Land Development umunift. Employment Dams & Reservoirs Agriculture Recreation Tourism * Where Are the Rabin Backers? Jewish National Fund. Infrastructure isn't Charity... Site Development Its Building Israel Piece Pi JAMES D. BESSER WASHINGTON CORRESPONDENT L. ece JEWISH 11411011AL FIRM ISRAEL IS OUR ONLY PRIORITY- NATION-BUILDING IS OUR ONLY J013. Jewish National Fund 17100 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield, Michigan 48075-2648 • 810.557.6644 • Fax 810.557.2412 The Print Gallery Will Host Jim Kennedy Friday, May 5th 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. A rare opportunity to view and select from several hundred original posters from one of the country's leading and most knowledgeable antique art dealers. LLJ Cf) UJ Because Of Your United Way Contribution, A Lot More People Can Read. This. United Way • Refreshments • Hors d'oeuvres 29203 Northwestern Hwy. Southfield (810) 356-5454 F— C) CC f- LLJ LU !10 Opponents of the peace talks have a stronger presence in Washington than advocates. Advertising in the Jewish News gets results. Place your ad today! DESIGNS UNLIMITED Call (810) 354-6060 624-7300 "THE FINEST IN CUSTOM CABINETS FOR HOME OR OFFICE" Showroom hours: Mon.-Fri. 11-5, Sat. 11-3 or by appointment. et me tell you a little about tors, and in particular with their assessment of where the politi- my electronic mail. Every day I get a stack cally powerful Jewish communi- — figuratively, of course, ty stands. The Right understands this re- since this is the electronic age — of news reports and analyses ality. As a result, their vigorous from groups opposed to the cur- Capitol Hill effort has focused on rent Israeli government and its trying to convince legislators that approach to the faltering peace the Rabin government's peace policies are highly controversial process. Some of these missives are within the American Jewish com- crude and polemical in the ex- munity, and that support for the treme. But others are slick and policies could mean heavy polit- well-reasoned, the products of so- ical costs. That contention is not sup- phisticated communicators with a clear vision of their in- tended audiences. And what do I get from American supporters of the peace process, and of the bold policies of the gov- ernment of Prime Minis- ter Yitzhak Rabin? Bubkes. Hardly a elec- tronic murmur. Or I get press releases about "safe" issues only peripherally re- lated to the Mideast nego- tiations, like the growing menace of Iran — an im- portant issue, to be sure, but one that sidesteps the central issue of the Arab- Israeli peace talks. The same goes for my incoming FAXes, and old- fashioned U.S. mail; when it comes to the debate over the peace process, the Right is slugging away with bare fists, while sup- porters of the current peace process are barely in A towering "Uncle Sam" hands out literature protesting the sending of troops to the Golan the ring. Heights. On Capitol Hill, this gap has serious policy im- plications. In many House and ported by the polls. But it can Senate offices, the vast majority have a political impact if not of calls and letters on the countered by those who support Mideast come from hardliners the negotiations and ant to who reject the Israeli-Palestin- show that the opposition ian Declaration of Principles and comes rom a small, but vocal the ongoing Israeli-Syrian nego- minority. So where are the peace process tiations. Many staffers report a sharp supporters? Mostly, they are try- increase in genuine hate mail ing to raise money from an in- about Israel — from Jews who creasingly apathetic public, or cannot stomach the policies of the focusing on specific projects in- tended to bolster the peace current government. Legislators are not necessari- process. They;re leaving the ly swayed by constituent mail or broader pro-peace agenda to by lobbying blitzes by visiting del- mainstream groups like the egations. But let's face it: most American Israel Public Affairs law makers are not personally Committee (AIPAC). But groups like AIPAC cannot close to the Middle East contro- versy. Their judgments on issues be particularly effective advocates like aid to Middle Eastern nations for those policies. Their own lead- or the use of American forces in ership cadres are divided on some peacekeeping operations are key issues. And with Israeli elections corn- heavily overlaid with political fac- AP/J. SCOTT APPL EWH ITE Afforestation Summer Youth Programs