 Jewish
senators signed the let-
ter. They are Mr. Levin,
Diane Feinstein, D-
Calif., Barbara Boxer, D-
Calif., Herbert Kohl, D-
Wis., Howard Metzen-
baum, D-Ohio, FrankJ
Lautenberg, D-N.J., Joe
Lieberman, D-Conn. and /\
Arlen Specter, R-Pa.
Missing were Russell
Feingold, D-Wis., and
Paul Wellstone, D-Minn.
Freshman congress-.
man Peter Deutsch, a
Jewish Democrat from
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.,
drafted a similar letter
to Mr. Christopher on
behalf of four U.S. repre-
sentatives.