Syrian Exemption
Prompts Outrage

Groups protect Treasury Department ruling.

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peaking of Syria, the
American Jewish Con-
gress is expressing out-
rage at recent Treasury
Department regulations ex-
empting Syria from sanctions
imposed as part of the anti-
terrorism bill passed by Con-
gress earlier this year and
signed into law by President
Clinton.
That law prohibits financial
transactions with governments
designated as sponsors of
terrorism, an official list that
includes Syria and Sudan as well
as pro-terror stalwarts like Iran,
Iraq, Libya and North Korea.

But the recent Treasury De-
partment regulations exempt
Syria and Sudan.
Syria remains on the State
Department's official list of
nations supporting terrorism.
But apparently, officials at Fog-
gy Bottom went along with the
Treasury regulations out of con-
cern for the stalled Syrian-Is-
raeli talks, and because of the
assessment that Syrian officials
have not been directly involved
in terrorist operations.
AJ Congress executive Phil
Baum called the exemption "in-
explicable and inexcusable," and
said "overwhelming evidence

demonstrates that both coun-
tries have harbored, bankrolled,
supported and trained organi-
zations who perpetrated a series
of brutal outrages during the
very period when these officials
were allegedly 'not directly in-
volved."'
And he rejected the view that
an exemption serves the inter-
ests of the Middle East peace
talks — which his group has
consistently supported.
"The hard lesson we should
have learned is that the world
cannot afford to excuse or over-
look terrorism for any reason,"
he said.

Israeli Ambassador Arrives

Ben-Elissar presents his credentials in Washington.

T

he Netanyahu govern-
ment's relations with
Washington began shap-
ing up this week with the
arrival of a new Israeli ambas-
sador.
Dr. Eliahu Ben-Elissar, a for-
mer Knesset member and Likud
loyalist, arrived on Monday and
was scheduled to quickly present
a copy of his credentials at the
State Department — the act mak-
ing his status official. He is sched-
uled to present his credentials to
Mr. Clinton later this month.
Mr. Ben-Elissar began his
tour of duty with a round of
meetings with embassy person-

nel. He also was scheduled to
participate in Thursday's Wash-
ington meeting of the nations
that are providing financial
backing for the Palestinian Au-
thority.
According to embassy sources,
he was closely monitoring the
fast-moving crisis in Iraq.
Mr. Ben-Elissar immigrated
to Israel in 1942. By education
he is an historian but by trade
he is a politician; he was elected
to the last four Knessets, and
also served as Israel's first am-
bassador to Egypt.
In another move to bolster re-
lations with Washington, Mr.

Netanyahu has appointed a
Capitol Hill veteran to his per-
sonal staff to help him deal with
Congress and American Jewish
groups.
Saul Singer, who made aliyah
recently, is a former aide to Sen.
Connie Mack, R-Fla; in that po-
sition, he became a major player
in legislative efforts to force Mr.
Arafat to live up to the terms of
his agreements with Israel.
The appointment could pro-
vide an indirect boost for the
American Israel Public Affairs
Committee; Mr. Singer's wife,
Wendy Senor, is a former lob-
byist for the group.

DESIGNS IN DECORATOR
LAMINATES, LTD.

Gay Marriage Ban Debated

IT DOESN'T HAVE TO COST A FORTUNE...ONLY LOOK LIKE IT!

Congress takes up new legislation.

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LOIS HARON

851 ,4989

Allied Member ASID

, hey're back! The House
and Senate reconvened
this week for a short ses-
sion filled to overflowing
with the kinds of issues that leg-
islators hope will play big with
voters in November.
At the top of the list for the Sen-
ate is the Defense of Marriage Act
— a measure that gives states the
right to deny the legitimacy of
marriages between gays and les-
bians sanctioned by other states.
A wide range of Jewish orga-
nizations have mobilized against
the measure, which was passed
overwhelmingly by the House
last month.

Opponents concede that de-
feating the bill outright is all but
impossible because of election-
year pressures; instead, they
hope to attach other provisions
reinforcing gay and lesbian civil
rights.
One of those amendments
would extend federal em-
ployment discrimination pro-
tections to gays and lesbians.
Another would make it easier
for federal authorities to prose-
cute civil rights violations based
on the sexual orientation of vic-
tims.
The American Jewish Com-
mittee recently coordinated a

joint statement by a number of
religious groups, Jewish and --\
Christian, expressing support
for extending the Employment
Non-Discrimination Act, using
the gay marriage bill as a vehi-
cle.
But both amendments will be
tough in today's climate.
"What we see is that this bill,
in general, is a solution to a non-
problem," said an official with a
major Jewish group here. "It's
gay bashing, pure and simple, in
the interests of political gain, and
that makes it very frightening to
Jewish groups and to other mi-
norities."

