INSIDE: DETROIT/SEARCHING FOR THE ARTIST; BUSINESS/THE LAND, INCH-BY-INCH;
ELECTIONS '95/SCHOOL-BOARD CANDIDATES EXPRESS THEIR VIEWPOINTS.

75¢

\

DETROIT

THE JEWISH
NEWS
1

SIVAN 5755/JUNE 9, 1995

Questionable Act

Is Middle East peace facilitated by U.S. dollars?

RUTH UTTMANN, JENNIFER FINER AND ELIZABETH APPLEBAUM

JEWISH NEWS STAFF

The

ea, Outdoors

Challenge and camaraderie for adults

in the West Virginia wilderness.

JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER

Story on page 30

abbi Steven Well the Declaration of Principles."
wants his congregants
In accordance with some of
to put it all in those DOP commitments, the
writing.
PLO promised to recognize
Members of Con- Israel's right to exist, renounce
gress and President terrorism and assume responsi-
Bill Clinton need to bility for actions of all PLO ele-
hear now from Detroit, he says. ments.
The issue: $500 million, and
The State Department's 10-
whether it should be sent to page report goes on to say: "More
the Palestine Liberation Organ- should be done ... The United
ization.
States expects the Palestinian
In 1993, the U.S. Congress ap- Authority and the PLO to con-
proved a measure that would tinue to take concrete steps to ef-
channel millions of American dol- fectively preempt and prevent
lars to the PLO in an attempt to terrorist acts."
foster peace efforts, as outlined
The American Israel Public
in the PLO-Israel Peace Accords Affairs Committee, a pro-Israel
signed Sept. 13, 1993. The PLO 1 obbying organization, agrees
already has received nearly $100 with the conclusions of the U.S.
million as a result of this act.
State Department. It favors the
Adopted shortly after the sign- renewal of MEPFA, but wants to
ing, Congress' Middle East Peace see the PLO held to a higher stan-
Facilitation Act (MEPFA) in- dard of compliance.
cludes a provision that reviews
"I would like to see some things
the distribution of funds every six more explicitly stated (in MEP-
months. The act expires July 1, FA's renewal)," says national
giving Congress until June 30 to AIPAC President Steve
vote on a renewal.
Grossman, referring to weapons
Members of Congress have confiscation, police cooperation
several voting options. MEPFA between Israel and the PLO, and
can be renewed as is or renewed the extradition of terrorists to
with revisions, holding the PLO Israel.
more accountable for actions such
`There's a long way to go," Mr.
as terrorism. A third option is not Grossman says. "But we believe
to renew MEPFA, returning reauthorization of the act is ap-
United States/PLO relations to propriate."
what they were before the
Michael
Drissman
of
September 1993 peace accord.
Farmington Hills disagrees.
Rabbi Weil, of Young Israel of
"It's an absolute outrage to the
Greenfield, is among those who Jewish community and to the
believes this is no time to be taxpayers of the United States,"
handing over money to the PLO. says Mr. Drissman, who is affili-
The money, he says, is depen- ated with Kahane Chai, a group
dent on conditions — and it's opposed to relinquishing land for
clear those conditions are not be- peace. 'The money we've given to
ing met. The synagogue is spear- our government is going to a man
heading a postcard drive urging who is still a terrorist and whose
leaders in Washington to with- organization is still a terrorist or-
hold funds until the PLO lives up ganization.
to its commitments.
"There is no difference what-
The State Department recom- soever between the PLO and
mends going ahead with grant- Hamas. One is secular. The oth-
ing funds to the PLO. In a er is religious. Both of them are
statement issued last week, it do ing everything they can to push
said, "The (U.S.) administration Is rael into the sea."
believes that the Palestinian
That's not the way Hannan T As
Authority and the Palestine see s it.
Liberation Organization ele-
The former Israeli who now
ments under Arafat's control liv es in metro Detroit supports
have abided by the commitments ME PFA.
undertaken in September 1993
"I believe that improving the
and those in, and resulting from, qu ality of life for people in Gaza
the good faith implementation of QU ESTIONABLE page 8